INFLUENCE OF MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM ON SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND GLOBAL WARMING AT THE WESTERN STRAND OF THE RED SEA, EGYPT

Abstract

: Soil carbon sequestration is a riskier long-term strategy for climate mitigation than direct emissions reduction as it plays a main role in closing carbon emission gaps. Mangrove ecosystem is a natural wetland that allocated at Red Sea and extended for 500 km at the Egyptian western coast. Five sampling sites were investigated at the north near to the city of Hurghada beginning from the Abu Monquar Island (27° 12′ 58′′N, 33° 52′ 34′′E). This work investigates the impact of the original population of Mangrove type (Avicennia marina ) on the soil carbon sequestration. Obtained results of the mean values of measured soil bulk density (SBD) at the soil surface (0-30 cm) were revealed that the lowest values of the SBD was at Abu Monquar Island with 1.31± 0.02, g cm -3 and at Safaga with 1.53 ± 0.05 g cm -3 . While at El Gouna 1, 2 and at Hurghada the SBD values varied from 1.63 to 1.75 g cm -3 . In addition, the soil dry bulk density at the control site (beach without plants) was 1.75± 0.05g cm -3 . On the other hand, the highest values of the Calcium carbonate were obtained Abu Monquar island with 168. 20 gKg -1 , while the Calcium carbonate values were 26.60 gKg -1 , 69.30 gKg -1 , 58.50 gKg -1 , 91.90 gKg -1 and 26.90 gKg -1 for Gouna1, Gouna2, Hurghada, Safaga, and the control, respectively. The mean values of measured soil organic carbon pool (SOCP) at the soil surface (0-90cm) revealed that the lowest values of the SOCP was at Hurghada with 8.81± 0.12 Mgha -1 and the highest values at Abu Monquar island with 59.75 ± 0.15 Mgha -1 . While at El Gouna 1, 2 and at Safaga the SOCP values were 14.48, 12.86, and 39.98 Mgha -1 , respectively. In addition, the SOCP at the control site (beach without plants) was 6.62± 0.25 Mgha -1 . Thus the Mangrove ecosystem has a great potential to sequestrate the soil organic carbon and reduce the atmospheric CO 2 .