Shrimp aquaculture, fishing and rice growing -- especially in Southeast Asia -- are slowly degrading mangroves. Every five to 20 years, a biological or chemical problem affects a pond, forcing farmers or fishermen to abandon the area and dig a new pond in an undisturbed mangrove forest. A World Bank study last year found that the removal of the typical coastal wetland has added about 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per square kilometer per year to the atmosphere over 50 years (ClimateWire, April 12, 2011). NGOs, World Bank look to 'blue' portfolios Although Siikamäki's study ties successful conservation to the price of offsets in mandatory and voluntary carbon markets, the researchers also took into account other benefits unrelated to carbon, like maintaining species diversity. By switching from a strictly carbon-centric approach to a biodiversity approach, conservation efforts would cost only $1 more. Mangroves, as well as other wetlands, absorb most carbon through soils, rather than forests' trees. While soils have a greater potential to hold carbon, the science to measure and track soil carbon is less developed, and methodologies from carbon verification bodies are still in infancy. "It requires a little bit more work," said Steve Crooks, climate change services director at the ecosystem consulting firm ESA PWA, who also sits as a member of two international blue carbon working groups. In forests, researchers can use remote sensing data like satellite images and possibly verify those data with information on the ground. For soils, scientists must measure the carbon content of a particular soil at a specific location and develop a map from that. The science of soil carbon dynamics is evolving, with some researchers finding that soil could even play a role in boosting greenhouse gas emissions (ClimateWire, July 14, 2011). Nevertheless, Crooks believes that the low profile of blue carbon shouldn't be attributed to technical challenges.
Shrimp aquaculture, fishing and rice growing -- especially in Southeast Asia -- are slowly degrading mangroves. Every five to 20 years, a biological or chemical problem affects a pond, forcing farmers or fishermen to abandon the area and dig a new pond in an undisturbed mangrove forest. A World Bank study last year found that the removal of the typical coastal wetland has added about 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per square kilometer per year to the atmosphere over 50 years (ClimateWire, April 12, 2011). NGOs, World Bank look to 'blue' portfolios Although Siikamäki's study ties successful conservation to the price of offsets in mandatory and voluntary carbon markets, the researchers also took into account other benefits unrelated to carbon, like maintaining species diversity. By switching from a strictly carbon-centric approach to a biodiversity approach, conservation efforts would cost only $1 more. Mangroves, as well as other wetlands, absorb most carbon through soils, rather than forests' trees. While soils have a greater potential to hold carbon, the science to measure and track soil carbon is less developed, and methodologies from carbon verification bodies are still in infancy. "It requires a little bit more work," said Steve Crooks, climate change services director at the ecosystem consulting firm ESA PWA, who also sits as a member of two international blue carbon working groups. In forests, researchers can use remote sensing data like satellite images and possibly verify those data with information on the ground. For soils, scientists must measure the carbon content of a particular soil at a specific location and develop a map from that. The science of soil carbon dynamics is evolving, with some researchers finding that soil could even play a role in boosting greenhouse gas emissions (ClimateWire, July 14, 2011). Nevertheless, Crooks believes that the low profile of blue carbon shouldn't be attributed to technical challenges.