Mexican Mangroves Help Mitigate Climate Change By Capturing Carbon For the Past 5,000 Years

Researchers found that the Mexican mangroves have helped in climate change by capturing carbon for over 5,000 years. They urge communities to preserve mangrove forests because of their environmental benefits.

Mangroves are known to reduce heavy impact from storms or typhoons. They can help in tides because their roots can slow the tidal water movement.

Furthermore, the forest of mangroves helps stabilize the coastline with an abundant marine ecosystem.

According to research published in ScienceDaily, mangroves can live in conditions that most plants could not tolerate. Some mangrove species are said to have air-conducting roots helping when tides are high as the threes were floating.

NOAA explained that mangroves have about 80 species worldwide. They thrive in areas with low-oxygen soil. However, mangroves can only grow in subtropical latitudes or tropical regions as they cannot live in freezing temperatures.

Matthew Costa, UC San Diego coastal ecologist and first author of the paper, stressed that disturbing the mangroves would cause carbon emissions that are difficult to repair.

Moreover, Costa said mangroves are essential in mitigating climate change.

Mexican Mangroves

(Photo by Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Scientists from UC Riverside and UC San Diego teamed up to research marine mangroves off the coast of La Paz, Mexico. They looked into how mangroves in the area absorb and release carbon and nitrogen.

Additionally, they wanted to understand the bacteria and fungi thriving in the mangrove forest. The team findings are published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. 

According to ScienceDaily, the team did not expect the carbon found in the mangrove to be 5,000 years old.

Emma Aronson, UCR environmental microbiologist and senior co-author of the study, explained that the special about the mangroves is how they have kept the carbon for so long.

 Also Read:Carbon Dioxide and Mangroves: Equivalent to Removing Cars From Road 

However, the researchers did not find fungi in the mangrove because of the little oxygen in the area. It noted that most fungi specializing in carbon compounds need oxygen.

According to Science Daily, the researchers found the following:

• More than 1,100 types of bacteria beneath the mangroves are found. They consume and excrete various chemical elements in environments with low or no oxygen. But, the researchers said that bacteria there are not efficient at breaking down carbon.
• In deep peat soils, fewer microorganisms are present.

Protecting the mangrove forests

The World Economic Forum stressed the importance of protecting the mangrove forests. It highlights that over a third of mangrove forests have disappeared because of industrial or infrastructure developments.

The WEF added that destroying the mangrove forest threatens the livelihoods and lives of the marine ecosystem. It has urged countries and communities to preserve mangrove forests because of their environmental benefits. They share the helpful contributions of mangroves:

• As mentioned, mangroves help mitigate climate change by absorbing the carbon harmful to the earth.
• Coastal defense. Mangroves provide natural protection to communities as it maintains the rise of sea level and storm floods.
• Rich in biodiversity. Mangroves are a haven for animals. The nutrients from mangroves are breeding or food sources for fishes, shrimps, crabs, and other animals in the area. The trees are also a breeding ground for birds for nesting and migration.

Related Article: Mangrove in the Desert: Thriving Effort to Combat Climate Change 

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