Role of Mangrove Rehabilitation and Protection Plans on Carbon Storage in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia: A Case Study

Sarah M. Al-Guwaiz, Abdulrahman A. Alatar, Mohamed A. El-Sheikh, Ghazi A. Al-Gehni, Mohammad Faisal, Ahmed A. Qahtan and Eslam M. Abdel-Salam
Additional contact information
Sarah M. Al-Guwaiz: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman A. Alatar: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed A. El-Sheikh: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Ghazi A. Al-Gehni: Environmental Protection and Control Department, Environmental Planning and Studies Section, Royal Commission of Yanbu, Yanbu 46422, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Faisal: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed A. Qahtan: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Eslam M. Abdel-Salam: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-10

Abstract: Mangroves are one of the main considerations that might be used to mitigate the effects of climate change in coastal areas. Mangrove populations can be affected by industrial and civil activities on coasts. According to the Kyoto Protocol, protection and rehabilitation programs may play a pivotal role in conserving mangroves in industrial areas. Therefore, this study was designed to examine and evaluate the possible impact of conservation plans, implemented by the Royal Commission of Yanbu, in preserving mangrove trees’ ability to store carbon in the soil. Soil and plant samples were collected from three distinct locations, including a mangrove conservation site in Yanbu and natural unprotected sites in Umluj and Ar-Rayis. Organic-carbon (OC) stock, in both soil and plants, was calculated. Our results showed that at different depths, soil bulk density (SBD) in Yanbu ranged between 0.32–0.94 g cm − 3 . In Ar-Rayis and Umluj, SBD ranged between 1.43 to 1.99 and 0.90 to 1.57g cm −3 , respectively. The average SBD values in Yanbu, Umluj, and Ar-Rayis were 0.68, 1.71, and 1.20 g cm −3 , respectively. Similarly, the average soil OC density in Yanbu, Umluj, and Ar-Rayis was 165.19, 30.82, and 18.90 g C cm −3 , respectively. Generally, the conserved mangrove tress grown in Yanbu industrial city showed higher ( P ≤ 0.001) soil OC stock (0.39 t C ha −1 ) compared to the unprotected trees grown in Umluj (0.12 t C ha −1 ) and Ar-Rayis (0.11 t C ha −1 ) cities. Similarly, the highest ( P ≤ 0.001) plant OC stocks (13.93 t C ha −1 ) were observed in protected mangroves of Yanbu, compared to the plant OC stocks observed in Umluj (8.06 t C ha −1 ) and Ar-Rayis (8.80 t C ha −1 ) cities. The results of the current study showed that the protected mangrove trees grown in Yanbu industrial city store more carbon in their sediments than those grown in the Umluj and Ar-Rayis sites without conservation or rehabilitation. These findings may provide evidence for the beneficial role of protecting mangrove forests in mitigating the effects of climate change.

Keywords: Ar-Rayis; Umluj; bulk density; mangrove forests; organic-carbon storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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