Background:

In the Yucatan Peninsula, some mangrove areas were filled with rubble and residential areas were latter developed.

Questions:

Can the knowledge of the forest structure and carbon storage be used to establish a baseline for urban mangrove conservation?

Study species:

Rhizophora mangle L., Laguncularia racemosa Gaertn f., Avicennia germinans L. y Conocarpus erectus L.

Location and study year:

Isla del Carmen, Campeche, 2017.

Methods:

Sampling units were established for assessing vegetation structure and measuring above-ground and below-ground carbon stock in two mangrove zone; the first one was filled with rubble and the second without land use changes.

Results:

The site filled with rubble had a basal area of 25.4 m2 ha-1, where A. germinans was the dominant species with stand density of 675 trees ha-1, with average height of 5.5 m and average diameter at breast height of 13.4 ± 1.6 cm. The site without land use changes had a basal area of 27.8 m2 ha-1 and A. germinans was also the most abundant species with 731 trees ha-1, but individuals were smaller (5.0 m tall) and with greater diameter at breast height (15.2 cm), as compared with the other site. The estimated total carbon stored in the second site (383 Mg C ha-1) was higher than in the first one (321 Mg C ha-1).

Conclusions:

The ecological value of carbon sequestration and forest structure contributed to strengthening the conservation and protection measures against invasions of urban mangroves.