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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Peer-reviewed publication

Advancement in Measurement and Estimation Methods of Blue Carbon Studies

Blue carbon and its storage for a long time in the coasts and estuaries are one of the most important natural ways to combat and mitigate ongoing threats of climate change. Hence, measurement and estimation of blue carbon storage and burial became extremely crucial for researchers throughout the globe. In the last few decades, many cut-of-the-age technologies have been developed for the estimation of blue carbon study. Mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes ecosystems have been unanimously accepted as blue carbon ecosystems. The principal compartments of blue carbon storage are aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, nonliving detritus, and sediment. Both destructive and nondestructive approaches have been considered as the conventional method of measuring and estimating blue carbon. Stable isotope and radioisotope techniques have widely been used in the study of blue carbon burial rates and source identification. Recent nondestructive methods have also been developed like remote sensing techniques. This chapter in Assessing, Mapping and Modelling of Mangrove Ecosystem Services in the Asia-Pacific Region focuses on a comprehensive review of the conventional methods of blue carbon measurement and estimation along with recent advancements. This chapter also dealt with the future direction of the blue carbon measurement and estimation methodology.