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tallest stands. Mangrove height is driven by temperature and precipitation and so the largest forests are found close to the equator, with notably large stands on the west coast of Colombia and in Gabon, where the world’s tallest stands of 63 m are found (Simard et al., 2019). Shorter trees are found towards the extremes of their geographic limits, such as in higher‐latitude countries like Japan and New Zealand. However, the maximum height that mangroves are able to achieve is often limited by the occurrence of tropical cyclones and hurricanes (Simard et al., 2019). These extreme weather events limit the height of mangroves in regions where taller mangrove forests would be expected, such as in equatorial East Africa. Mangrove forest height is determined by a number of local scale variables which include salinity, hydraulic conductivity, wave exposure, and soil type, which lead to local and regional variation in height and AGC.

      1.4.2. Tidal Salt Marshes

      Tidal salt marshes are dynamic ecosystems that can be found in a range of sedimentary coastal settings from the tropical to the arctic climate zone (Mcowen et al., 2017). Marsh plants consist of halophytic herbs, grasses, and low shrubs that are adapted to frequent or occasional inundation by tides (saltwater) and lay approximately between mean high‐water neap and mean high‐water spring tides (Mcowen et al., 2017). Located in the intertidal zone, they can share a similar ecological niche and have overlapping distributions with mangroves in temperate regions (Saintilan et al., 2014; Kelleway et al., 2017).

      (Source: Based on Chmura et al., 2003, and Duarte et al., 2013.)

Local carbon burial rate (g C/m2/yr) Carbon stock in soil (Mg C/ha) Global area (km2) Reference
151 380,000 Woodwell et al. ( 1973 )
218 (18–1,713) 22,000 Chmura et al. ( 2003 )
218 (18–1,713) 400,000 Duarte et al. (2005)
218 ± 24 162 22,000–400,000 Mcleod et al. ( 2011 )
244.7 41,657 Ouyang and Lee ( 2014 )
218 (18–1,713) 55,000 Mcowen et al. ( 2017 )
Global carbon burial (TgC/yr) Global carbon stock in soil (PgC) Global carbon burial (reference)
60.4 none available Duarte et al. (2005)
60.4–70 (max. 190) Nellemann et al. ( 2009 )
4.8 Mcleod et al. ( 2011 )
87.3 Mcleod et al. ( 2011 )
4.8–87.3 0.4–6.5 Duarte et al. ( 2013 )
10.2 ± 1.1 (0.9–31.4) none available Ouyang and Lee ( 2014 )
12 ± 1.3 Al‐Haj and Fulweiler ( 2020 )

      As highly productive ecosystems (primary production exceeds respiration), tidal salt marshes sequester large amounts of carbon within their underlying sediments, within their living aboveground biomass (leaves, stems) and belowground biomass, including live and dead roots (Chmura et al., 2003; Ouyang & Lee, 2014). Marsh plants further trap and accumulate litter and allochthonous material/carbon from upstream rivers and tidal exchange (Saintilan et al., 2013). Consequently, carbon burial rates and carbon stocks in salt marshes are exceptionally high, exceeding those of terrestrial forests (Duarte et al., 2005a, 2013; Mcleod et al., 2011).

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