Mangrove forests are vital components of coastal ecosystems while being one of the highest carbon density ecosystems on the planet, but global maps of mangrove carbon are either too coarse for forest management or use decades old data - limiting their applicability for climate mitigation strategies. Now, global measurements of mangroves are available from the NASA Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) LiDAR and TanDEM-X SAR instruments, enabling us to develop next-generation maps of mangrove forest structure. Here, we present the first high-resolution (~12 to 30 m) global mangrove forest carbon stock map developed by fusing LiDAR and SAR. We merge two critical datasets: [1] a GEDI-calibrated ~12 m TanDEM-X global mangrove canopy height map and [2] 4520 mangrove forest biomass field plots. By linking mangrove biomass field plots to our canopy height map, we create a global high-resolution carbon map, refining broad- and regional-scale allometric relationships between mangrove forest height and carbon storage, while accounting for uncertainty. We also independently develop GEDI predictions of mangrove carbon storage, applying them to nearly three million GEDI measurements globally. Finally, we use our global maps of mangrove forest carbon to show the sensitivity of these forests to a suite of environmental factors (e.g. stand density, temperature, salinity, etc.). This updated global map provides a more current and comprehensive understanding of mangrove carbon stocks, with direct implications for carbon accounting and mangrove habitat conservation.

Primary Presenter: Atticus Stovall, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / University of Maryland (atticus@umd.edu)

Authors:

Lola Fatoyinbo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center  (lola.fatoyinbo@nasa.gov)

Nathan Thomas, ESSIC  (nathan.m.thomas@nasa.gov)

Andre Rovai, Louisiana State University  (asrovai@gmail.com)

Marc Simard, NASA JPL  (marc.simard@jpl.nasa.gov)

Adriana Parra Ruiz, NASA JPL  (adriana.s.parra@jpl.nasa.gov)

Abigail Barenblitt, University of Maryland  (abigail.barenblitt@nasa.gov)

David Lagomasino, East Carolina University  (lagomasinod19@ecu.edu)