Carbon Stock Assessment in Peat Soil and Mangrove Regrowth Phase of Shrimp Ponds: A Case Study of Ecosystem Restoration in the Indian Sundarbans

Published December 1, 2024 | Version v1

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1. Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya 11300, Sri Lanka.
2. Department of Oceanography, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM4/1, Salt Lake Sector V, Kolkata 700091, India.
3. Green Land Landscaping and Gardening, Seedling Growth Laboratory, 86130-000, Parana, Brazil.

This study investigates Peat Soil Organic Carbon (PSOC) dynamics in abandoned shrimp ponds across two

stations in the Indian Sundarbans, Chemaguri (21°39'49.32"N; 88°09'11.88"E) and Sagar Island (South)

(21°39'04.68"N; 88°01'47.28"E) selected based on the abundance of shrimp ponds. Shrimp farming, which

expanded in the lower Gangetic delta region during the early 1990s, led to extensive loss of mangrove cover

and significant reduction in soil carbon storage. In 1994, we recorded the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) levels

of 0.93% and 0.84% in the peat soil during the drying period of shrimp farms (October) at Chemaguri and

Sagar Island (South) respectively. Following the introduction of an afforestation program in 2000 aimed at

restoring the mangrove ecosystem, significant changes in SOC were observed. By 2014, SOC levels rose to

1.85% and 1.79%, with further increases to 2.45% and 2.01% by 2024, at the respective stations. The study

utilized the Walkley-Black method to estimate the SOC levels in the peat soil at different stages like the

drying phase of shrimp culture period (1994) and restoration phase (2014 and 2024). This research

underscores the positive impact of afforestation programs on mangrove soil recovery and the sequestration of

peat soil carbon, confirming the role of mangrove restoration in climate change mitigation and ecosystem

rehabilitation

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