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<p>Mangrove forests are important carbon sinks but also emit greenhouse gases (GHGs), which can reduce their net carbon storage potential. While crab burrows have been recently highlighted as a significant pathway for GHG emissions, research remains limited to a few locations and most literature looked at habitats dominated by fiddler crabs. We examined the impact of crab burrows on GHG emissions in mangroves that are dominated by grapsid and sesarmid crabs in the subtropical east coast of Australia. We measured sediment CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub> and N<sub>2</sub>O fluxes in a paired design from chambers placed to include or exclude crab burrows across forests dominated by <i>Avicennia marina</i>, <i>Aegiceras corniculatum</i> and <i>Bruguiera gymnorhiza.</i> Our results showed that the presence of crab burrows did not significantly contribute to higher GHG fluxes. Forest type emerged as the major driver of CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> flux variation, with <i>Bruguiera</i> forest significantly lower than other forest types. While a higher burrow density was significantly associated with higher CH<sub>4</sub> flux (0.35% increase per additional burrow), this effect was modest compared to forest type. Our results suggest that crabs do not substantially reduce the carbon sink capacity of these subtropical mangroves and highlight the variability in crab effects and the importance of crab species when studying their effect on the mangrove carbon cycle. </p>

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Forest Species Composition, Not Crab Bioturbation, Drives Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Subtropical Mangroves

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月3日

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  • Kai Ching Cheong,
  • César Herrera,
  • Christopher J. Brown,
  • Julieta Nazareth Cutz,
  • Maria Fernanda Adame

摘要

Mangrove forests are important carbon sinks but also emit greenhouse gases (GHGs), which can reduce their net carbon storage potential. While crab burrows have been recently highlighted as a significant pathway for GHG emissions, research remains limited to a few locations and most literature looked at habitats dominated by fiddler crabs. We examined the impact of crab burrows on GHG emissions in mangroves that are dominated by grapsid and sesarmid crabs in the subtropical east coast of Australia. We measured sediment CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes in a paired design from chambers placed to include or exclude crab burrows across forests dominated by Avicennia marina, Aegiceras corniculatum and Bruguiera gymnorhiza. Our results showed that the presence of crab burrows did not significantly contribute to higher GHG fluxes. Forest type emerged as the major driver of CO2 and CH4 flux variation, with Bruguiera forest significantly lower than other forest types. While a higher burrow density was significantly associated with higher CH4 flux (0.35% increase per additional burrow), this effect was modest compared to forest type. Our results suggest that crabs do not substantially reduce the carbon sink capacity of these subtropical mangroves and highlight the variability in crab effects and the importance of crab species when studying their effect on the mangrove carbon cycle.