Carbon Stock Sequestration in the Mangrove Forest of Barangay Camudmud MPA, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao Del Norte

The study mainly determined the potential of Barangay Camudmud mangrove forest to sequester carbon dioxide. Five sampling plots were established using the transect line in the study area parallel to the shore. Every sampling plot measured 20 m x 20 m, spaced at 20-m intervals, and covered 2,000 m2. Two true mangrove species were found, namely: Rhizophora stylosa (bakhaw bato) and Sonneratia alba (pagatpat). R. stylosa was more abundant on the site and had a higher value of relative density, frequency, dominance, and importance value index compared to S. alba. Moreover, species diversity in the study area, including the saplings, was low (0.094). Furthermore, based on allometric equations computation for aboveground biomass and belowground organic carbon, R. stylosa sequestered 5.621 Mg ha and 12.528 Mg ha for S. alba. Generally, Barangay Camudmud Marine Protected Area (MPA) mangrove forest had the potential to sequester carbon with a total of 18.149 Mg ha. Although R. stylosa dominated the study area, it sequestered less atmospheric carbon than S. alba. On the other hand, S. alba sequestered more carbon and was less dominant in the area. As a result, the value of r in the Pearson Correlation Coeffi- cient was computed as -0.1717 and was interpreted as a negative correlation that exhibited an inversely proportional relationship between Importance Value Index (IVI) and total carbon sequestration values.