Abstract
Increased levels of global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and further consequences of climate change derived more research efforts to emphasize the actual role of the ecosystems of higher significance in this task. Mangrove ecosystem received a great interest in the demonstration of its potential to sequester atmospheric CO2. Sampling process from the sediment of mangrove ecosystem extended some 600 km along the Egyptian western coast of Red Sea, starting from Abu Monquar Island (27.216250 degrees N, 33.876288 degrees E) at the north near Hurghada to Sharm El-Madfa'a (22.895165 degrees N, 35.717757 degrees E) near the Egyptian-Sudanese frontiers. This work compares the pure population of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. and Rhizophora mucronata, Lam. as well as the mixed population of both species. Mean values of dry bulk density (DBD) were 1.2 +/- 0.02, g cm(-3) for pure A. marina, 0.8 +/- 0.06 g cm(-3) for pure R. mucronata, and 0.7 +/- 0.04 g cm(-3) for mixed sites. In addition, the values of mean soil organic carbon (SOC) were 10.2, 51.7 and 89.0 g C kg(-1) for pure A. marina, pure R. mucronata and mixed sites, respectively. On the other hand, the mean values of soil organic carbon pool (SOCP) were 258.0, 604.7 and 1049.3 Mg C ha(-1) for pure A. marina, pure R. mucronata and mixed sites of both species, respectively. The carbon sequestration potential (CSP) of pure A. marina, pure R. mucronata, and mixed sites of both species were 0.8, 2.2, 3.4 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1), respectively.