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

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