ABSTRACT
The mangroves in Mexico are variable in structure and function, occupying a range of sites from the subtropical arid north coast, to the tropical and humid far south. Mangroves in Mexico can be classified in five regions according to climatic, hydrologic, geologic, and geomorphologic characteristics. Studies in the Gulf of Mexico, South Pacific Coast, and the Yucatan Peninsula have provided detailed and valuable information on carbon (C) stocks of mangroves that include the soil component. In Mexico, there have been two studies that have revealed the primary sources of C in mangroves within a coastal lagoon and a river mouth. There is a need to encourage scientists and government organizations to make available this information to advance in the science of C for mangroves. Federal funding has provided for mangrove restoration projects in the Pacific Coast and in the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico has an opportunity to benefit from C markets by protecting and restoring the large areas of existing mangroves.
