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What is the maximum light-use efficiency for mangrove areas?

I'm developing a regional carbon budget model for a Southeast Asian mangrove forest. The model requires a maximum light-use efficiency (ε_max) parameter. Literature reviews show a wide range for terrestrial forests, but mangroves are often omitted. I need a defensible, peer-reviewed value or narrow range to parameterize my model accurately without over- or under-estimating productivity.

 

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By Nitin Answered 1 year ago

This is a critical parameter, and I've struggled with the same literature gap. Mangroves are physiologically unique, often salinity-stressed, which caps their ε_max below that of optimal tropical forests. Based on synthesis studies I've used for calibration, a defensible range for ε_max in productive, fringe mangroves is 1.2 to 1.8 g C MJ?¹ of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). For interior or dwarf stands, it can be lower (0.8-1.2). I would recommend cross-referencing with site-specific eddy covariance data if available, or using the lower end of that range (1.2-1.5) for conservative, large-scale estimates to account for tidal and nutrient limitations.

 

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