GMT, together with YAGASU officers and local teams, next completed a comprehensive field inventory in two phases. During the first phase, which took place from August to December 2021, we conducted mangrove tree surveys and collected soil samples from 118 forest plots in four villages. GMT and YAGASU worked together to coordinate the surveys and analyzed the collected 354 soil samples at the Pusat Penelitian Kelapa Sawit (PPKS) laboratory in Medan, North Sumatera.

The plot coordinates were established using stratified random sampling protocols within the KACSAT baselining engine, which were delivered to GMT by their verification partner, Kumi Analytics. In the second phase, which took place in March 2022, the focus was on re-evaluating the carbon sequestration levels in 25 selected plots in the Pulau Kampai village. These plots were again established based on the KACSAT strata and land classification systems.

All in all, the field inventory and soil sample analysis constituted a comprehensive and collaborative effort between GMT and YAGASU, aimed at providing valuable insights into the mangrove forests in the region and providing a robust baseline profile of the mangrove forest to our verification partner and OxCarbon Standard.

– The Global Mangrove Trust team