Résumé
This chapter presents an integrated assessmen of the spatial and temporal changes in mangrove carbon stocks along the coast of French Guiana from 2000 to 2020. Mangrove extent and stand age were monitored through remote sensing across a 200-kilometre shoreline and combined with established age-related carbon equations. The results reveal high carbon stocks and marked stocking and destocking over time, underscoring the need for continuous monitoring of coastal dynamics to quantify carbon variations accurately. In the case of French Guiana, annual assessments are essential to determine the balance between carbon stored by newly established and mature mangroves and the losses caused by erosion. Age-related carbon equations are an important component of this diagnostic process. Although remote sensing allows age estimation of coastal mangrove stands, determining the age of older estuarine forests is more challenging. Moreover, important knowledge gaps persist regarding how aboveground structural attributes relate to soil and belowground carbon stocks and the geochemical processes driving long-term sequestration.