A New Global Mangrove Height Map with a 12 meter spatial resolution

Abstract

Mangrove forests thrive along global tropical coasts, acting as a barrier that protects coastlines against storm surges and as nurseries for an entire food web. They are also known for their high carbon sequestration rates and soil carbon stocks. We introduce a new global mangrove canopy height map generated from TanDEM-X spaceborne elevation measurements collected during the 2011–2013 period with a 12-meter spatial resolution and an accuracy of 2.4 meters (RMSE). Height was calibrated and validated using GEDI mission data and independently verified with airborne Lidar. The tallest mangrove stands reach nearly 60 meters in Colombia and Gabon, and potentially other countries. The map captures a broader range of canopy heights with finer spatial details than other available global products that use optical imagery. This new global mangrove height dataset can aid in evaluating mangrove ecosystem services at local and regional scales, improving our understanding of factors controlling mangrove structure, and supporting conservation, climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.