Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (Vis-Nir-Swir) as a Promising Tool for Blue Carbon Quantification in Mangrove Soils: A Case of Study in Tropical Semiarid Climatic Conditions

The assessment of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in mangrove ecosystems is essential for coastal management activities seeking the mitigation of CO2 emissions. However, the wet chemical analysis conventionally used to quantify SOC may overestimate SOC content due to oxidation of reduced compounds. This work focused on the use of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) for predicting SOC in mangrove forest areas. When used properly, DRS may be, in some cases, a more accurate and more efficient method for the determination of SOC in mangrove soils than conventional analytical approaches. Furthermore, variable selection may simplify and improve prediction accuracy, reducing collinearity in the dataset used and allowing better SOC quantification through more interpretable and robust models. (AU)