Mangrove degradation must reduce carbon sequestration in recent years, thereby aggravating global warming.Thus, short-term impacts of human activity on mangrove ecosystems are cause for concern from local governments and scientists. Mangroves sediments can provide detailed records of mangrove species variation in the last one hundred years, based on detailed 210 Pb data. The study traced the history of mangrove development and its response to environmental change over the last 140 years in two mangrove swamps of Guangxi, Southwest China. Average sedimentation rates were calculated to be 0.48 cm/a and 0.56 cm/a in the Yingluo Bay and the Maowei Sea, respectively. Chemical indicators(δ13Corg and C:N) were utilized to trace the contribution of mangrove-derived organic matter(MOM) using a ternary mixing model. Simultaneous use of mangrove pollen can help to supplement some of these limitations in diagenetic/overlap of isotopic signatures. We found that vertical distribution of MOM was consistent with mangrove pollen, which could provide similar information for tracing mangrove ecosystems. Therefore, mangrove development was reconstructed and divided into three stages: flourishing, degradation and re-flourishing/re-degradation period. The significant degradation, found in the period of 1968–1998 and 1907–2007 in the Yingluo Bay and the Maowei Sea, respectively, corresponding to a rapid increase of reclamation area and seawall length, rather than climate change as recorded in the region. Mangrove degradation must reduce carbon sequestration in recent years, thereby aggravating global warming.Thus, short-term impacts of human activity on mangrove ecosystems are cause for concern from local governments and scientists. Mangroves sediments can provide detailed records of mangrove species variation in the last one hundred years, based on detailed 210 Pb data. The study traced the history of mangrove development and its response to environmental change over the last 140 years in two mangrove swamps of Guangxi, Southwest China. Average sedimentation rates were calculated to be 0.48 cm / a and 0.56 cm / a in the Yingluo Bay and the Maowei Sea, respectively. Chemical indicators (δ13Corg and C: N) were utilized to trace the contribution of mangrove-derived organic matter (MOM) using a ternary mixing model. mangrove pollen can help to supplement some of these limitations in diagenetic / overlap of isotopic signatures. We found that vertical distribution of MOM was con sistent with mangrove pollen, which could provide similar information for tracing mangrove ecosystems. Thus, mangrove development was reconstructed and divided into three stages: flourishing, degradation and re-flourishing / re-degradation period. The significant degradation, found in the period of 1968 -1998 and 1907-2007 in the Yingluo Bay and the Maowei Sea, respectively, corresponding to a rapid increase of reclamation area and seawall length, rather than climate change as recorded in the region.