Stand structure, species composition, diversity, biomass, and carbon stock variability in three differently managed...

During the present decade of ecosystem restoration, protection of forest ecosystems is perceived as among the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration along with co-benefits of diversity conservation and improving the dynamics of forest ecosystems. Present study was carried out in three differently managed forests i.e. secondary forests, reserve forests and protected area to understand how protection or lack of it influences species richness, diversity and forest structural attributes which in turn affects vegetation biomass and carbon reserves of forests. Results of the present study showed that protection of the forest ecosystems improves the vegetation parameters, biomass and carbon stock. In the present study, highest stem density (2915 ± 181 individuals/ha), basal area (37.69 ± 8.07 m²/ha), diversity (1.84 ± 0.18), biomass (131.92 ± 21.59 Mg/ha) and carbon stock (65.96 ± 10.79 Mg C/ha) was observed in the protected forests. In contrast lowest values for stem density (1005.8 ± 79.9 individuals/ha), basal area (16.14 ± 1.6 m²/ha), biomass (87.60 ± 11.87 Mg/ha) and carbon stock (43.80 ± 5.93 Mg C/ha) were observed in the secondary forests. Further, our results indicate that due to regular selective logging, reserve forests significantly lost its carbon stores as compared to the other mature forest (protected area), although diversity was not impacted. In the present study, basal area has also been found to be the most important factor for the variation of the biomass carbon in different forests. On the basis of the results of the present study, we recommend that protection of old-growth forests along with restoration of degraded forests and creation of new forests on waste lands are the best-case scenario for the long-term storage of carbon which will be helpful for combating the crisis of climate change.