Biodiversity Conservation Lab, Department of Botany, Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, 470003, India.
Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, Puducherry, 605014, India.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019 Dec;26(36):37212-37227. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-06854-9. Epub 2019 Nov 20.
Sacred groves are small or large patches of forest and are rich in biodiversity, store carbon (C) in biomass and soil, besides providing important ecosystem services. However, the information on tree species diversity, biomass, and C storage in sacred groves of Central India, Madhya Pradesh is elusive and fragmented. In the present study, 41 sacred groves were inventoried for tree species diversity, biomass, and C storage in vegetation and soil. A total of 103 tree species from 81 genera belonging to 37 families were recorded. Shannon's diversity, Dominance, Fisher's alpha, and species evenness indices for trees varied: 0.77-2.53, 0.07-0.64, 1.58-20.37, and 0.28-0.90 respectively. Tree density ranged 75-675 no. of stems ha with a mean of 271 no. of stems ha, while basal area ranged 6.8-47 m ha with a mean value of 27 m ha. Tree biomass ranged 34.9-409.8 Mg ha with a mean value of 194.01 Mg ha, while, tree C ranged between 17.5 and 204.9 Mg C ha with a mean value of 97.0 Mg C ha. The total soil organic carbon stock (0-30 cm) ranged from 22.4 to 112.5 Mg C ha with the mean value of 62 Mg C ha. Biomass C and SOC contributed 61% and 39% of the total C stocks, respectively. Tree C stock showed a significant positive relationship with tree basal area (R = 0.968). A total of five tree species belonging to four families were found to be vulnerable in Central India. The present study reveals that the sacred groves of Central India are species rich, have higher C stocks and sequestration potential in both vegetation and soil, and calls for an immediate attention for conservation and planning for long-term C sequestration.
圣林是小片或大片的森林，生物多样性丰富，在生物质和土壤中储存碳 (C)，并提供重要的生态系统服务。然而，印度中部、中央邦的圣林的树种多样性、生物量和 C 储量的信息是难以捉摸和零散的。在本研究中，对 41 个圣林的树种多样性、生物量和植被及土壤中的 C 储量进行了清查。共记录了来自 37 个科 81 属的 103 个树种。树木的香农多样性、优势度、费舍尔 alpha 和物种均匀度指数分别为 0.77-2.53、0.07-0.64、1.58-20.37 和 0.28-0.90。树木密度范围为 75-675 株/公顷，平均值为 271 株/公顷，而基面积范围为 6.8-47 平方米/公顷，平均值为 27 平方米/公顷。树木生物量范围为 34.9-409.8 Mg/公顷，平均值为 194.01 Mg/公顷，而树木 C 范围为 17.5-204.9 Mg C/公顷，平均值为 97.0 Mg C/公顷。0-30 cm 土壤有机碳储量范围为 22.4-112.5 Mg C/公顷，平均值为 62 Mg C/公顷。生物量 C 和 SOC 分别贡献了总 C 储量的 61%和 39%。树木 C 储量与树木基面积呈显著正相关（R = 0.968）。在印度中部发现有 5 种属于 4 个科的树种处于脆弱状态。本研究表明，印度中部的圣林物种丰富，具有较高的 C 储量和在植被及土壤中的固碳潜力，需要立即关注保护和规划，以实现长期的 C 固存。
