Long-term impacts of afforestation on biomass production, carbon stock, and climate resilience in a degraded semi-arid ravine ecosystem of India

The ravines are considered among highly degraded ecosystems where successful afforestation strategies can provide significant economic and ecological benefits. The present investigation assessed and compared the biomass, carbon stock (CS), and climate resilience potential of tree species in both degraded and afforested ravine lands of Western India. Results revealed a better growth performance and higher (P < 0.05) economic volume of tree species in afforested ravines, compared to degraded ravines. Among different tree species, Azadirachta indica was noted to be the dominant species in terms of density at both afforested and degraded sites. Dendrocalamus strictus and Prosopis juliflora produced higher (P < 0.05) stem volume at the afforested sites and degraded sites, respectively. Acacia nilotica and A. indica accrued greater (P < 0.05) biomass as well as CS at the afforested sites and degraded sites, respectively. Overall, in afforested ravines, the tree biomass, vegetation CS, and soil CS were assessed higher by 176 Mg ha(-1), 88 Mg ha(-1), and 3.50 Mg ha(-1), respectively, compared to degraded ravine lands. The sum rank index indicated better performance of A. indica, A. nilotica, and D. strictus in afforested sites, and A. indica, P. juliflora, and Acacia senegal in degraded sites, under the changing climatic scenarios of ravine ecosystem. The results suggested that afforestation of degraded ravines have a strong potential to accumulate biomass and CS in both vegetation and soil systems, and therefore, these lands can be utilized as a major sink for sequestering the atmospheric C to expedite national mitigation and adaption action plan.& nbsp;