Protecting elephants helps safeguard India’s forests as powerful carbon stores: Study
Researchers find long-term success of conservation efforts depends on improving habitat quality, restoring wildlife corridors, and strengthening forest management, and not only by bringing more areas under elephant reserves
A new scientific study has revealed that safeguarding India's endangered Asiatic elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) indirectly contributes to the protection of the country's forests as powerful carbon stores. The research, published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, found that the expansion of elephant reserves and improved habitat quality have led to a 38% increase in carbon storage within the reserves from 1992 to 2025.
Despite the marginal increase in elephant population, the majority of the carbon increase is attributed to enhanced protection and reduced degradation of pre-existing forest carbon stocks. Elephants, often referred to as ecosystem engineers, play a crucial role in maintaining healthy forests capable of storing carbon over the long term.
The study emphasizes the need for improved habitat quality, restoration of wildlife corridors, and stronger forest management to ensure long-term carbon stabilization, rather than relying solely on the declaration of more elephant reserves.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
