United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change highlights the significance of carbon storage and emission in forests towards climate change mitigation. The aim of this study was to quantify the tree biomass and carbon density (carbon storage) in the tropical dry forest of the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala located in the Southern Western Ghats, India. We investigated the species-wise contribution of carbon (C) storage, as well as the species-wise and plot-wise correlation between carbon and other dendrometric variables. We also analysed the girth (diameter) wise distribution of carbon and tree density in the study region. The study was conducted in eight selected sample plots of the region, each with an area of 0.1 hectare. Species-specific volume and specific gravity relationship coupled with suitable regression equation were used to estimate biomass. Tree carbon was assumed to be 47% of the biomass. The results showed that the average biomass and carbon density of the vegetation were 64.13 t ha-1 and 30.46 t-C ha-1 , respectively. Among the 32 species identified, Tamarindus indica L. (17%), Hardwickia binata Roxb. (14%), Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn (10%) and Pleiospermium alatum (Wight & Arn.) Swingle (10%) were dominant as for carbon storage. The correlation analysis showed that basal area is a good predictor of tree biomass and carbon, while the role of tree density and tree diversity remain uncertain in determining carbon storage. With respect to diametric class distribution, tree density showed a reverse J-shaped pattern indicating the sustainable regeneration of the analysed forest, where the small-(diameter at breast height 3-9 cm) to medium-sized trees (diameter at breast height 10-69 cm) were found to contribute to more than 50% of biomass and carbon in the forest. The study provides useful information for carbon mitigation strategies in a tropical dry forest in the Southern Western Ghats.

The riparian ecosystems of the Western Ghats are highly diversified tropical forest ecosystems. The synergic effect of various threats may adversely affect and reduce the capacity of these riparian ecosystems to resilience, even though they have specific adaptations for living in extreme conditions. These diversity-rich riparian ecosystems provide critical ecological services such as influencing environmental processes, acting as habitats for both terrestrial and aquatic biota, and supporting the livelihood of the surrounding community. Hence the restoration of such damaged ecosystems is highly significant. This article presents a scheme for sustainable restoration of the disturbed riparian ecosystems with the involvement of multi-stakeholders. The threestage scheme ensures the support and livelihood of the local community, along with the ecological restoration of riparian ecosystems using nature-based solutions with a scientific approach. The restoration will enhance the ecosystem services, climate change adaptations, and resilience, as well as the carbon sequestration capacity of the tropical region.

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Ecosystems across the globe, be it terrestrial, marine or transitional in nature are under pressure due to multiple drivers of changes including anthropogenic. Restoring the vitality of degraded systems is crucial for fulfilling the UN-Sustainable Development Goals in a timely manner. It is also essential for attaining the targets of the ambitious UN-Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN-DER). Riparian ecosystems are one among systems undergoing drastic changes due to anthropogenic pressures. They are a heterogeneous and biodiversity rich system due to its transitional zone occurrence between terrestrial and aquatic realms, including riverbanks, floodplains and wetlands, and provide ecosystem services on both local as well as global levels. Here we review the prospects of restoring riparian ecosystems in the context of the UN-DER. Even though the momentum for restoring riparian habitats began in the 1970s, our study reveals that intensive restoration programmes across the world are sparse and more efforts are needed to restore degraded riparian systems for regaining ecosystem health and complexity. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of various strategies deployed for restoring riparian ecosystems around the world reveals that a participatory approach and site-specific strategies are needed for better output. Also, active along with passive restoration is required for better recovery. We suggest a three-stage strategy-preassessment, restoration activities and post monitoring and maintenance. It includes the involvement of stakeholders across all stages, which also supports their livelihoods. The restoration of riparian ecosystems supports the targets of UN-DER while providing both global as well as local ecosystem services.