Woody debris removal modifies carbon stocks and soil properties in a fragmented tropical rainforest

Abstract

We examined whether and how woody debris removal for domestic fuel affects carbon storage and soil properties in an Indian rainforest. Fuelwood removal reduced aboveground carbon stocks, increased soil bulk density, and possibly reduced soil phosphorus stocks. Equitably balancing this subtle trade‐off between climate‐regulating and vital, widely utilized provisioning functions, is a challenge for tropical forest research and management.