Estimation of carbon storage potential of heterogeneous landscape from a selected terrain of Western Ghats, Southern India

The mountain chain of the Western Ghats features geomorphic characteristics of immense importance, with unique biophysical and ecological processes and exceptionally high levels of biological diversity and endemism. This study conducts a phytosociological analysis and estimates carbon and biomass storage using linear regression methods for various types of vegetation. The r2 value remains different for each vegetation category. It also evaluates the ecological importance of the Velliyamattam – Kanjar green isle (known as ‘Pachathurut’ in the Malayalam language) through estimates of its carbon and biomass. The biomass of the studied plots was predicted using an equation generated from the observed biomass and the average NDVI (derived from Landsat 8 OLI imagery). Biomass was 5.36 t 0.09 ha−1 in a 13-year-old plantation and 4.17 t 0.09 ha−1 in a 3-year-old Pachathurut plot. The findings indicate that Pachathurut shows a higher carbon stock within a short period than conventional plantations.