Sacred groves in India's Western Ghats regrow forests more effectively than official government plantations do. A new study found that these community protected patches of woodland contain more native tree species and store more carbon than planted forests of the same age.
Sacred groves outperform plantations in tree diversity and carbon storage
Researchers compared 16 sacred groves with 16 government run plantations across the Western Ghats in India. All sites were between 20 and 50 years old. The sacred groves held an average of 30 native tree species per plot. Plantations averaged only 14. The groves also stored 40 percent more carbon above ground.
Local communities have protected these forests for centuries
Sacred groves are patches of forest that local communities have protected for religious and cultural reasons for hundreds of years. People believe deities reside in these woods. They forbid cutting trees, hunting, or collecting firewood. This traditional protection has kept the forests intact while surrounding areas were cleared for agriculture or development.
Why this matters for forest restoration efforts
The study took place in the Kodagu district of Karnataka state in southern India. The Western Ghats is a biodiversity hotspot, home to thousands of plant and animal species found nowhere else. Local communities have long valued these groves not just for spiritual reasons but also for the water, shade, and resources they provide. The findings suggest that sacred groves could serve as models for forest restoration across the tropics. They demonstrate that allowing natural regeneration, rather than planting monoculture timber species, can produce healthier, more resilient forests.
Sacred groves in India's Western Ghats naturally regenerate into diverse, carbon rich forests better than government plantations do. This challenges the assumption that active tree planting is always the best way to restore forests. The study adds to growing evidence that protecting existing forests and allowing them to recover on their own can be more effective than large scale planting projects.
