Characterization of carbon fluxes, stock and nutrients in the sacred forest groves and invasive vegetation stands within the human dominated landscapes of a tropical semi-arid region

In the semi-arid plains of Southern India, outside the protected area network, sacred groves forests and the barren lands invaded by Prosopis juliflora are reckoned to be the major greenery, but have homogenous and heterogeneous vegetation respectively. This study attempted to compare 50 Sacred Groves Stands (SGS) and 50 monodominant Prosopis juliflora Stands (PJS) for the functional diversity, evenness, floral diversity, carbon stock and dynamics, carbon-fixing traits, dendrochronology of trees, soil nutrient profiles, and soil erosion. Quadrat sample survey was adopted to record stand density, species richness, abundance, basal area and leaf area index; composite soil samples were collected at depths 0-30 cm for nutrient profiling (N, P, K, and OC). Photosynthesis rate (µmole co