Regeneration status, biomass and carbon stock of Tectona grandis in tropical moist deciduous forests of Kamrup Metropolitan district, Assam, Northeast India

The present study broadly focused on regeneration status, biomass, and carbon stock of Tectona grandis (teak) in three tropical moist deciduous forests, viz. Fatasil Reserve Forest (FRF), Gotanagar Reserve Forest (GRF), and Jalukbari Reserve Forest (JRF) of Kamrup Metropolitan district, Assam, Northeast India. The stratified random quadrat method was employed and individual no. of adult trees, saplings, and seedlings in the quadrats, and girth at breast height (GBH) of adult trees were recorded and used for calculating density and basal area respectively. Regeneration status was checked from the densities of seedlings, saplings, and adult trees. An allometric formula was employed to calculate biomass and carbon stock of the species. Teak exhibited good regeneration status (seedlings>saplings>adult trees) in JRF and GRF, while fair regeneration status (seedlings>saplings<adult trees) has been observed in FRF. Moreover, the study displayed the major contributions of teak in biomass (47.07-163.48 Mg ha-¹), carbon stock (22.12-76.83 Mg C ha-¹), and CO₂ equivalent (81.19-281.98 Mg ha-¹) in the study sites. Therefore, the study is fundamental for intending a conservation strategy for teak and to raise awareness among the local people about its significance in mitigating global warming and climate change.