Aboveground biomass and carbon stock in the largest sacred grove of Manipur, Northeast India

Aboveground biomass and carbon stock in the largest sacred grove of Manipur was estimated for trees with diameter > 10 cm at 1.37 m height. The aboveground biomass, carbon stock, tree density and basal area of the sacred grove ranged from 962.94 to 1130.79 Mg ha(-1), 481.47 to 565.40 Mg ha(-1) C, 1240 to 1320 stem ha(-1) and 79.43 to 90.64 m(2) ha(-1), respectively. Trees in diameter class of 30-40 cm contributed the highest proportion of aboveground biomass (22.50-33.73%). The aboveground biomass and carbon stock in research area were higher than reported for many tropical and temperate forests, suggesting a role of spiritual forest conservation for carbon sink management.