<p>Nature-based solutions (Nbs) are seen as an effective way to mitigate climate change and stabilize the climate of the earth. Here, we report ground measurements of a newly established forest site on the campus of IIT Palakkad, Kerala India <em>(lat = 10.809, lon =76.746)</em>. The site (approximately 1600 meter<sup>2 </sup>) was previously dominated by fountain grass, which is locally considered to be an invasive species. After land preparation, a new forest utilizing approximately 20 native species of trees was planted following Miyawaki's methodology. Direct measurements of tree diameter at the breast height (tbh) were made to estimate total standing biomass using species specific allometric equations. The standing biomass after two years is estimated to be 3261 kg (5967 kg CO<sub>2</sub>) over the entire forest area. The total carbon sequestered during the first two years of this forest&#8217;s life is sufficient to neutralize carbon emission by a gasoline car driven for a distance of 48909&#160; km or carbon emission by a car running on 100E fuel over a distance of 349355 km. Our work demonstrates that the carbon sequestration rate (18 tons CO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>-1</sup> yr<sup>-1</sup>) by the forest established using the Miyawaki method at our study site is comparable to some of the most productive forests reported in the available literature. Further, our analysis demonstrates that NbS can be made more efficient if spatial land use planning can be optimized to make room for sustainable biomass production for energy and conservation purposes.</p>
<p>The Wayanad district of Kerala, India resides on the crest of the Western Ghats, one of the 36 Biodiversity hotspots in the world and known for its rich abundance of flora and ethnic cultures. Switching of farm practices from traditional to modern and rapid urban developmental activities is seen as a trend in the district. In this scenario, analysis of biodiversity associated with rice-based farms under various farming systems is important in this district. The adjacent upland agriculture area of rice fields of 9 rice-based agroecosystems was selected for the current study. Out of the 9 sites, 3 sites were traditional farms maintained by <em>Kurichiya</em> tribal communities, 3 were organic farms, and the other 3 farms were modern. A total of 45 families, 99 genera, 129 species of tree, and 101 bird species which belonged to 48 families, and 17 orders were identified from the study sites. This study recorded 7302, and 2072 tree and bird individuals respectively. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series data was also derived for each site. The principal component analysis portrayed that there is a compositional relationship among native tree diversity indices, mean NDVI for May, June, August, and October, and bird diversity indices.&#160; Further, Pearson Correlation proved their significant correlation. This study also exhibits the possibility of an increased abundance of Granivorous bird species in less native tree-abundant farming sites, which are considered a pest in rice farms. All the traditional farms were found to be abundant in native tree species and they are reported to have sustainable production in rice fields.&#160; The culture and religious beliefs are the reason for the native tree abundance in their farming sites. Increasing native tree abundance can attract many species of birds which can act as natural enemies for the pests in the farmland.</p>
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