A study covered by The Hindu shows that protecting elephants in India indirectly boosts forest carbon storage. Elephants act as seed dispersers and maintain forest structure, which helps forests absorb and hold more carbon. The article explains that elephant conservation is not just about biodiversity but also a practical climate strategy for India's forests. This matters for carbon markets because forest carbon projects often overlook the role of keystone species like elephants. The study suggests that integrating wildlife protection into forest carbon accounting could improve the integrity of nature-based carbon credits. For anyone tracking real decarbonization, this is a concrete example of how ecosystem health and carbon storage are linked.
