Tigers are among the most iconic and endangered animals in the world. They are also crucial for maintaining the health and diversity of the ecosystems they inhabit.
India is the country with the largest population of wild tigers, but it also faces many challenges such as habitat loss, poaching, and climate change.
A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has shown that India's efforts to protect its tigers have not only helped conserve these magnificent creatures but also avoided a significant amount of carbon emissions that would have worsened global warming.
How tiger reserves protect forests and store carbon
ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images
Forests are vital for the planet as they absorb and store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat and causes climate change, as per Phys.org.
India, as the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has committed to reduce its emissions and increase its forest cover.
One of the ways India has done this is by creating 52 tiger reserves across the country, where logging and deforestation are strictly regulated.
These reserves cover about 2% of India's land area but contain about 10% of its forest cover.
The study, led by Aakash Lamba from the National University of Singapore, compared the rate of deforestation in tiger reserves and other areas where tigers live, but are less protected.
They used satellite data to measure forest loss across 162 different areas between 2001 and 2020.
They found that more than 61,000 hectares of forest were lost during this period, but 75% of it was outside the tiger reserves.
Inside the tiger reserves, almost 6,000 hectares of forest were saved from deforestation between 2007 and 2020.
This translates to more than a million metric tons of carbon emissions avoided, according to the study. This is equivalent to taking more than 200,000 cars off the road for a year.
The study also estimated the economic value of the avoided carbon emissions by using two different methods, as per Digital Journal.
The first method was based on the social cost of carbon, which measures the damage caused by each ton of carbon dioxide released to society and the environment.
The second method was based on a carbon offset scheme, which allows individuals or organizations to pay for reducing emissions elsewhere.
Using the social cost of carbon method, the study calculated that more than $92 million had been saved by protecting the forests in the tiger reserves.
This is because less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere means less impact on human health, agriculture, biodiversity, and other sectors.
Using the carbon offset scheme method, the study estimated that the avoided deforestation in the tiger reserves amounted to more than $6 million in carbon credits.
This is because these credits can be sold or traded in a market where there is demand for reducing emissions.
"The financial benefits of avoiding carbon emissions are more than a quarter of the annual expenditure on tiger conservation in India," Lamba said.
This significant outcome highlights how investments in wildlife conservation not only safeguard ecosystems and wildlife but also benefit societies and economies.
Tigers as umbrella species
The study demonstrates how tigers are an umbrella species, meaning that by protecting them, we also protect the forests they live in and the biodiversity they support.
Tigers need large areas of intact forest to survive and hunt, and their presence indicates a healthy ecosystem.
"By protecting tigers we also protect the forests they live in, which are home to an incredible diversity of wildlife," Lamba said.
The study also suggests that other countries with endangered wildlife and forest cover could benefit from similar conservation efforts.
The authors hope that their findings will encourage more support for tiger conservation and raise awareness of its multiple benefits for nature and people.
