DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2015.v03i10.011

Pages: 875-879

Sacred groves epitomize the synergy between biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. Their cultural protection has inadvertently safeguarded critical carbon sinks in biomass and soil, making them untapped assets in global carbon budgets. Recognizing and integrating sacred groves into conservation and climate strategies will amplify their role as living laboratories of sustainable forest management. Thus, the paper is an attempt to explore the potential of sacred groves as untapped natural sinks for climate change mitigation and also for biodiversity conservation. The positive connection between biodiversity and carbon density underscores their dual role in climate mitigation and biological conservation. Recognition of sacred groves as integrated biodiversity-carbon hotspots will help to map, protect and restore these microecosystems for long‐term carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. To sum up, sacred groves represent irreplaceable socio-ecological systems where cultural reverence and ecological integrity converge to safeguard India's biodiversity heritage and microclimate stability, demanding urgent integration of traditional stewardship with contemporary conservation policies to ensure their survival and continued ecosystem service provision for future generations. Keywords: Sacred Groves, Carbon Sequestration, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change, Ecosystem Services