Abstract
<jats:p>Sacred forests play an important role in biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, yet their carbon storage characteristics remain poorly understood. This study quantified aboveground biomass (AGB) and aboveground carbon (AGC) stocks and examined their relationships with soil carbon–nutrient characteristics across edge-to-core spatial zones in Kaya Kauma Sacred Forest, a UNESCO-recognized sacred forest on the Kenyan coast. Forest inventories from ten permanent plots (385 trees representing 42 indigenous species) were used to estimate AGB and AGC, while soil samples collected at four depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–50, and 50–100 cm) were analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Mean AGB and AGC were 204.2 ± 38.2 Mg ha⁻¹ and 96.0 ± 18.0 Mg C ha⁻¹, respectively, with no significant differences among forest zones (Kruskal–Wallis, H = 2.373, p = 0.305). Soil TOC, TN, and SOM declined with increasing depth, while deadwood exhibited the highest C:N ratios and regeneration material contained the highest nitrogen concentrations. No significant relationships were observed between AGC and soil variables (all p &gt; 0.05). These findings provide baseline information on aboveground carbon stocks and soil carbon–nutrient characteristics in Kaya Kauma Sacred Forest, highlighting the importance of conserving sacred forests for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.</jats:p>