Forests play an important role in land management and environmental sustainability via their ecological and biophysical characteristics. These characteristics were assessed in a reclaimed forest developed over saline, barren wasteland well known as Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) to understand its ecological development, future threats, and potential environmental benefits. We computed tree community characteristics such as density, basal area, diversity, and species composition using a tree dataset from 36 plots of 0.1 ha. A total of 1,711 individuals of 8 families, 10 genera, and 12 species were recorded. Myrtaceae, Fabaceae, and Moraceae families were found dominating in the area. Prosopis juliflora showed the highest (142.50) Importance Value Index (IVI). The tree density varied from 435 ha ^–1 to 767 ha ^–1. Shannon–Weiner Index (H’), Simpson’s Diversity Index, Margalef Index, and Evenness Index, were recorded as 1.39, 0.68, 1.48, and 0.56 respectively. The average total biomass and carbon stock were estimated to be 344.3 tonnes/ha and 161.8 tonnes/ha. The total biomass of forest was 14,88,674 tons and carbon stock 6,99,677 tons in 2020. A total of 279 ha of forest blanks were identified using Sentinel-2 satellite data showing the existing potential of afforestation. Observations indicated that the system is of less diversity, early aged, and at anthropogenic/pathogenic risk due to its evenness and monospecific nature, and requires exhaustive mixed plantation with suitable species over open/blank areas immediately. We learn that the strategic planning of reclamation through afforestation in a semi-arid environment with similar conditions must focus on a complex community.