Natural Vegetation in India
Natural Vegetation in India
Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests
In areas over 250cm rainfall. In Western Ghats, hilly areas in N.E. India and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Trees are rosewood, shisham, ebony, ironwood, etc.
Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests
In areas having rainfall between 100 - 200 cm. In peninsular region and along the foothills of Himalayas in
Shivaliks, Bhabhar and Tarai.
The trees of these forests drop their leaves for about 6-8 weeks during the spring and early summer when
sufficient moisture isn't available.
Trees are teak, sal, bamboo, sandalwood, rosewood, etc.
Thorn Forests
In areas having rainfall between 25 and 80cm. In arid regions of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.
Trees are palm, acacia, etc.
Hill Forests
In hills of S.India and the Himalayas.
The type of trees depends upon the height of the mountain : Sal and bamboo below 1000 m; oaks, chestnuts
and other fruit trees, and chir forests between 1000 and 2000 m; pine, deodar, silver fern and spruce between
1600 and 3300 m; above 3600 m alpine forests with trees like silver firs, pines, birches, etc. Alpine forests give
way to Alpine grasslands and scrubs as we move up further.
Tidal or Mangrove Forests
Also known as Littoral or Swamp Forests.
Occur along the sea coast and in the estuaries of rivers, especially in Sunderbans and the Andamans.
Most important tree is Sundari. It provides hard and durable timber which is used for construction and building
purposes as well as for making boats.
Note :
According to the National Forest Policy, the minimum desired area which is considered safe for a tropical country
like India is about 33%.
Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under forests followed by Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and
Arunachal Pradesh.
As per percentage of forest area to total area, first is Andaman and Nicobar Islands, followed by Mizoram,
Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland. They are in a very comfortable position
as more than half of their area is under forests.
Arunachal Pradesh has the highest per capita forest area.
In Mangrove forests, West Bengal holds the first position, followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The lowest forest percentage is in Haryana and Punjab, because of the extensive agriculture.
Biosphere Reserves in India
The biosphere reserve program was launched by the UNESCO in 1971 under the aegis of its Man and Biosphere
(MAB) Program, to provide a global network of protected areas for conserving natural communities.
In India, the first biosphere reserve – Nilgiri biosphere reserve – came into being in 1986. So far, 14 biosphere
reserves have been set up in the country.
| A | B |
| Nilgiri (Western Ghats) | Similipal (Orissa) |
| Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand) | Dibru-Daikhowa (Asom) |
| Nokrek (Meghalaya) | Dehong Dabang (Arunachal Pradesh) |
| Manas (Asom) | Panchmarhi (MP) |
| Sunderbans (West Bengal) | Kanchanjunga (Sikkim) |
| Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu) | Agastyamalai (Kerala) |
| Great Nicobar (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) | Achaanak maar-Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh) |
Note :
Out of these 14, Nilgiri, Sunderbans, Manas and Gulf of Mannar have been recognized on World Network of
Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO.
Project Tiger
It was launched on April 1, 1973 to ensure maintenance of viable population of the tigers in India.
There are 29 tiger reserves in the country:
Name of Tiger Reserve State
| A | B |
| Bandipur | Karnataka |
| Corbett | Uttarakhand |
| Kanha | Madhya Pradesh |
| Manas | Asom |
| Melghat | Maharashtra |
| Palamau | Jharkhand |
| Ranthambhore | Rajasthan |
| Similipal | Orissa |
| Sunderbans | West Bengal |
| Periyar | Kerala |
| Sariska | Rajasthan |
| Buxa | West Bengal |
| Indravati | Chattisgarh |
| Nagariunsagar | Andhra Pradesh |
| Namdapha | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Dudhwa | Uttar Pradesh |
| Kalakad-Mundanthurai | Tamil Nadu |
| Valmiki | Bihar |
| Pencil | Madhya Pradesh |
| Tadoba-Andhari | Maharashtra |
| Bandhavgarh | Madhya Pradesh |
| Panna | Madhya Pradesh |
| Dampha | Mizoram |
| Bhadra | Karnataka |
| Pench | Maharashtra |
| Pakhui-Nameri | Arunachal Pradesh-Asom |
| Bori, Satpura, Pachmari | Madhya Pradesh |
| Nagarhole | Karnataka |
| Katarniaghat | Uttar Pradesh |
| Nameri | Asom |
| Kaziranga | Asom |
Note :
Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve in AP is the largest, while Pench in Maharashtra is the smallest. Bandipur
in Karnataka was the first (1973-74), while Kaziranga is the latest (2006).
Project Elephant
It was launched in February 1992, to assist States having wild elephants to ensure long term survival of identified
viable populations of elephants in their natural habitat.
There are 14 Elephant Reserves in India.
