UPSC Geography Natural Vegetation and Wild Life / प्राकृतिक वनस्पति और वन्य जीवन NCERT Extracts - Natural Vegetation of India

Types of Forests

Tropical Evergreen and Semi Evergreen Forests

• These forests are found in the western slope of the Western Ghats, hills of the northeastern region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• They are found in warm and humid areas with an annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean annual temperature above 22°C.
• Tropical evergreen forests are well stratified, with layers closer to the ground and are covered with shrubs and creepers, with short structured trees followed by tall variety of trees.
• In these forests, trees reach great heights up to 60 m or above.
• There is no definite time for trees to shed their leaves, flowering and fruition.
• As such these forests appear green all the year round. Species found in these forests include rosewood, mahogony, aini, ebony, etc.
• The send evergreen forests are found in the less rainy parts of these regions.
• Such forests have a mixture of evergreen and moist deciduous trees.
• The under growing climbers provide an evergreen character to these forests. Main species are white cedar, bollock and kail.

Tropical Deciduous Forests

• These are the most widespread forests in India. They are also called the monsoon forests.
• They spread over regions which receive rainfall between 70-200 cm. On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous.
• The Moist deciduous forests are more pronounced in the regions which record rainfall between 100-200 cm.
• These forests are found in the northeastern states along the foothills of Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and Odisha. Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amia, semul, kusum, and sandalwood etc. are the main species of these forests.
• Dry deciduous forest covers vast areas of the country, where rainfall ranges between 70-100 cm.
• On the wetter margins, it has a transition to the moist deciduous, while on the drier margins to thorn forests.
• These forests are found in rainier areas of the Peninsula and the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
• In the higher rainfall regions of the Peninsular plateau and the northern Indian plain, these forests have a parkland landscape with open stretches in which teak and other trees interspersed with patches of grass are common.
• As the dry season begins, the trees shed their leaves completely and the forest appears like a vast grassland with naked trees all around.
• Tendu, palas, amaltas, bel, khair, axlewood, etc. are the common trees of these forests.
• In the western and southern part of Rajasthan, vegetation cover is very scanty due to low rainfall and overgrazing.
• Teak is the most dominant species of this forest. Bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun, mulberry are other commercially important species.

Tropical Thorn Forests

• Tropical thorn forests occur in the areas which receive rainfall less than 50 cm.
• These consist of a variety of grasses and shrubs. It includes semi-arid areas of south west Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
• In these forests, plants remain leafless for most part of the year and give an expression of scrub vegetation.
• 'Important species found are babool, ber, and wild date palm, khair, neem, khejri; palas, etc.
• Tussocky grass grows upto a height of 2 m as the under growth.
• Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant species.

Montane Forests

• In mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude leads tc a corresponding change in natural vegetation.
• Mountain forests can be classified into two types, the northern mountain forests and the southern mountain forests.
• The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which change in with the altitude.
• Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the Himalayas.
• It is succeeded by the wet temperate type of forests between an altitude of 1,000- 2,000 m.
• In the higher hill ranges of northeastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttaranchal, evergreen broad leaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant
• Between 1,500-1,750 m, pine forests are also well-developed in this zone, with Chil Pine as a very useful commercial tree.
• Deodar, a highly valued endemic species grows mainly in the western part of the Himalayan range.
• Deodar is a durable wood mainly used in construction activity.
• Similarly, the chinar and the walnut, which sustain the famous Kashmir handicrafts belong to this zone.
• Blue pine and spruce appear at altitudes of 2,225-3,048 m.
• At many places in this zone, temperate grasslands are also found. But in the higher reaches there is a transition to Alpine forests and pastures.
• Silver firs, junipers, pines, birch and rhododendrons, etc. occur between 3,000-4,000 m. 1
• However, these pastures are used extensively for transhumance by tribes like the? Gujjars, the Bakarwals, the Bhotiyas and the Gaddis.
• The southern slopes of the Himalayas carry a thicker vegetation cover because of relatively higher precipitation than the drier north-facing slopes.
• At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of the tundra vegetation.
• The southern mountain forests include the forests found in three distinct areas of Peninsular India viz; the Western Ghats, the Vindhyas and the Nilgiris.
• As they are closer to the tropics, and only 1,500 m above the sea level, vegetation is temperate in the higher regions, and subtropical on the lower regions of the
• Western Ghats, especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Kamataka.
• The temperate forests are called Sholas in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Palani hills.
• Some of the other trees of this forest of economic significance include, magnolia, laurel, cinchona and wattle. Such forests are also found in the Satpura and the Maikal ranges.                                              

Littoral and Swamp Forests

• India has a rich variety of wetland habitats. About 70 per cent of this comprises areas under paddy cultivation.
• The total area of wet land is 3.9 million hectares
• Two sites-ChiliKa Lake (Odisha) ad Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur) are protected as water-fowl habitats under the Convention of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).
• The country's wetlands have been grouped into eight categories, viz.
• the reservoirs of the Deccan Plateau in the south together with the lagoons and other wetlands of the southern west coast;
• the vast saline expanses of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the Gulf of Kachchh;
• freshwater lakes and reservoirs from Gujarat eastwards through Rajasthan (Keoladeo National Park) and Madhya Pradesh;
• the delta wetlands and lagoons of India's east coast (Chilika Lake);
• the freshwater marshes of the Gangetic Plain;
• the floodplains of the Brahmaputra; the marshes and swamps in the hills of northeast India and the Himalayan foothills;
• the lakes and rivers of the montane region of Kashmir and Ladakh; and
• the mangrove forest and other wetlands of the island arcs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Mangroves grow along the coasts in the salt marshes, tidal creeks, mud flats and estuaries. They consist of a number of salt-tolerant species of plants. Crisscrossed by creeks of stagnant water and tidal flows, these forests give shelter to a wide variety of birds.
• In India, the mangrove forests spread over 6,740 sq.km which is 7 per cent of the world's mangrove forests. They are highly developed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Sunderbans of West Bengal.
• Other areas of significance are the Mahanadi, the Godavari and the Krishna deltas. These forests too, are being encroached upon, and hence, need conservation.

Forest Cover and Forest Conservation

• It is important to note that the forest area and the actual forest cover are not the same. The forest area is the area notified and recorded as the forest land irrespective of the existence of trees, while the actual forest cover is the area occupied by forests with canopy.
• The former is based on the records of the State Revenue Department, while the latter is based on aerial photographs and satellite imageries.
• Accordingly, the Government of India proposed to have a nation-wide forest conservation policy, and adopted a forest policy in 1952, which was further modified in 1988.
• According to the new forest policy, the Government will emphasise sustainable forest management in order to conserve and expand forest reserve on the one hand, and to meet the needs of local people on the other.

The forest policy aimed at :

• bringing 33 per cent of the geographical areas under forest cover;
• maintaining environmental stability and to restore forests where ecological balance was disturbed;
• conserving the natural heritage of the country, its biological diversity and genetic pool;
• checks soil erosion, extension of the desert lands and reduction of floods and droughts;
• increasing the forest cover through social forestry and afforestation on degraded land;
• increasing the productivity of forests to make timber, fuel, fodder and food available to rural population dependant on forests, and encourage the substitution of wood;
• creating of a massive peoples movement involving women to encourage planting of trees, stop felling of trees and thus, reduce pressure on the existing forest.

Social Forestry

• Social forestry means the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development.
• The National Commission on Agriculture (1976) has classified social forestry into three categories. These are Urban forestry. Rural forestry and Farm forestry.
• Urban forestry pertains to the raising and management of trees on public and privately owned lands in and around urban centres such as green belts, parks, roadside avenues, industrial and commercial green belts, etc.
• Rural forestry lays emphasis on promotion of agro-forestry and community-forestry.
• Agro-forestry is the raising of trees and agriculture crops on the same land inclusive of the waste patches.
• It combines forestry with agriculture, thus, altering the simultaneous production of food, fodder, fuel, timber and fruit.
• Community forestry involves the raising of trees on public or community land such as the village pasture and temple land, roadside, canal bank, strips along railway lines, and schools etc.
• Community forestry programme aims at providing benefits to the community as a whole.
• Community forestry provides a means under which the people of landless classes can associate themselves in treeraising and thus, get those benefits which otherwise are restricted for landowners.

Wildlife Conservation

• In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was enacted, which provides the main legal framework for conservation and protection of wildlife in India.
• The two main objectives of the Act are; to provide protection to the endangered species; listed in the schedule of the Act and to provide legal support to me conservation areas of the country classified as National parks, sanctuaries and closed areas.
• This Act has been comprehensively amended in 1991, making punishments more stringent and has also made provisions for the protection of specified plant species and conservation of endangered species of wild animals.                                
• Wildlife conservation has a very large ambit with unbounded potential for the well-being of humankind.                                
• However, this can be achieved only when every individual understands its significance and contributes his bit. ,
• For the purpose of effective conservation of flora and fauna, special steps have been initiated by the Government of India in collaboration with UNESCO's 'Man and Biosphere Programme'.
• Special schemes like Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992) have been launched to conserve these species and their habitat in a sustainable manner.

Biosphere Reserves

• A Biosphere Reserve is a unique and representative ecosystem of terrestrial and coastal areas which are internationally recognised within the framework of UNESCO's Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR), the first of the fourteen biosphere reserves of India, was established in September, 1986.
• It embraces the sanctuary complex ofWyanad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai, the entire forested hill slopes of Nilambur, the Upper Nilgiri plateau, Silent Valley and me Siruvani hills.                               
• It includes the largest known population of two endangered animal species, namely the Nilgiri Tahr arid the Lion-tailed macaque.                                
• The largest south Indian population of elephant, tiger, gaur, sambar and chital as well as a good number of endemic and endangered plants are also found in this reserve,'
• The topography of the NBR is extremely varied, ranging from an altitude of 250 m to 2,650 m. About 80 per cent of the flowering plants reported from the Western Ghats occur in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Bio-Reserves

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve

• The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve situated in Uttarakhand includes parts of Chamoli, Almora, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar districts.
• The major forest types of the reserve are temperate. A few important species are silver weed and orchids like latifolie and rhododendron.
• The biosphere reserve has a rich fauna, for example the snow leopard, black bear, brown bear, musk deer, snowcock, golden eagle and black eagle.

Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve

• It is located in the swampy delta of the river Ganga in West Bengal. It extends over a vast area of 9,630 sq.km and consists of mangrove forests, swamps and forested islands.
• Sunderbans is the home of nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers.
• The tangled mass of roots of mangrove trees provide safe homes for a large number of species, from fish to shrimp.
• More than 170 birds species are known to inhabit these mangrove forests.
• Adapting itself to the saline and fresh water environment, the tigers at the park are good swimmers, and they hunt scarce preys such as chital deer, barking deer, wild pig and even macaques.
• In the Sunderbans, the mangrove forests are characterised by Heritiera fomes, a species valued for its timber.

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

• The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve covers an area of 1,05,000 hectares on the southeast coast of India.
• It is one of the world's richest regions from a marine biodiversity perspective.
• The biosphere reserve comprises 21 islands with estuaries, beaches, forests of the nearshore environment, sea grasses, coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves.
• Among the Gulf's 3,600plant and animal species are the globally endangered e.g. sea cow (Dugong dugon).
• Besides six mangrove species, endemic to Peninsular India are also endangered.

Medicinal Plants

• India is known for its herbs and spices from ancient times. Some 2,000 plants have been described in Ayurveda and atleast 500 are in regular use.
• The World Conservation Union's Red list has named 352 medicinal plants of which 52 are criticallyjBhireatened and 49 endangered.
• The commonly used plants in India are:
• Sarpagandha: Used to treat blood pressure; it is found only in India.
• Jamun: The juice from ripe fruit is used to prepare vinegar which is carminative and diuretic, and has digestive properties. The powder of the seed is used for controlling diabetes.
• Arjun: The fresh juice of leaves is a cure for earache. It is also used to regulate
• Babool: It's leaves are used as a cure for eye sores. Its gum is used as a tonic.
• Neem: It has high antibiotic and antibacterial properties.
• Tulsi Plant: It is used to cure cough and cold.
• Kachnar: It is used to cure asthma and ulcers. The buds and roots are good for digestive problems. Identify more medicinal plants in your area. Which plants are used as medicines by local people to cure some diseases?

Wild Life

• India is the" only country in the world that has both tigers and lions. The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the Gir forest in Gujarat.
• Tigers are found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, the Sundarbans of West Bengal and the Himalayan region.
• Leopards too are members of the cat family. They are important among animals of prey.
• The Himalayas harbour a hardy range of animals, which survive in extreme cold.
• Ladakh's freezing high altitudes are a home to yak, the shaggy homed wild ox weighing around one tonne, the Tibetan antelope, the bharal (blue sheep), wild sheep, and the kiang (Tibetan wild ass).
• Furhtermore, the ibex, bear, snow-leopard and very rare red panda are found in certain pockets.
• In the rivers, lakes and coastal areas, turtles, crocodiles and gharials are found. The latter is the only representative of a variety of crocodile, found in the world today.
• Bird life in India is colourful. Peacocks, pheasants, ducks, parakeets, cranes and pigeons are some of the birds inhabiting the forests and wetlands of the country.
• Some of the wetlands of India are popular with migratory birds. During winter, birds, such as Siberian Crane come in large numbers. One such place favourable with birds is the Rann of Kachchh.
• At a place where the desert merges with the sea, flamingo with their brilliant, pink plumage, come in thousands to build nest mounds from the salty mud and raise their young ones. It is one among many extraordinary sights in the country. Is it not a rich natural heritage of ours?