Question

Classify Indian forests and give their distribution. Illustrate your answer with the help of a map.

Give an account of different forests of India.

Answer 1

1. Tropical Evergreen Forests:
   • Rainfall: More than 200 cm
   • Temperature: Around 24°C; high humidity
   • Features: Tall, dense trees; sunlight scarcely reaches the ground
   • Trees: Rubber, mahogany, ebony, coconut, bamboo
   • Distribution: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Western Ghats, and northeastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram
2. Tropical Deciduous (Monsoon) Forests:
   • Rainfall: 100–200 cm
   • Features: Shed leaves in dry season; important for timber
   • Trees: Sal, teak, sandalwood, shisham
   • Distribution: Shiwalik Hills, Bhabar, Tarai, middle/lower Ganga valley, northeastern Peninsula, Sahyadris
3. Tropical Dry Forests:
   • Rainfall: 50–100 cm
   • Features: Less dense, shorter trees with adaptations to conserve water
   • Trees: Neem, babul, shisham, mango
   • Distribution: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, southern U.P.
4. Arid Forests:
   • Rainfall: Less than 50 cm
   • Features: Thorny bushes, small leaves, thick bark
   • Trees: Kikar, babul
   • Distribution: Rajasthan, southwest Punjab, southwest Haryana, parts of Gujarat
5. Delta or Tidal Forests:
   • Features: Adapted to saline tidal waters
   • Trees: Mangrove, sundari
   • Distribution: Ganga-Brahmaputra delta (Sundarbans), deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Andaman & Nicobar
6. Mountainous Forests:
   • Features: Vary with altitude from tropical to alpine vegetation
   • Trees: Oaks, pines, deodar, rhododendrons
   • Distribution: Himalayan slopes (e.g., Kashmir, Uttarakhand), Peninsular hills (e.g., Nilgiris, Annamalai, Mahabaleshwar)