Forests of India

Geography Chapter 5

FORESTSOF

INDIA

INTRODUCTION

• The total plant life growing naturally in an area is called forest or natural vegetation.

• This is influenced by various ecological factors like temperature, rain, land forms, soil etc..

• According to 2009 survey there is 6.9 lakh sq.km of forest forming 21.2%of the total geographical area.

• 1. Evergreen forests.• 2. deciduous Monsoon Forests.• 3. Tropical Gransslands• 4. Desert vegetation• 5. Mangrove Forests.• 6. Alpine forests of Himalayan.

The natural vegetation of India can be divided

into 6 main types.

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Tropical evergreen forestThis type of vegetation is found in areas which are not more than 900 mts above the sea level and receive the rainfall more than 250 cm and

the temperature ranges between 250c and 270c.

• Temperature and humidity are responsible for it

They grow about 60mts tall.

Canopy is formed

In India, most of these forests are found on the western side of the Western Ghats, in the North-Eastern states and the Andaman Nicobar Islands.

They occupy 2.6 lakh hectares.

Ebony, Mahogany & Rose Wood trees

Rubber Tree

Bamboo Bushes

Deciduous Monsoon Forests• They cover a greater part of India. • They found in regions where the rainfall is between

75 cm and 250 cm.• It forms 65.5% of the total area of forests.• Since India is having monsoon climate, this type of

forest is distributed widely.• They shed their leaves during dry winter.• They are also called tropical deciduous forests.

Teak, sal

sandal wood trees

Tropical Grassland

This type of vegetation is found in the central parts of the Peninsular Plateau, border areas of Thar desert to the west of Aravalli hills where the annual rainfall is between 60 cm and 75 cm. These forests have trees with short trunks Babool, Seesum and Sabhai types of grass are seen here.

Mangrove ForestsThese forests are formed due to tides. They are found along the deltas and estuaries of rivers that are subjected tides. The deltas of river Ganges, Godavari, Mahanadi and Krishna have these forests. In Ganges delta, there are plenty of Sundari trees and hence the forests are known as ‘Sundarbans’ The total area of mangrove forest is 4.4 thousand km2

Desert Forests

This type of vegetation is found in regions where the annual rainfall is less than 50 cm, Rajasthan’s Thar Desert, and the adjacent parts of Punjab, Haryana and Gujarath have this type of vegetation. The trees which grow here are short, have deep roots, thick leaves and thorns. Date palms are common near the oasis. Babul, palms and cactus are the important trees.

Alpine forests of Himalayan

Different types of forests are found here.As height increases the tropical type of climate changes in to the polar type of climate.According to the changes in climate, various types of plants are found.The important types of trees growing in this type of forest are sal, byra, toon, silver spruce, laurel etc.These trees have pointed leaves.

Importance of Forests• Forests are a very essential natural

resources. They provide raw materials to industries such as –• Timber, bamboo, cane, gum,

medicinal plants, shrubs etc.• They provide fodder to animals.

• Forests provide moisture in the atmosphere and lower the temperature.

• They obstruct the rain-bearing winds and cause rainfall.

• Prevent soil erosion and preserve the fertility.• Forests provide a home for many animals and

birds.• Forests help to preserve the ecological balance.• They provide animal sanctuaries which attract

tourists.

Distribution of forests

• Scientists opine that for good environment an area should have 33% of its land are under forests.

• In India it is only 21.2%, which is very less.• Madhya Pradesh has largest area as forest.• Haryana is in the last position.• Karnataka state is in the 13th position.

Conservation of Forests

• Protection of forests from human beings, animals, and natural disasters is called Conservation of forests.

• Indian forests areas are gradually decreasing, because of expansion of agriculture, animal-grazing, construction of road and rail routes, irrigation projects, forest fires, mining forest, fires etc are the main causes for the destruction of forests.

Methods of Conservation

• Cutting down dried-up and abrasing trees which causes forest fires.

• Protecting against diseases.• Planting saplings• Sowing seeds• Guarding against illegal cutting of trees.• Avoid domestic animals to graze in the forest• Creating awareness among people.• Social forestry projects.

• Social forestry aims at not only providing enough firewood, fodder and other forest other forest products but also to meet the requirement of ecological balance through large-scale afforestation on community land and wasteland by planting fast growing varieties of trees.

• ‘Vanamahothsava’ which was started in 1950, aims at planting thousand of seedlings during July and August. In order to create awareness among the people about the environment, 5th June is celebrated as Environment Day every year.

WILD LIFE• India has a variety of wild life because of its

varied relief features, climate and natural vegetation. There are about 80,000 species of wild animals, birds and fishes. India has some animals which are not found in any part of the world, e.g. swamp deer, Chausinga (four horns antelope). Kashmir stag, black buck and Neelgai. The spotted deer of India is very beautiful. One horned rhinoceros is found only in India and Nepal.

Swamp Deer

Chausinga (four horned antelope)

Kashmir Stag

Black Buck

Neelgai

Spotted Deer

One horned Rhinoceros

• The Himalayas are the home of several unique animals like the wild sheep, yak, the mountain goats, the ibex, the shrew, the tapu, the panda and snow leopard, monkeys and languar.

Himalayan Wild Sheep

Yak

Mountain Goat

Ibex

Shrew

Tapu

Panda

Snow leopard

India has a variety of bird life. The falcon (hawk), geese, mynahs, parrots, pigeons, cranes , hornbills, sunbirds and kingfishers are found in forests and marshy lands. The Peacock is our national bird.

Falcon (Hawk)

Geese

Mynahs

Parrot

Pigeon

Cranes

Hornbills

Sunbirds

Kingfisher

Peacock (Our National Bird)

Save Wild Life . .

Save Future.. .

Wild Sanctuaries

• Wild-life sanctuaries have been set up to protect animals in their natural habitat.

• There are around 523 wild-life sanctuaries in India today.• Tamil Nadu: Annamalai Wild-life Sanctuary, Coimbatore,

Nilgiri.• West Bengal: Madarihaat, Jaldapara• Rajasthan: Bhartpur, Kivola Divo Bird Sancury• Haryana: Sultanpura, Gorgaon• Punjab: Birmotibagh, Patiala• Andhra Pradesh: Guntur, Nagarjun Sagar

National Parks

• Jim Corbett National Park• Kaziranga National Park, Sibsagar, Assam• Sunderbans, 24 Paraganas district• Hazaribagh National Park, Bihar• Gir National Park Junagad, Gujarat• Kanha National Park, Maandya and Balaghat,

MP• Tandova National Park, Chandrapur,

Maharashtra.

In India there are 99 National Parks,

70 botanical gardens275 zoos

523 Wild Life Sanctuaries and

17 Tiger Reserves. The Bandipur, Nagarahole and Bannerghatta

National Parks are in Karnataka.

© Vijaya School Presentation

(2014)