Types of Vegetation

  • The major types of vegetation in India are Tropical Rainforests, Tropical Deciduous Forests, Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs, Montane Forests and Mangrove Forests.
  • With warm and wet climate all year round the Tropical Rainforests have luxurious trees, shrubs and creepers. The rainfall is more than 200 cm.
  • The are restricted to heavy rainfall areas of the Western Ghats and Island groups, upper parts of Assam and Tamilnadu.
  • A large variety of animals are found in the rainforests.
  • The most widespread forests of India — the Tropical Deciduous Forests — are also known as the Monsoon Forests. Rainfall ranges between 200 to 70 cm.
  • On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous forests.
  • These are spread across northeastern states, foothills of Himalayas, Jharkhand, West Orissa, and Chhattisgarh and eastern slopes of Western Ghats.
  • Lions, tiger, pig, deer elephant, variety of birds, reptiles are found here.
  • The leaves of vegetation in Thorn Forests and Scrubs are mostly thick and small to minimize evaporation and have succulent stems to conserve water. Rainfall is less than 70 cm.
  • These forests are found in Northwestern part of the country and semi-arid areas of Gujrat, Rajasthan, M.P. Chhattisgarh, U.P., and Haryana.
  • Common animals found are rats, mice, rabbits, fox, wolf, tiger, lion etc.
  • Montane forests have a succession of natural vegetation belts in the same order as we see from the tropical to the Tundra region.
  • Wet temperate forests are found between a height of 1000 and 2000 meters while temperate grasslands are found at higher elevations above 3600 meters and give way to alpine vegetation.
  • At 3600 meters above sea level, temperate forests and grasslands give way to alpine vegetation.
  • The mangrove tidal forests are found in the areas of coasts influenced by tides.
  • Dense mangroves are the common varieties with roots of the plants submerged underwater.
  • Delta regions of major rivers have such vegetation.
  • Royal Bengal Tiger is famous animal of these forests.
  • India has more than 1200 species of birds, 2500 species of fish and between 5 to 8 percent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
  • India is the only country in the world that has both tigers and lions.
  • The Himalayas have a large range of animals that survive the bitter cold.
  • Every species of animal has a role to play in the ecosystem; hence conservation is essential.
  • Hunting and pollution is causing threat to animal species.
  • To protect the flora and fauna of the country, the government has taken many steps.
  • Fourteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect flora and fauna.
  • 89 National Parks, 49 Wildlife Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves have been set up to take care of natural heritage

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