Types of forests
(i) Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
(ii) Tropical deciduous forests
(iii) Tropical thorn forests
(iv) Mountain forests
(v) Vellanchal and swamp forests
1. Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests
Tropical evergreen forests are found in India mainly in the Western Ghats, the north-eastern hills, and the Andaman-Nicobar Islands. These forests occur in areas where annual rainfall is more than 200 cm and average temperature is above 22°C.
These forests are characterized by
- Tropical evergreen forests are evergreen and their trees can reach a height of 60 metres or more.
- These forests have several layers of trees, including shrubs and vines at the bottom, smaller trees above them, and tall trees at the top.
- The main tree species of these forests are rosewood, mahogany, anise and ebony.
- Semi-evergreen forests are found in these areas in areas with less rainfall. These are a mixture of evergreen and deciduous forests. The main trees in these are cider, holak, and kail.
Exploitation of forests by the British
- The British understood the economic utility of forests in India and exploited them on a large scale.
- The British replaced oak with pine trees to build railway tracks. In addition, large areas of forest were cleared to make way for tea, coffee and rubber plantations.
- At the same time, the increasing use of wood in building construction led to rapid exploitation of forests.
- The structure and area of forests changed as a result of this exploitation, and the focus shifted to commercial use rather than conservation.
2. Tropical deciduous forests
Tropical deciduous forests, also known as monsoon forests, are most commonly found in India. These forests are located in areas with 70 to 200 cm of annual rainfall.
Types of forests
Tropical deciduous forests are divided into two types based on water availability:
1. Moist deciduous forests
- Location: These forests occur in areas that receive 100-200 cm of rainfall. The main locations include the north-eastern states, lower Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and Odisha.
- Main trees: Teak, Sal, Shisham, Mahua, Amla, Sandalwood, and Safflower.
2. Dry deciduous forests
- Location: These forests are found in areas receiving 70-100 cm rainfall, such as the Peninsular, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
- Main trees: Tendu, Palas, Amaltas, Bel, Khair, and Axlewood.
features
- In the dry season the trees lose their leaves, and only grass and bare trees are visible.
- Vegetation has reduced considerably in the western and southern parts of Rajasthan due to less rainfall and excessive animal grazing.
3. Tropical Spiky Bun
- Tropical thorny forests are found in areas where rainfall is less than 50 cm. They mainly consist of grasses and shrubs.
- These forests are found in the dry areas of south-western Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
- The plants in these forests remain leafless most of the time and look like bushes.
- The main tree species include Babul, Ber, Date, Khair, Neem, Khejri and Palas. Grasses of about 2 meters length grow under these trees.
4. Mountain forests
In mountainous regions, temperature and vegetation change with increasing altitude. These forests can be divided into two parts:
1. Northern mountain forests
Vegetation in the Himalayas varies with altitude:
- 1,000-2,000 metres: Temperate forests, where broad-leaved trees such as oaks and chestnuts are found.
- 1,500-1,750 m: Broad-leaved forests with commercial use.
- 2,225-3,048 m: Bluepine and spruce trees.
- 3,000-4,000 metres: Alpine forests, containing silver fir, juniper, pine and rhododendron.
- Pastures are also found at this altitude, which are used by Gujjar, Bakarwal, Gaddi and Bhutia communities for their animals.
- The southern slope has more vegetation than the drier northern slope.
- At higher altitudes, dense vegetation like mosses and lichens are found.
2. Southern mountain forests
These forests are mainly found in three areas of the peninsula:
1. Western Ghats
2. Vindhyachal Mountains
3. Nilgiri Mountain Ranges
features:
- Altitude up to 1,500 metres: Temperate and subtropical vegetation occurs here.
- Sholas: The temperate forests found in the Nilgiris, Annamalai, and Palani Hills are called 'Sholas'.
Important Trees:
- Magnolia, Laurel, Cinchona and Wattle.
- These forests are also found in the Satpura and Maikal ranges.
5. Velanchal and swamp forests
Wetlands in India cover a variety of habitats, including areas important for rice cultivation and biodiversity. India has about 39 lakh hectares of wetlands, with areas such as Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keuladeo National Park (Bharatpur, Rajasthan) protected under the Ramsar Convention.
India's wetlands are divided into eight categories:
1. Reservoirs of South India and lagoons of the south-west coast.
2. Salt water wetlands of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Kutch.
3. Fresh water lakes and reservoirs in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
4. Deltaic areas and lagoons of the east coast (like Chilika Lake).
5. Fresh water areas in the Ganga plain.
6. Wet areas of Brahmaputra Valley and Himalayas.
7. Lakes and rivers of Kashmir and Ladakh.
8. Mangrove forests of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Mangrove Forests
- Mangrove forests are found in saltwater, estuaries, and mudflats.
- These forests provide shelter to birds and other animals.
- India has an area of 6,740 square kilometres covered by mangrove forests, accounting for 7% of the global mangrove cover.
- These are most developed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Sundarbans (West Bengal), and the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari and Krishna rivers.
- Due to increasing encroachment and human activities, their conservation is very important.
Forest Conservation
Forest conservation is very important for the environment and human life, as forests provide us with many economic and social benefits. Therefore, the Government of India implemented the Forest Conservation Policy in 1952, which was revised in 1988. The aim of this new policy is sustainable forest management, which emphasizes on meeting the needs of the local people along with the conservation and development of forests.
Main objectives of forest conservation policy:
- Afforestation of 33% of the country's area (6% more than at present).
- Maintaining environmental balance and planting trees in imbalanced areas.
- Conservation of natural heritage, biodiversity and genetic pool.
- Preventing soil erosion, desertification, floods, and droughts.
- To undertake social forestry and afforestation on degraded lands.
- Increasing the productivity of forests and providing fuel, fodder, wood and food to rural and tribal people.
- Promote alternatives to wood and launch a mass movement to stop tree felling, involving the participation of women.
Steps taken under Forest Conservation:
