9/23/2019 Natural Vegetation of India: Moist Tropical, Dry Tropical, Montane Sub-tropical, Montane Temperate & Alpine Forests

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Table of Contents
1) Forests – Natural Vegetation of India Save 50% on All Pmfias PDF and DOC n…
2) Classification of Natural Vegetation of India
3) Moist Tropical Forests Subscribe to Pmfias Ad Free at Rs. 49 pe…

Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests or Rain Forests Sponsored Link: Art & Culture by Nextg…
Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests 3.3)
Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests 3.4)
Featured Posts
Littoral and Swamp Forests

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4) Dry Tropical Forests Geography Notes PDF

for UPSC IAS Civil
Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests

4.1.1) Casuarina plantation Microbes In Human

Welfare | Useful
Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests 4.3)
Microbes
Tropical Thorn Forests

5) Montane Sub-Tropical Forests Pacific Ocean Currents |

5.1) Sub-tropical Broad-leaved Hill Forests Phytoplankton and

5.2) Sub-tropical Moist Pine Forests Fishing

5.3) Sub-tropical Dry Evergreen Forests

Human Reproductive
6) Montane Temperate Forests System
6.1) Montane Wet Temperate Forests
6.2) Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests
6.3) Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests Evolution of
Geographical Thought
7) Alpine Forests
Majid Husain

Forests – Natural Vegetation of India – Excretory System |

Classification of Natural Vegetation of India: Kidney | Urine

Moist Tropical, Dry Tropical, Montane Sub- Formation

tropical, Montane Temperate, Alpine Forests.

International
Conventions: Paris
Forests – Natural Vegetation of India Summit 2015 | Lima

Climate, soil and topography are the major

factors that influence Natural Vegetation of
a place.

The main climatic factors are rainfall and

temperature. The amount of annual rainfall
has a great bearing on the type of
vegetation.

Annual Type of Vegetation

Rainfall

200 cm or Evergreen Rain Forests

more
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100 to Monsoon Deciduous

200 cm Forests

50 to 100 Drier Deciduous or

cm Tropical Savanna

25 to 50 Dry Thorny Scrub (Semi-

cm arid)

Below 25 Desert (Arid)

cm

Temperature is the major factor in Himalayas

and other hilly regions with an elevation of
more than 900 metres.

As the temperature falls with altitude in the

Himalayan region the vegetal cover changes
with altitude from tropical to sub-tropical,
temperate and finally alpine.

Soil is an equally determining factor in few

regions. Mangrove forests, swamp forests
are some of the examples where soil is the
major factor.

Topography is responsible for certain minor

types e.g. alpine flora, tidal forests, etc..

Classification of Natural Vegetation of

India

Classification of Natural Vegetation of India

is primarily based on spatial and annual

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variations in rainfall. Temperature, soil and

topography are also considered.
India’s vegetation can be divided into 5 main
types and 16 sub-types as given below.

A. Moist Tropical Forests

Tropical Wet Evergreen

Tropical Semi-Evergreen

Tropical Moist Deciduous

Littoral and Swamp

B. Dry Tropical Forests

Tropical Dry Evergreen

Tropical Dry Deciduous

Tropical Thorn

C. Montane Sub-tropical Forests

Sub-tropical broad leaved hill

Sub-tropical moist hill (pine)

Sub-tropical dry evergreen

D. Montane Temperate Forests

Montane Wet Temperate

Himalayan Moist Temperate

Himalayan Dry Temperate

E. Alpine Forests

Sub-Alpine

Moist Alpine scrub

Dry Alpine scrub

Forest Type in India % of Total

Area

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Tropical Moist 37
Deciduous

Tropical Dry Deciduous 28

Tropical Wet Evergreen 8

Sub-Tropical Moist Hill 6

Tropical Semi- 4
Evergreen

Rest below 4 %

Moist Tropical Forests

1. Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests or

Rain Forests

Climatic Conditions

Annual rainfall exceeds 250 cm

The annual temperature is about 25°-27°C

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The average annual humidity exceeds 77 per

cent and

The dry season is distinctly short.

Characteristics

Evergreen: Due to high heat and high

humidity, the trees of these forests do not
shed their leaves together.
Mesosphytic: Plants adopted to neither too
dry nor too wet type climate.

What are mesophytes?

Unlike hydrophytic plants, such as water

lily or pondweed, that grow in saturated
soil or water, or xerophytic plants, such
as cactus, that grow in extremely dry soil,
mesophytes are ordinary plants that exist
between the two extremes.

Mesophytic environments are marked by

average to hot temperatures and soil that
is neither too dry nor too wet.

Lofty: The trees often reach 45 – 60 metres

in height.

Thick Canopy: From the air, the tropical rain

forest appears like a thick canopy of foliage,
broken only where it is crossed by large
rivers or cleared for cultivation.

All plants struggle upwards (most

ephiphytes) for sunlight resulting in a
peculiar layer arrangement. The entire
morphology looks like a green carpet when
viewed from above.

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Epiphytes

Less undergrowth: The sun light cannot

reach the ground due to thick canopy. The
undergrowth is formed mainly of bamboos,
ferns, climbers, orchids, etc.

Distribution

Western side of the Western Ghats (500 to

1370 metres above sea level).

Some regions in the Purvanchal hills.

In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Timber

Hardwood: The timber of these forests is

fine-grained, hard and durable.

It has high commercial value but it is highly

challenging to exploit due to dense
undergrowth, absence of pure stands and
lack of transport facilities [Read previous
posts on Climatic regions to understand how
lumbering industry works in Equatorial
Rainforests (hardwood) and Taiga Climatic
(softwood) conditions].
The important species of these forests are
mahogany, mesua, white cedar, jamun,
canes, bamboo etc.

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2. Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests

They are transitional forests between

tropical wet evergreen forests and tropical
deciduous forests.

They are comparatively drier areas

compared to tropical wet evergreen forests.

Climatic Conditions

Annual rainfall is 200-250 cm

Mean annual temperature varies from 24°C

to 27°C

The relative humidity is about 75 per cent

The dry season is not short like in tropical
evergreen forests.

Distribution

Western coast
Assam

Lower slopes of the Eastern Himalayas

Odisha and

Andamans.

Characteristics

The semi-evergreen forests are less dense.

They are more gregarious [living in flocks

or colonies – more pure stands] than the
wet evergreen forests.

These forests are characterized by many

species.
Trees usually have buttressed trunks with
abundant epiphytes.

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Buttressed Trunks

The important species are laurel, rosewood,

mesua, thorny bamboo – Western Ghats,
white cedar, Indian chestnut, champa,
mango, etc. – Himalayan region.

Timber

Hardwood: Similar to that in tropical

evergreen forests except that these forests
are less dense with more pure stands
(timber industry here is better than in
evergreen forests).

3. Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests

Climatic Conditions

Annual rainfall 100 to 200 cm.

Mean annual temperature of about 27°C

The average annual relative humidity of 60
to 75 per cent.

Spring (between winter and summer) and

summer are dry.

Characteristics

The trees drop their leaves during the spring

and early summer when sufficient moisture
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is not available.

The general appearance is bare in extreme

summers (April-May).
Tropical moist deciduous forests present
irregular top storey [25 to 60 m].

Heavily buttressed trees and fairly complete

undergrowth.
These forests occupy a much larger area
than the evergreen forests but large tracts
under these forests have been cleared for
cultivation.

Distribution

Belt running along the Western Ghats

surrounding the belt of evergreen forests.
A strip along the Shiwalik range including
terai and bhabar from 77° E to 88° E.
Manipur and Mizoram.

Hills of eastern Madhya Pradesh and

Chhattisgarh.

Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Most of Odisha.

Parts of West Bengal and

Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Timber

These provide valuable timer like Teak.

The main species found in these forests are

teak, sal, laurel, rosewood, amla, jamun,
bamboo, etc.

It is comparatively easy to exploit these

forests due to their high degree of
gregariousness (more pure stands).

4. Littoral and Swamp Forests

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They can survive and grow both in fresh as

well as brackish water (The mixture of
seawater and fresh water in estuaries is
called brackish water and its salinity can
range from 0.5 to 35 ppt).

Occur in and around the deltas, estuaries

and creeks prone to tidal influences (delta
or tidal forests).

Littoral (relating to or on the shore of the

sea or a lake) forests occur at several places
along the coast.

Swamp forests are confined to the deltas of

the Ganga, the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the
Krishna and the Cauvery.
Dense mangroves occur all along the
coastline in sheltered estuaries, tidal creeks,
backwaters, salt marshes and mudflats. It
provides useful fuel wood.

The most pronounced and the densest is the

Sunderban in the Ganga delta where the
predominant species is Sundri (Heriteera).

Timber

It provides hard and durable timber which is

used for construction, building purposes and
making boats.

The important species found in these forests

are Sundri, agar, rhizophora, screw pines,
canes and palms, etc.

Dry Tropical Forests

1. Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests

Distribution

Along the coasts of Tamil Nadu.

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Climatic Conditions

Annual rainfall of 100 cm [mostly from the

north-east monsoon winds in October –
December].
Mean annual temperature is about 28°C.

The mean humidity is about 75 per cent.

The growth of evergreen forests in areas of

such low rainfall is a bit strange.

Characteristics

Short statured trees, up to 12 m high, with

complete canopy.

Bamboos and grasses not conspicuous.

The important species are jamun, tamarind,
neem, etc.

Most of the land under these forests has

been cleared for agriculture or casuarina
plantations.

1.1 Casuarina plantation

It resembles feathery conifer in general appearance.

They are rapid-growing, carefree species for sites and climates as

varied as coastal sand dunes, high mountain slopes, hot humid
tropics, and semi-arid regions.

They have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. It grows 15 to

25 metres in height on an average.

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Casuarina plantation

Distribution

Casuarina is the most popular farm forestry in the states of

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra,
Gujarat, and Karnataka.

Benefits

Reduces damage in the event of natural calamities.

Line planting in the coastal areas helps in controlling the wind

force.

It is also used for tourism promotion in view of its ornamental

appearance.

It provides top quality firewood.

The wood is suitable for paper pulp and useful raw material for

the manufacture of paper for writing, printing, and wrapping.

It is got some serious medicinal values as well.

Wasteland development

The characteristics which make it a suitable species for wasteland

development include adaptability to wide range of habitats, fast
growth, salt tolerant, drought resistant, ability to reclaim land and
stabilize sand dunes.

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Intercrops such as groundnut, cucumber, watermelons, sesamum,

and pulses can also be raised along with the plantation.

2. Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

Climatic Conditions

Annual rainfall is 100-150 cm.

Characteristics

These are similar to moist deciduous forests

and shed their leaves in dry season.
The major difference is that they can grow in
areas of comparatively less rainfall.

They represent a transitional type – moist

deciduous on the wetter side and thorn
forests on the drier side.

They have closed but uneven canopy.

The forests are composed of a mixture of a

few species of deciduous trees rising up to a
height of 20 metres.

Undergrowth: Enough light reaches the

ground to permit the growth of grass and
climbers.

Distribution

They occur in an irregular wide strip running

from the foot of the Himalayas to
Kanniyakumari except in Rajasthan, Western
Ghats and West Bengal.

The important species are teak, axlewood,

rosewood, common bamboo, red sanders,
laurel, satinwood, etc.

Large tracts of this forest have been cleared

for agricultural purposes.

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These forests have suffer from over grazing,

fire, etc.

3. Tropical Thorn Forests

Climatic Conditions

Annual rainfall less than 75 cm.

Humidity is less than 50 per cent.

Mean temperature is 25°-30°C.

Characteristics

The trees are low (6 to 10 metres maximum)

and widely scattered.
Acacias and Euphorbias are very prominent.
The Indian wild date is common. Some
grasses also grow in the rainy season.

Distribution

Rajasthan, south-western Punjab, western

Haryana, Kachchh and neighbouring parts of
Saurashtra.

Here they degenerate into desert type in the

Thar desert.

Such forests also grow on the leeside of the

Western Ghats covering large areas of
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The important species are neem, babul,

cactii, etc.

Montane Sub-Tropical Forests

1. Sub-tropical Broad-leaved Hill

Forests

Climatic conditions

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Mean annual rainfall is 75 cm to 125 cm.

Average annual temperature is 18°-21°C.

Humidity is 80 per cent.

Distribution

Eastern Himalayas to the east of 88°E

longitude at altitudes varying from 1000 to
2000 m.

Characteristics

Forests of evergreen species.

Commonly found species are evergreen

oaks, chestnuts, ash, beech, sals and pines.
Climbers and epiphytes [a plant that grows
non-parasitically on a tree or other plant] are
common.

These forests are not so distinct in the

southern parts of the country. They occur
only in the Nilgiri and Palni hills at 1070-
1525 metres above sea level.

It is a “stunted rain-forest” and is not so

luxuriant as the true tropical evergreen.
The higher parts of the Western Ghats such
as Mahabaleshwar, the summits of the
Satpura and the Maikal Range, highlands of
Bastar and Mt. Abu in the Aravali Range
carry sub-types of these forests.

2. Sub-tropical Moist Pine Forests

Distribution

Western Himalayas between 73°E and 88°E

longitudes at elevations between 1000 to
2000 metres above sea level.

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Some hilly regions of Arunachal Pradesh,

Manipur, Naga Hills and Khasi Hills.

Timber

Chir or Chil is the most dominant tree which

forms pure stands.

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