Introduction

India is a vast land and each state is different in aspects

such as the climate, the vegetation and wildlife found there,
the laws set up for the preservation of endangered plant
and animal species and much more. This booklet summarizes
the differences between the climate, natural vegetation and
wildlife found in Uttarakhand and Karnataka, covering
points like climate, different types of trees, wildlife
sanctuaries and species of animals which are endangered in
each state.

Climate

Climate is the long-term pattern of weather conditions in an

area, typically averaged over a period of 30 years. India has
a monsoon climate with regional variations. Hence, the
climates of Uttarakhand and Karnataka are quite different.

a. Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is characterized by two types

of climate, which are different in the plains and the
mountainous regions. In the type of climate that is
mainly found in the plains, summers are exceedingly
hot with temperatures crossing 40°C and
 considerable humidity. Winters can be chilly with
temperatures going below 5°C at times.
The climate in the northern part of Uttarakhand is
typically Himalayan. The mountain range exerts an
appreciable extent of influence on monsoon and
rainfall patterns. Within the
Himalayas, climate differs depending on altitude and
position, ranging from subtropical in the southern
foothills to a cold alpine climate in higher reaches.
The hottest month in Uttarakhand is June while the
coldest one is January. The average annual rainfall
recorded in this state is 1069 mm.

b. Karnataka

Karnataka, especially the city of Bangalore

experiences a favorable climate throughout the
year. This type of climate is called dry tropical
savanna climate. Karnataka experiences lowest
temperature during the month of January and then
the temperature gradually increases. The
temperature begins to soar rapidly during the month
of March. The southern parts of the state generally
experience the highest temperature during the
month of April while in the coastal plains the
temperature reaches its maximum during the month
of May. Karnataka is divided into three zones –
coastal, north interior and south interior. Of these,
 the coastal zone receives the heaviest rainfall,
though the state average is 1,139 mm.

NATURAL VEGETATION

a. Uttarakhand

Four major forest types are found in

Uttarakhand, including alpine meadows in the
extreme north, temperate forests in the Great
Himalayas, tropical deciduous forests in the
Lesser Himalayas, and thorn forests in the
Siwalik Range and in parts of the Tarai.
Common tree species of the temperate forests include Himalayan
cedar (Deodar cedar), Himalayan (blue)
pine, oak, cypress, and rhododendron. Tropical
deciduous forests of sal, teak, and shisham
occur in the submontane tract. Thorn forests of
dhak (a type of flowering tree), babul (a type of
acacia), and various bushes occur in the south.

b. Karnataka

The forest ecosystem of Karnataka is unique

and highly diverse. It forms an important
component of the natural resources of the
environment. Forests of Karnataka are primarily
deciduous and evergreen. Other Vegetation
types include thorny scrubs, sholas and coastal
mangroves. Different forest ecosystems are
influenced by altitude and the distance from
the sea.
The Western Ghats forests are a fragile
ecosystem that is one of the mega biodiversity
hotspots of the world. Common species of trees
here include banyan trees, neem trees,
sandalwood trees, jujube trees and sacred
fig/peepal trees. Some endemic plant species
include dhuma, saldhupa, balagi, etc.

WILDLIFE

a. Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand is renowned for its unique bio-

diversity. An affluent wildlife is the highlight
of the state. Uttarakhand state’s recorded
forest area is 34650.56 km2 which is 64.8 %
of its total geographical area and 4.5% of the
national forest area. Uttarakhand is home to
rare species of plants and animals, many of
which are protected by sanctuaries and
reserves. Major wildlife species witnessed in
the state include mammals such as Indian
 Elephant, Jungle Cat, Rhesus Monkey, Langur
and Ghoral. A variety of resident and
migratory bird species and reptiles like
pythons, king cobras, rock buntings and
scarlet minivets are also found here.
Endangered species like snow leopards can
also be seen.

Due to biodiversity present in the state

around 12 percent of the total geographical
area is protected area which includes 6
National Parks, 7 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 4
Conservation Reserves & 1 Biosphere Reserve.
Some notable national parks include the
Corbett National Park, which was the first
national park of India, Valley of Flowers
National Park and Nanda Devi National Park,
which together are a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.

b.Karnataka

Karnataka has a rich diversity of flora and

fauna. It has a recorded forest area of
38720 km2 which constitutes about 12.3% of
the total geographical area of the state.
These forests support 25% of
the elephant population and 10% of
the tiger population of India. Many regions of
Karnataka are still unexplored and new
species of flora and fauna are still found.
Some mammals found here include the gray
langur, sloth bear, Indian elephant, spotted
dear and Indian leopard. Birds such as quails,
sandpipers, eagles and lapwings and reptiles
like marsh crocodile, Indian chameleon and
starred tortoise are also found. Some of the
critically endangered species of fauna found
in Karnataka include Gyps indicus (the Indian
vulture) and two species of frogs, Indirana
gundia and Micrixalus kottigeharensis.

These animals are conserved at National

Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Bird
Sanctuaries like the Bandipur National Park,
Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary, Magadi Bird
Sanctuary, Ramadevarabetta Vulture
Sanctuary, etc.

Due to various issues, flora and fauna in some

parts of Karnataka are being threatened.
These issues include poaching, human–wildlife
conflict, habitat destruction, pollution and
introduction of invasive new species. Various
conservation activities are in progress to
protect the biodiversity present in
Karnataka. These activities are mostly done
by the Forest Department of the State of
Karnataka and other voluntary organizations.
The preventative measures include relocation
of human population, usage of scientific
methods like satellites to detect forest
fires, techniques like remote camera sampling
to estimate the animal population, etc.