Geography

Natural Vegetation of India

Introduction
The term "natural vegetation" refers to plants and trees that develop
naturally without the help of humans. Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests,
Tropical Deciduous Forests (Monsoon Types of Forest), Dry Deciduous
Forests or Tropical Thorn Forests, Montane Forests, Semi-Desert and
Desert vegetation, and Tidal or Mangrove Forests are among the various
forms of natural vegetation in India.

Natural vegetation plays an essential role in preserving a nation's

biodiversity by giving animals a place to live and serving as a primary
energy source for many species in an ecosystem. The kind of vegetation
that grows in a particular area depends on various factors, including
relief, rainfall, temperature, climate, sunlight strength, etc. India's
natural vegetation differs from place to place since different country
regions experience various climatic conditions.

What is Natural Vegetation?

A plant community that has evolved naturally over time and without
operator interaction is referred to as natural vegetation. It is also known
as virgin vegetation. Therefore, orchards, cultivated fruits, and other
vegetation types are not considered natural. Some examples of
vegetation are tall trees, shrubs, grasses, bushes, and flowering plants.

Types of Vegetation
 Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests
  Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests
 Dry Deciduous Forests
 Mountain Forests
 Tidal or Mangrove Forests
 Semi-Desert and Desert Vegetations

Tropical Evergreen Rain forests

The Tropical Evergreen rain forests are found in the
areas where precipitation is more than 200 cm. They
are largely found in the Northeastern regions of
Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, the
Western Ghats, the Tarai areas of the Himalayas, and
the Andaman groups of Islands. They are also found in
the hills of Khasi and Jaintia. The trees in this area have
intense growth. The major trees found in this area are
Sandal Wood, Rosewood, Garjan, Mahogany, and
bamboo. It has copious vegetation of all kinds – trees,
shrubs, and creepers giving it a multilayered structure.
The elephants, monkey, lemur are the common animals
found in these areas.

Deciduous or Monsoon type of forests

The Deciduous forests are found on the lower slope of
the Himalayas, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar,
Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra Jharkhand, and the
adjoining areas. The precipitation in this area is
between 100 cm and 200 cm. Teak is the dominant
species seen in the area. Along with that Deodar, Blue
Gum, Pal Ash, Sal, Sandalwood, Ebony, Arjun, Khair,
 and Bamboo are also seen. The trees in this forest
shed their leaves during dry winter and dry summer.
Based on the availability of water, these forests are
again divided into moist and dry deciduous.

Dry deciduous forests

These forests grow in areas where the precipitation is
between 50 cm and 100 cm. These are mainly seen in
the areas of the Central Deccan plateau, Punjab,
Haryana, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and
South-east of Rajasthan.

Mountain Forests/Montane Forests

Montane forests are those found in mountains.
Mountain forests differ significantly along the slopes of
the mountain. On the foothills of the Himalayas until a
height of 1500 meters, evergreen trees like Sal, teak,
and bamboo grow copiously. On the higher slope,
temperate conifer trees like pine, fir, and oak grow. At
the higher elevation of the Himalayas, rhododendrons
and junipers are found. Further, then these vegetation
zones, alpine grasslands appear up to the snowfield.
Tidal or Mangrove forests
The tidal or mangrove forests grow by the side of the
coast and on the edges of the deltas e.g., the deltas of
the Cauvery, Krishna, Mahanadi, Godavari, and Ganga.
In West Bengal, these forests are known as
‘Sundarbans’. The ‘Sundari’ is the most major tree in
these forests. The important trees of the tidal forests
 are Hogla, Garan, Pasur, etc. This forest is an important
factor in the timber industry as they provide timber
and firewood. Palm and coconut trees beautify the
coastal strip.

Semi-deserts and Deserts vegetations

This area receives rainfall of less than 50 cm. Thorny
bushes, acacia, and Babul are found in this vegetation
region. The Indian wild date is generally found here.
They have long roots and thick flesh. The plants found
in this region store water in their stem to endure during
the drought. These vegetation are found in parts of
Gujarat’s, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Tropical Evergreen Rain forests

 The tropical evergreen forests usually occur in areas
receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall and having a
temperature of 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
 They occupy about seven per cent of the earth’s land
surface and harbours more than half of the world’s
plants and animals.
 They are found mostly near the equator. Region is
warm and wet throughout the year.
 Trees reach great heights up to 60 metres or even
above.
Flora and fauna :
 tree species that grow in tropical evergreen vegetation are ebony, rosewood,
mahogany, cinchona, rubber, bamboo, white cedar, laurel, aini, and telsur.
Animals such as elephants, deer, lemurs, monkeys, and rhinoceros are common
in evergreen forests. Besides, birds, bats, scorpions, sloths, snails, etc.

are found on the western slopes of the Western Ghats, Lakshadweep island,
Andaman and Nicobar island, and the North Eastern states of India .

Tropical Deciduous Forest

They are called Monsoon Forests
Rainfall is in the range of 70-200 cms in Deciduous Forests
A long dry season followed by heavy rainfall season is a feature of
the regions where these forests are found
There are two types of Deciduous Forests:
Moist Deciduous Forests – Mixture of Trees and Grasses
Dry Deciduous Forests
As the name goes, tropical deciduous forests are found along the
Equator belt between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn.
Major states where tropical deciduous forests are found:
 Madhya Pradesh
 Uttar Pradesh
 Chattisgarh
 Odisha
 Maharashtra (Some Parts)
The humidity in these forests lie in the range of 80-90 per cent
30 degree Celsius is the average temperature of tropical deciduous
forests
Seasonality is the prime feature of these forests as trees shed their
leaves in the dry season and grow back leaf in rainy seasons
Note: In the Northern Hemisphere, these forests shed their leaves
in winter.
These forests are comparatively less dense than evergreen forests.

Montane Forests
Montane Forests in India can be found in the higher hilly
areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, also in the region of Eastern
Himalayas to the east of 88°E longitude, including the hills
of Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and
Nagaland.
Climatic Conditions
The temperature and rainfall in the mountain forests vary
according to the height of the mountain. As the altitude of
the mountain increases, the temperature decreases steadily.

Features
As the altitude increases, variations in the vegetation cover
can be noticed due to the varied climatic conditions. 1000 to
2000 meters in height: At this altitude, wet temperate types
of forests are found. They are primarily evergreen
forests.1500 to 3000 meters in height: At this altitude,
coniferous forests are found. Above 3000 meters height:
Alpine vegetation is found beyond this height.
Flora and Fauna
 Trees such as oak, chir, and chestnuts are predominant at
lower altitudes, whereas at higher altitudes, trees such as
silver fir, spruce, cedar, deodar, and pine are present.
Animals such as tak, snow leopard, spotted deer, bear, red
panda, wild sheep, Kashmir stag, and Tibetan antelope are
present here.
Distribution
They are found in the Himalayas and mountain ranges of
Northeast India.
Also, check the difference between the Himalayan region
and the peninsular plateau here

Tidal or Mangrove Forests

Mangrove Forests are found in the deltas of rivers like the
Ganga, Krishna, Mahanadi, Godavari, and Kaveri. Tidal
forests rich in mangrove trees are known as Mangrove
forests. These forests can thrive in only the tropical and
subtropical latitudes near the equator because they cannot
withstand freezing temperatures.

Environmental Conditions
Mangrove forests, known as littoral forests, are found along
the coasts and swampy river deltas.

Features
Since the growth of such vegetation depends on tidal water,
they are also known as tidal forests.
The trees of mangrove forests are usually 10 cm to 20 cm
high, and the trunks of these trees have several stilt roots
submerged in water. These roots help the trees to withstand
strong tides.
Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bhitarkanika mangroves in
Odisha are India's two most extensive mangrove forests.
Flora and Fauna
Sundari trees (after which the Great Sundarbans of West
Bengal were named), golpata, and hogla are the common
plant species in mangrove forests. Animals such as gharials,
crocodiles, snakes, turtles, and royal Bengal tigers are found
here. Among them, the royal Bengal tiger is a predominant
species.

Distribution
They are largely found in West Bengal and Andaman and
Nicobar islands. They cover the deltas of rivers such as
Kaveri, Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, and Ganga

Factors Influencing Natural Vegetation

The climatic conditions of a country highly influence the
type of natural vegetation of that country. This is because
each plant species has different and, in a few cases, even
unique requirements for its growth. Let us look into the
 various factors that influence vegetation. The vegetation
found in India varies as per the following factors;

Land
The nature of the land, whether a mountainous region of
plateaus or plains, influences the type of natural vegetation.
For example, the mountain regions have hydrophilous
vegetation, which can withstand humid and cold climatic
conditions, while the vegetation in plains does not possess
such abilities.

Soil
The nature of the soil and the nutrients present in it provide
a basis for different types of natural vegetation. For
example, sandy soil has very few nutrients and poor water-
holding capacity, so it is unsuitable for vegetation. In
contrast, loamy soil, which is rich in nutrients and can retain
moisture, is suitable for vegetation.

Check the notes on the importance of biodiversity here.

Precipitation
Rainfall is an important factor that influences natural
vegetation. Areas with rainfall over 200 cm and above have
dense and evergreen vegetation compared to those with
less than 50 cm of rainfall. The vegetation in India is highly
determined by the advancing southwest monsoon and
retreating northeast monsoon, which brings maximum
rainfall to the country.

Temperature
Along with the nature of soil and precipitation, a region's
temperature determines the vegetation's character and
extent. The temperature highly influences the vegetation in
hills and mountains particularly. For example, tropical
evergreen vegetation in the Himalayas can be found in
lower altitudes. However, as the altitude increases, the
temperature falls, and thus the nature of vegetation
changes from evergreen to alpine.

Photoperiod
Another crucial factor that determines the vegetation of a
region is the amount of sunlight they receive. Photoperiod,
i.e., duration of light exposure and the intensity of the light,
influences a process called photosynthesis which enables
the plants to carry out necessary physiological processes for
their survival.
 Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for
humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil
erosion and mitigate climate change. Yet, despite our
dependence on forests, we are still allowing them to
disappear. Largest storehouses of carbon. They provide
ecosystem services that are critical to human welfare. These
include:

 Absorbing harmful greenhouse gasses that produce climate change. In

tropical forests alone, a quarter of a trillion tons of carbon is stored in
above and below ground biomass
 Providing clean water for drinking, bathing, and other household needs
 Protecting watersheds and reducing or slowing the amount of erosion
and chemicals that reach waterways
 Providing food and medicine
 Serving as a buffer in natural disasters like flood and rainfalls
 Providing habitat to more than half of the world’s land-based species

Importance and need of forest conservation

 The most important function of forests is that it produces mass

amounts of oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Oxygen is the
main respiratory gas for all animals, it ensures our survival.
 And while photosynthesis, trees also absorb carbon dioxide from the
air. This is one of the main pollutants of air pollution. Hence forests
also reduce air pollution.
 Forests also prevent soil erosion and keep soil pollution in check.
Deforestation, in fact, leads to soil erosion on a large scale since the
topsoil comes loose.
 Forests also play an important part in the water cycle and control
moisture levels of our ecosystem.
  And finally, forests are the natural home and habitat for millions of
species of animals, birds, and insects.

Needs

Forest conservation is the practice of planning and maintaining forested areas

for the benefit and sustainability of future generations. Forest conservation
involves the upkeep of the natural resources within a forest that are
beneficial for both humans and the ecosystem

Conclusion

It is evident that forests are essential to our survival. They play a vital role in
climate change. They provide homes for countless species of animals and
plants. In addition, they offer us a place to relax and escape the hustle and
bustle of everyday life. We need to do our part in order to conserve these
precious resources, and there are many easy ways to do so. Simply by
reducing our consumption of paper products, we can make a positive impact
on the environment. In addition, supporting organizations that practice
sustainable forestry methods is another practical way to help ensure that
forests are around for generations to come.