write down about climatic condition, area, species and specific features of natural vegetation of India
Answers
Natural vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without human aid. The community that have been left undisturbed by humans for a long time.
The Climate of the Region
Temperature and humidity determine the character and extent of vegetation. The precipitation and soil play a major role in determining the degree of vegetation. Therefore, various places in India have various vegetation patterns. Photoperiod also affects the vegetation of a place. It is the variation in duration of sunlight at different places due to differences in latitude, altitude, season and duration of the day. Different kinds of vegetation depend upon photoperiod. The various kinds of vegetation are discussed below:
Tropical Rain Forests
These forests are limited to heavy rainfall areas of the Western Ghats and the island groups of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar, upper parts of Assam and Tamil Nadu coast. They are at their best in areas having more than 200 cm of rainfall with a short dry season. The trees reach great heights up to 60 meters. Some of the commercially important trees of this forest are mahogany, rosewood, rubber and cinchona.
Tropical Deciduous Forests
These are the most widespread forests of India. They are the monsoon forests and spread over the region receiving rainfall between 200 cm and 70 cm. Trees of this forest-type shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry summer.
These forests exist in Northeastern states, along with the foothills of the Himalayas, Jharkhand, West Orissa and Chhattisgarh, and on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. Teak, Bamboos, shisham, sandalwood, Kusum, Arjun, mulberry are commercially important species.
Thorn Forests and Scrubs
In regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall, the natural vegetation of India consists of thorny trees and bushes. This type of vegetation is found in the North-Western part of the country including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant species. The trees of these species have long roots to absorb water.
Montane Forests
These types of forests are present at a height of 1000 and 2000 metres. Evergreen broad-leaf trees such as oaks and chestnuts predominate. Between 1500 and 3000 meters, the temperate forests contain coniferous trees like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce, and cedar.
Mangrove Forests
These forests are found in the areas of coasts influenced by tides. Mud and silt get accumulated on such coasts. Dense mangroves are the common varieties with roots of the plants submerged under water. These forests can be found in the deltas of the Ganga, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Godavari and the Kaveri .