Write short notes on Types of Natural vegetation in India.
Answers
The following are the principal types of natural vegetation in India:
(1) Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests,
(2) Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests,
(3) Dry Deciduous Forests and Scrubs,
(4) Semi Desert and Desert Vegetation,
(5) Tidal or Mangrove Forests
Tropical ever green forest:
- 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 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.
Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests:
- They are the most widespread forests of India.
- On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous
- Trees of this forest type shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry summer.
dry decidious and scrubs:
- The dry deciduous forests are found in areas having rainfall between 100 cm and 70cm.
- These forests are found in the rainier parts of the peninsular plateau and the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
- There are open stretches in which Teak, Sal, Peepal, and Neem grow.
- A large part of this region has been cleared for cultivation and some parts are used for grazing.
⬛WHAT IS NATURAL VEGETATION?
- Natural vegetation is a plant community which has grown naturally(without human aid).
- They have been left undisturbed by humans for a long time.
- Natural vegetation is also known as virgin vegetation.
⬛TYPES OF NATURAL VEGETATION-
▶Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests:
-usually occur in areas receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall and having a temperature of 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
-occupy about seven per cent of the earth’s land surface and harbors more than half of the world’s plants and animals.
-are found mostly near the equator. Region is warm and wet throughout the year.
-has trees that reach great heights up to 60 meters or even above.
-has a luxuriant vegetation of all kinds; like- trees, shrubs or creepers.
-comprises of common animals found in these forests which are elephants, monkey, lemur and deer. The one horned rhinoceros are found in the jungles of Assam and West Bengal.
▶Tropical Deciduous Forests:
-are the most widespread forests of India.
-are also called the monsoon forests and spread over the region receiving rainfall between 200 cm and 70 cm.
-has trees which shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry summer.
-are further divided into moist deciduous and dry
▶The Thorn Forests and Scrubs:
-are regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall and consists of thorny trees and bushes.
-are found in the north-western part of the country including semiarid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
-has the main plant species Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti.
-has trees which are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get moisture.
-trees' stems are succulent to conserve water.
-the leaves are mostly thick and small to minimize evaporation.
▶Montane Forests:
-present in mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude leads to the corresponding change in natural vegetation.
-in them, as such, there is a succession of natural vegetation belts in the same order as we see from the tropical to the tundra region.
-has wet temperate type of forests are found between a height of 1000 and 2000 meters.
-has evergreen broad leaf trees such as oaks and chestnuts predominately.
-range of trees lies between 1500 and 3000 meters, temperate forests containing coniferous trees like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce and cedar, are found. and they cover mostly the southern slopes of the Himalayas, places having high altitude in southern and northeast India.
-at higher elevations, temperate grasslands are common and generally more than 3,600 meters above sea level, temperate forests and grasslands give way to the Alpine vegetation.
-Silver fir, junipers, pines and birches are the common trees of these forests.
-They get progressively stunted as they approach the snowline and are used extensively for grazing by nomadic tribes like the Gujjars and the Bakarwals (Pastoralists).
-At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra vegetation.
-Common animals found in these forests are Kashmir stag, spotted dear , wild sheep, jack rabbit, Tibetan antelope, yak, snow leopard, squirrels, Shaggy horn wild ibex, bear and rare red panda, sheep and goats with thick hair.
▶ Mangrove Forests:
-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.
-the deltas of the Ganga, the Mahanadi, the Krishana, the Godavari and the Kaveri are covered by such vegetation.
-in the Ganga Brahmaputra delta, sundari trees are found, which provide durable hard timber.
-palm, coconut, keora, agar, also grow in some parts of the delta.
-royal Bengal Tiger is the famous animal in these forests.
-turtles, crocodiles, gharials and snakes are also found in these forests.
