Natural Vegetation and Wildlife [Indian Geography]

Indian geography is an essential part of the UPSC syllabus. The natural vegetation and wildlife of India are important both from the prelims as well as from the mains perspectives. In this article, you can read all about the natural vegetation and wildlife of the country including the types of vegetation, the fauna of India, biosphere reserves, etc. all of which are important for the geography as well as the environment & ecology segments of the IAS exam.

Natural Vegetation

Natural vegetation refers to a plant community that has grown naturally without any human intervention and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time. This is also known as “virgin vegetation”.

• According to paleo-botanists, most of the Himalayan and peninsular areas are covered with indigenous or endemic flora, while the Indo-Gangetic Plains and the Thar desert contain plant species that have come from outside India (exotic).
• India has a great variety of natural vegetation. India occupies tenth place in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. Depending upon the variations in the climate and the soil, the vegetation of India changes from one region to another. Himalayan heights are marked with temperate vegetation; the Western Ghats and the Andaman and Nicobar islands have tropical rainforests; the deltaic regions have tropical forests and mangroves; the arid and semi-arid areas of Rajasthan are famous for cacti, thorny vegetation and a variety of bushes.
• The largest forest area lies in Peninsular India accounting for 57% of the total forest area. The Himalayan region has the second largest forest area having about 12.5% of the forest area of the country. The Eastern and the Western Ghats have 10% each, while the Gangetic plains have only 5% of the total forest area of the country. The total forest cover of India (2021) is 21.71% of the total geographical area of the country.
• Indian forests have been divided into the following groups based on certain common features such as predominant vegetation type and climatic regions:

1. Tropical Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen forests
2. Tropical Deciduous forests
3. Tropical Thorn forests
4. Montane forests
5. Littoral and Swamp forests

Tropical Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen Forests

These forests are mainly found in the western slope of the Western Ghats, the Andaman and Nicobar islands and hills of north-east India.

• These forests are found in warm and humid regions with an annual rainfall of over 200 cm and a mean annual temperature above 22℃.
• The forests are dense, composed of tall trees (60 m or even above). Since the region is warm and wet throughout the year, it has luxuriant vegetation of all kinds – trees, shrubs and creepers giving it a multi-layered structure. These trees do not shed their leaves annually and hence are evergreen.
• Some of the commercially important trees of this forest are ebony, mahogany, rubber, rosewood, etc.
• The semi-evergreen forests are found in the less rainy parts of these regions. These forests have a mixture of evergreen and moist deciduous trees. The main species of these forests are Kail, hollock and white cedar.
• The common animals found in these forests are elephants, lemurs, monkeys and deer. One-horned rhinoceros are found in the forests of Assam and West Bengal. Plenty of birds, sloths, bats, scorpions and snails are found in these forests.

Tropical Deciduous forests

These are the typical monsoon forests with teak (Tectona grandis) and sal (Shorea robusta) as the dominant species. They form natural vegetation all over the country where average rainfall ranges between 70 – 200 cm. On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further classified into moist and dry deciduous forests.

• The moist deciduous forests – These forests are found in the regions where annual rainfall ranges between 100 – 200 cm, in the north-eastern states along the foothills of Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and Odisha. The main species of these forests are teak, sal, shisham, amal, Semul, kusum, mahua and sandalwood.
• The dry deciduous forests – These forests are found in the regions where annual rainfall ranges between 70 – 100 cm. These are found in the rainier regions of the Peninsula and the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the dry season, the trees shed their leaves completely and the forest appears like a vast grassland with naked trees all around. The main species of these forests are palas, amaltas, bel, khair, tendu and axlewood. In western and southern parts of Rajasthan vegetation cover is very small due to less rainfall and overgrazing.

Tropical Thorn Forests

These forests are found in the regions where the average annual rainfall is less than 50 cm. These forests are found in semi-arid regions of south-west Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The plants remain leafless for most of the year.

• The important trees of these forests are babool, ber, neem, khejri, wild date palm, etc. Tussocky grass grows up to a height of 2 m as the undergrowth.

Montane Forests

With the increasing altitude, the decrease in temperature leads to corresponding changes in the vegetation. Mountain forests have been classified into two types – the northern mountain forests and the southern mountain forests.

• The Northern Mountain Forests
  • The Himalayan ranges show a change in vegetation with the change in altitude – from the tropical to the tundra.
  • At the foothills of the Himalayas, deciduous forests are dominant. It is succeeded by the wet temperate type of forests at a height of 1000 – 2000 m. In the higher hill ranges of north-eastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttarakhand, evergreen broadleaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant. Between 1500 – 1750 m, pine forests are also well developed in this zone with Chir Pine as a very useful commercial tree.
  • In the western ranges of the Himalayas, deodar, a highly valued endemic species, grows which is used for construction purposes as its wood is highly durable. Chinar and walnut also occur in this zone. Spruce and blue pine occur at altitudes of 2225 – 3048 m. In this zone, temperate grasslands are also found.
  • At higher altitudes, more than 3600 m above sea level, temperate forests and grasslands give way to Alpine vegetation. Silver fir, junipers, rhododendrons, birches and pine are the common trees of these forests. At even higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra vegetation.
  • The common animals found in these forests are Kashmir stag, spotted deer, wild sheep, Tibetan antelope, rare red panda, squirrels, snow leopards, bears, and sheep and goats with thick hair.
• The Southern Mountain Forests
  • These include forests found in three distinct regions of Peninsular India – the Western Ghats, the Vindhyas and the Nilgiris. The vegetation in these forests is temperate in higher regions and subtropical in the lower areas of Western Ghats (especially Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala). The temperate forests are called “Sholas” in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Palani hills.
  • The trees of economic importance in these forests include cinchona, laurel, magnolia and wattle.

Littoral and Swamp Forests

Our country has a rich variety of wetland habitats and about 70% are under paddy cultivation. India’s wetlands have been classified into eight groups:

1. The reservoirs of the Deccan plateau in the south and the lagoon and other wetlands of the southern west coast.
2. The vast saline expanses of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the Gulf of Kachchh.
3. Freshwater lakes and reservoirs from Gujarat eastwards through Rajasthan (Keoladeo National Park) and Madhya Pradesh.
4. The delta wetlands and lagoons of India’s east coast (Chilika lake).
5. The freshwater marshes of the Gangetic Plains.
6. The floodplains of the Brahmaputra, the marshes and the swamps in the hills of north-east India and the Himalayan foothills.
7. The lakes and rivers of the montane region of Kashmir and Ladakh.
8. The mangrove forests and other wetlands of the island arcs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
   1. The mangrove tidal forests are found in the areas of coasts influenced by tides.
   2. They consist of a number of salt-tolerant species of plants.
   3. The mangrove forests are highly developed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Sunderbans of West Bengal.
   4. The Royal Bengal Tiger is a famous animal in the Sunderbans. Turtles, crocodiles, gharials and snakes are also found in these forests.
   5. The deltas of the Ganga, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri are covered by such vegetation.

Wildlife of India

India is rich in its flora as well as fauna. India has about 90,000 animal species and approximately 2,000 species of birds which constitute 13% of the world’s total. 2,546 species of fish are found in India which is nearly 12% of the world’s stock.

• The most majestic animal, the elephant, is found in the hot wet forests of Kerala, Karnataka and Assam. The one-horned rhinoceros belongs to the swampy and marshy lands of Assam and West Bengal. The Thar desert and Rann of Kachchh are known for camels and wild asses respectively. Nilgai (blue bull), Indian bison, chousingha (four-horned antelope), gazel and different species of deer and monkeys are also found in India. The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the Gir forest in Gujarat. India is the only country in the world having both lions and tigers.
• The shaggy horned wild ox weighing about one tonne, yak, the bharal (blue sheep) and the Tibetan wild ass (kiang) are the animals found in Ladakh. The ibex, bear, snow leopard and rare red panda are also found in certain pockets of the Himalayan region.
• Turtles, gharials and crocodiles are found in the rivers, lakes and coastal areas of India.
• India also provides a habitat for colourful birds – peacocks, ducks, parakeets, cranes and pigeons.
• The Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in 1972 to provide a legal framework for the conservation and protection of wildlife in India.
• In India, there are 103 national parks and 535 wildlife sanctuaries.
• Special measures have been initiated by the Government of India in collaboration with UNESCO’s “Man and Biosphere Programme” for the conservation of flora and fauna in the country.
• Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to protect Tigers in India. It was the first of its kind project to maintain the population of tigers in India and to protect them from poaching and other threats. Initially, Project Tiger was launched in 9 tiger reserves which was later increased to 44 tiger reserves (in 17 states).
• Project Elephant was launched in 1992 and it aims to ensure the long term survival of the population of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting them, their habitats and migration corridors. The project is being implemented in 17 states.
• The other projects launched by GoI include Project Hangul, crocodile Breeding Project and conservation of Himalayan Musk deer.

Know more on Project Elephant and get a list of elephant reserves in India in the link.

Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems which are internationally recognised within the framework of UNESCO’s “Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme”. These reserves are required to meet a minimal set of criteria and adhere to a minimal set of conditions before being admitted to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves designated by UNESCO. These reserves are rich in biological and cultural diversity. The Biosphere Reserves aim to achieve the following objectives:

1. To conserve biological and cultural diversity and integrity of plants, animals, birds, reptiles and micro-organisms (ecosystem).
2. To promote research on ecological conservation and other environmental aspects, and
3. To promote facilities for education, research, awareness and training.

The Biosphere Reserves Programme was initiated in India in 1986 and till date, 18 sites have been designated as Biosphere Reserves (BR) in different parts of the country. Out of the 18 Biosphere Reserves, 10 have been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO.

(Sites with bold letters have been included in the World Network of BR’s UNESCO)

Know more on biosphere reserves in India in the link.

Ramsar Convention

The convention on wetlands is called the “Ramsar Convention”. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed on 2nd February 1971. World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2nd February every year to commemorate this.

The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitment of its member countries to maintain the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance and to plan for their sustainable use.

• The Ramsar Convention works closely with six other organisations known as Internal Organisation Partners (IOPs) – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Wetlands International, WWF International, Birdlife International and, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).
• Currently, there are 171 Contracting Parties to the convention, with 2414 wetland sites. The world’s first Ramsar site was the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia, designated in 1974.
• India became a party to the Ramsar Convention on 1st February 1982. India currently has 49 sites designated as wetlands of international importance.

Get a list of the Ramsar Sites in India in the link.

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