Question

Name different types of vegetation found in India and describe the vegetation of high altitudes.

Answer 1

The five major types of vegetation found in India are listed below:

• Tropical Evergreen Forests.
• Tropical Deciduous Forests
• Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
• Montane Forests
• Mangrove Forests

Montane Forests – Vegetation of High Altitudes

• In Mountainous regions, as the altitude increases, the vegetation keeps changing.
• Freezing high altitude of Ladakh is home to kiang (Tibetan wild ass), wild sheep, bharal (blue sheep), Tibetan antelope, shaggy horned wild ox and Yaks.The rare red panda, snow-leopard, the bear, the ibex are also found in some pockets.
• At high altitudes,grasslands and temperate forests make way for Alpine vegetation. These are generally found at altitudes more than 3600 metres above sea level.
• The common trees of these forests are birches, pines, junipers, Silver fir.
• In Tundra vegetation, at higher altitudes, lichens and mosses are part of tundra vegetation.
• Between the heights of 1000 metres and 2000 metres, wet temperate types of forests are found. In these forests, predominantly chestnuts and oaks are found.
• Between 1500 and 3000 metres, coniferous trees like cedar, spruce, silver fir, deodar, fir, pine are found in temperate forests.
• These forests cover mostly places having high altitude in north-east India and southern India and the southern slopes of the Himalayas.
• Temperate grasslands are common at higher elevations.
• Nomadic tribes like Bakarwals and Gujjars extensively use the alpine grasslands for grazing.