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CHAPTER NATURAL VEGETATION H ave you ever been to a forest for a picnic? Tropical Evergreen and You might have surely gone to a park if Semi Evergreen Forests you live in...

CHAPTER NATURAL VEGETATION H ave you ever been to a forest for a picnic? Tropical Evergreen and You might have surely gone to a park if Semi Evergreen Forests you live in a city or to a mango, guava These forests are found in the western slope or coconut orchard, if you live in a village. How do you differentiate between the natural of the Western Ghats, hills of the northeastern vegetation and the planted vegetation? The same region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. variety may be found growing wild in the forest They are found in warm and humid areas with under natural conditions and the same tree an annual precipitation of over 200 cm and may be the planted one in your garden under mean annual temperature above 22 o C. human supervision. Tropical evergreen forests are well stratified, Natural vegetation refers to a plant with layers closer to the ground and are community that has been left undisturbed over covered with shrubs and creepers, with short a long time, so as to allow its individual species structured trees followed by tall variety of trees. to adjust themselves to climate and soil In these forests, trees reach great heights up conditions as fully as possible. to 60 m or above. There is no definite time for India is a land of great variety of natural trees to shed their leaves, flowering and vegetation. Himalayan heights are marked with fruition. As such these forests appear green temperate vegetation; the Western Ghats and all the year round. Species found in these the Andaman Nicobar Islands have tropical forests include rosewood, mahogony, aini, rain forests, the deltaic regions have tropical ebony, etc. forests and mangroves; the desert and semi The semi evergreen forests are found in the desert areas of Rajasthan are known for cactii, less rainy parts of these regions. Such forests a wide variety of bushes and thorny vegetation. have a mixture of evergreen and moist Depending upon the variations in the climate deciduous trees. The undergrowing climbers and the soil, the vegetation of India changes provide an evergreen character to these forests. from one region to another. Main species are white cedar, hollock and kail. On the basis of certain common features such as predominant vegetation type and climatic regions, Indian forests can be divided into the following groups: TYPES OF FORESTS (i) Tropical Evergreen and Semi Evergreen forests (ii) Tropical Deciduous forests (iii) Tropical Thorn forests (iv) Montane forests (v) Littoral and Swamp forests. Figure 5.1 : Evergreen Forest Rationalised 2023-24 NATURAL VEGETATION 43 Figure 5.2 : Natural Vegetation Rationalised 2023-24 44 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT The British were aware of the economic the plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In the value of the forests in India, hence, large scale higher rainfall regions of the Peninsular plateau exploitation of these forests was started. The and the northern Indian plain, these forests structure of forests was also changed. The oak have a parkland landscape with open stretches forests in Garhwal and Kumaon were replaced in which teak and other trees interspersed with by pine (chirs) which was needed to lay railway patches of grass are common. As the dry lines. Forests were also cleared for introducing season begins, the trees shed their leaves plantations of tea, rubber and coffee. The completely and the forest appears like a vast British also used timber for construction grassland with naked trees all around. Tendu, activities as it acts as an insulator of heat. The palas, amaltas, bel, khair, axlewood, etc. are protectional use of forests was, thus, replaced the common trees of these forests. In the by commercial use. western and southern part of Rajasthan, vegetation cover is very scanty due to low Tropical Deciduous Forests rainfall and overgrazing. These are the most widespread forests in India. They are also called the monsoon forests. They Tropical Thorn Forests spread over regions which receive rainfall Tropical thorn forests occur in the areas which between 70-200 cm. On the basis of the receive rainfall less than 50 cm. These consist availability of water, these forests are further of a variety of grasses and shrubs. It includes divided into moist and dry deciduous. semi-arid areas of south west Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In these forests, plants remain leafless for most part of the year and give an expression of scrub vegetation. Important species found are babool, ber, and wild date palm, khair, neem, khejri, palas, etc. Tussocky grass grows upto a height of 2 m as the under growth. Figure 5.3 : Deciduous Forests The Moist deciduous forests are more pronounced in the regions which record rainfall between 100-200 cm. These forests are found in the northeastern states along the foothills of Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and Odisha. Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, Figure 5.4 : Tropical Thorn Forests mahua, amla, semul, kusum, and sandalwood Montane Forests etc. are the main species of these forests. Dry deciduous forest covers vast areas of In mountainous areas, the decrease in the country, where rainfall ranges between temperature with increasing altitude leads to 70 -100 cm. On the wetter margins, it has a a corresponding change in natural vegetation. transition to the moist deciduous, while on the Mountain forests can be classified into two drier margins to thorn forests. These forests types, the northern mountain forests and the are found in rainier areas of the Peninsula and southern mountain forests. Rationalised 2023-24 NATURAL VEGETATION 45 The Himalayan ranges show a succession The southern mountain forests include the of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, forests found in three distinct areas of which change in with the altitude. Deciduous Peninsular India viz; the Western Ghats, the forests are found in the foothills of the Vindhyas and the Nilgiris. As they are closer Himalayas. It is succeeded by the wet to the tropics, and only 1,500 m above the temperate type of forests between an altitude sea level, vegetation is temperate in the higher of 1,000-2,000 m. In the higher hill ranges of regions, and subtropical on the lower regions northeastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal of the Western Ghats, especially in Kerala, and Uttaranchal, evergreen broad leaf trees Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The temperate such as oak and chestnut are predominant. forests are called Sholas in the Nilgiris, Between 1,500-1,750 m, pine forests are also Anaimalai and Palani hills. Some of the other well-developed in this zone, with Chir Pine as trees of this forest of economic significance a very useful commercial tree. Deodar, a highly include, magnolia, laurel, cinchona and valued endemic species grows mainly in the wattle. Such forests are also found in the western part of the Himalayan range. Deodar Satpura and the Maikal ranges. is a durable wood mainly used in construction activity. Similarly, the chinar and the walnut, Littoral and Swamp Forests which sustain the famous Kashmir India has a rich variety of wetland habitats. handicrafts, belong to this zone. Blue pine and About 70 per cent of this comprises areas spruce appear at altitudes of 2,225-3,048 m. under paddy cultivation. The total area of wet At many places in this zone, temperate land is 3.9 million hectares. Two sites — grasslands are also found. But in the higher Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National reaches there is a transition to Alpine forests Park (Bharatpur) are protected as water-fowl and pastures. Silver firs, junipers, pines, birch habitats under the Convention of Wetlands of and rhododendrons, etc. occur between International Importance (Ramsar Convention). 3,000-4,000 m. However, these pastures are used extensively for transhumance by tribes An international convention is an like the Gujjars, the Bakarwals, the Bhotiyas agreement among member states of and the Gaddis. The southern slopes of the the United Nations. Himalayas carry a thicker vegetation cover because of relatively higher precipitation than The country’s wetlands have been grouped the drier north-facing slopes. At higher into eight categories, viz. (i) the reservoirs of the altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of the Deccan Plateau in the south together with the tundra vegetation. lagoons and other wetlands of the southern west coast; (ii) the vast saline expanses of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the Gulf of Kachchh; (iii) freshwater lakes and reservoirs from Gujarat eastwards through Rajasthan (Keoladeo National Park) and Madhya Pradesh; (iv) the delta wetlands and lagoons of India’s east coast (Chilika Lake); (v) the freshwater marshes of the Gangetic Plain; (vi) the floodplains of the Brahmaputra; the marshes and swamps in the hills of northeast India and the Himalayan foothills; (vii) the lakes and rivers of the montane region of Kashmir and Ladakh; and (viii) the mangrove forest and other wetlands of the island arcs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Mangroves grow along the coasts in the salt Figure 5.5 : Montane Forests marshes, tidal creeks, mud flats and estuaries. Rationalised 2023-24 46 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT They consist of a number of salt-tolerant species conserving the natural heritage of the country, of plants. Crisscrossed by creeks of stagnant its biological diversity and genetic pool; (iv) water and tidal flows, these forests give shelter checks soil erosion, extension of the desert lands to a wide variety of birds. and reduction of floods and droughts; (v) increasing the forest cover through social forestry and afforestation on degraded land; (vi) increasing the productivity of forests to make timber, fuel, fodder and food available to rural population dependant on forests, and encourage the substitution of wood; (vii) creating of a massive peoples movement involving women to encourage planting of trees, stop felling of trees and thus, reduce pressure on the existing forest. Forests and Life Figure 5.6 : Mangrove Forests To a vast number of tribal people, the forest is a home, a livelihood, their In India, the mangrove forests spread over very existence. It provides them food, 6,740 sq. km which is 7 per cent of the world’s fruits of all kinds, edible leaves, honey, mangrove forests. They are highly developed in nourishing roots and wild game. It the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the provides them with material to build Sunderbans of West Bengal. Other areas of their houses and items for practising significance are the Mahanadi, the Godavari and their arts. The importance of forests the Krishna deltas. These forests too, are being in tribal economy is well-known as encroached upon, and hence, need conservation. they are the source of sustenance and livelihood for tribal communities. It is FOREST CONSERVATION commonly believed that the tribal communities live in harmony with Forests have an intricate nature and protect forests. interrelationship with life and environment. These provide numerous Forest and tribals are very closely related. The age-old knowledge of direct and indirect advantages to our tribals regarding forestry can be used economy and society. Hence, conservation in the development of forests. Rather of forest is of vital importance to the than treating tribals as minor forest survival and prosperity of humankind. produce collectors they should be Accordingly, the Government of India made growers of minor forest produce proposed to have a nation-wide forest and encouraged to participate in conservation policy, and adopted a forest conservation. policy in 1952, which was further modified in 1988. According to the new forest Based on the forest conservation policy the policy, the Government will emphasise following steps were initiated: sustainable forest management in order to conserve and expand forest reserve on Social Forestry the one hand, and to meet the needs of local people on the other. Social forestry means the management and The forest policy aimed at : (i) bringing 33 protection of forests and afforestation on barren per cent of the geographical areas under forest lands with the purpose of helping in the cover; (ii) maintaining environmental environmental, social and rural development. stability and to restore forests where The National Commission on Agriculture ecological balance was disturbed; (iii) (1976) has classified social forestry into three Rationalised 2023-24 NATURAL VEGETATION 47 categories. These are Urban forestry, Rural for this remarkable diversity of life forms is forestry and Farm forestry. the great diversity of the ecosystem which Urban forestry pertains to the raising this country has preserved and supported and management of trees on public and through the ages. Over the years, their privately owned lands in and around urban habitat has been disturbed by human centres such as green belts, parks, roadside activities and as a result, their numbers avenues, industrial and commercial green have dwindled significantly. There are belts, etc. certain species that are at the brink of Rural forestry lays emphasis on promotion extinction. of agro-forestry and community-forestry. Some of the important reasons of the Agro-forestry is the raising of trees and declining of wildlife are as follows: agriculture crops on the same land inclusive (i) Industrial and technological advancement of the waste patches. It combines forestry with brought about a rapid increase in the agriculture, thus, altering the simultaneous exploitation of forest resources. production of food, fodder, fuel, timber and (ii) More and more lands were cleared for fruit. Community forestry involves the raising agriculture, human settlement, roads, of trees on public or community land such as mining, reservoirs, etc. the village pasture and temple land, roadside, (iii) Pressure on forests mounted due to canal bank, strips along railway lines, and lopping for fodder and fuelwood and schools etc. Community forestry programme removal of small timber by the local people. aims at providing benefits to the community (iv) Grazing by domestic cattle caused an as a whole. Community forestry provides a adverse effect on wildlife and its habitat. means under which the people of landless (v) Hunting was taken up as a sport by the classes can associate themselves in tree- elite and hundreds of wild animals were raising and thus, get those benefits which killed in a single hunt. Now commercial otherwise are restricted for landowners. poaching is rampant. (vi) Incidence of forest fire. Farm Forestry It is being felt that conservation of wildlife is Farm forestry is a term applied to the process of great significance to the national as well as under which farmers grow trees for the world heritage along with the promotion of commercial and non-commercial purposes on ecotourism. What steps have been initiated by their farm lands. the government in this direction? Forest departments of various states WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN INDIA distribute seedlings of trees free of cost to small and medium farmers. Several lands such as The protection of wildlife has a long tradition in the margins of agricultural fields, grasslands India. Many stories of Panchtantra and Jungle and pastures, land around homes and cow Books, etc. have stood the test of time relating sheds may be used for raising trees under non- to the love for wildlife. These have a profound commercial farm forestry. impact on young minds. In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was WILDLIFE enacted, which provides the main legal framework for conservation and protection of You would have visited a zoo and may have wildlife in India. The two main objectives of the seen animals and birds in captivity. Wildlife Act are; to provide protection to the endangered of India is a great natural heritage. It is species listed in the schedule of the Act and to estimated that about 4-5 per cent of all provide legal support to the conservation areas known plant and animal species on the of the country classified as National parks, earth are found in India. The main reason sanctuaries and closed areas. This Act has been Rationalised 2023-24 48 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT comprehensively amended in 1991, making punishments more stringent and has also made provisions for the protection of specified plant species and conservation of endangered species of wild animals. There are 101 National parks and 553 wildlife sanctuaries in the country (Appendix V). Wildlife conservation has a very large ambit with unbounded potential for the well- being of humankind. However, this can be achieved only when every individual understands its significance and contributes Figure 5.7 : Elephants in their Natural Habitat his bit. For the purpose of effective conservation of flora and fauna, special steps have been collaboration with UNESCO’s ‘Man and initiated by the Government of India in Biosphere Programme’. Table 5.1 : List of Biosphere Reserves Sl. Name of the Biosphere Date of Location in the States/UT No. Reserve and Total Designation Geographical Area (km2) 1. Nilgiri (5520) 01.08.1986 Part of Wynad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Madumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valley and Siruvani Hills (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka). 2. Nanda Devi (5860.69) 18.01.1988 Part of Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Almora Districts in Uttarakhand. 3. Nokrek (820) 01.09.1988 Part of East, West and South Garo Hill Districts in Meghalaya. 4. Manas (2837) 14.03.1989 Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darang Districts in Assam 5. Sunderban (9630) 29.03.1989 Part of delta of Ganges and Brahamaputra river system in West Bengal. 6. Gulf of Mannar (10500) 18.02.1989 Indian part of Gulf of Mannar extending from Rameswaram island in the North to Kaniyakumari in the South of Tamil Nadu. 7. Great Nicobar (885) 06.01.1989 Southern most island of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 8. Similipal (4374) 21.06.1994 Part of Mayurbhanj District in Odisha. 9. Dibru-Saikhowa (765) 28.07.1997 Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts in Assam 10 Dehang Debang (5111.5) 02.09.1998 Part of Upper Siang, West Siang and Dibang Valley Districts in Arunachal Pradesh. 11. Pachmarhi (4981.72) 03.03.1999 Part of Betul, Hoshangabad and Chhindwara Districts in Madhya Pradesh. 12. Khangchendzonga (2619.92) 07.02.2000 Part of North and West Districts in Sikkim 13. Agasthyamalai (3500.36) 12.11.2001 Part of Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari Districts in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanmthitta districts in Kerala. 14. Achanakmar-Amarkantak 30.03.2005 Part of Anuppur and Dindori Districts of Madhya Pradesh (3835.51) and Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh 15. Kachchh (12,454) 29.01.2008 Part of Kachchh, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Patan Districts in Gujarat. 16. Cold Desert (7770) 28.08.2009 Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu and Kibber Wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. 17. Seshachalam (4755.997) 20.09.2010 Seshachalam hill ranges in Eastern Ghatsencompassing part of Chittoor and Kadapa Districts in Andhra Pradesh. 18. Panna (2998.98) 25.08.2011 Part of Pann and Chhattarpur Districts in Madhya Pradesh. * Sites with bold letters have been included in the World Network of BRs of UNESCO. Source : Annual Report 2018-19, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Rationalised 2023-24 NATURAL VEGETATION 49 Figure 5.8 : India : Biosphere Reserves Rationalised 2023-24 50 INDIA : PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Special schemes like Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992) have been launched to conserve these species and their habitat in a sustainable manner. Project T iger has been implemented since 1973. The main objective of the scheme is to ensure maintenance of viable population of tigers in India for scientific, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values, and to preserve areas of biological importance as natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. Initially, the Project T iger was launched in nine tiger reserves, covering an Figure 5.9 : Objectives of a Biosphere Reserve area of 16,339 sq. km, which has now increased to 50 tiger reserves, encompassing and conservation of Himalayan Musk deer have 71,027.10 sq. km of core tiger habitats also been launched by the Government of India. distributed in 18 states. The tiger population in the country has registered an BIOSPHERE RESERVES increase from 1,411 in 2006 to 2,967 in 2020 which is 70 per cent of the global tiger A Biosphere Reserve is a unique and population. representative ecosystem of terrestrial and Project Elephant was launched in 1992 to coastal areas which are internationally assist states having free ranging population recognised within the framework of UNESCO’s of wild elephants. It was aimed at ensuring Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The long-term survival of identified viable Biosphere Reserve aims at achieving the three population of elephants in their natural objectives as depicted in Figure 5.9. habitat. The project is being implemented in There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India 16 states. (Table 5.1, Figure 5.8). Eleven Biosphere Apart from this, some other projects such Reserves have been recognised by the UNESCO as Crocodile Breeding Project, Project Hangul on World Network of Biosphere Reserves. EXERCISES 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. (i) Sandalwood is an example of: (a) Evergreen forest (c) Deltaic forest (b) Deciduous forest (d) Thorny forest (ii) Which one of the following was the purpose of Project Tiger? (a) to kill tigers (c) to protect tigers from illegal hunting (b) to put tigers in the Zoo (d) to make films on tigers (iii) In which one of the following states is the Nandadevi Biosphere reserve situated? (a) Bihar (c) Uttarakhand (b) Uttar Pradesh (d) Odisha Rationalised 2023-24 NATURAL VEGETATION 51 (iv) How many of the Biosphere reserves from India are recognised by the UNESCO? (a) One (c) Eleven (b) Two (d) Four (v) Which one of the following proportion of area of the country was targeted to be under forest in Forest Policy of India? (a) 33 (c) 5 5 (b) 44 (d) 2 2 2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words. (i) What is natural vegetation? Under what climatic conditions are tropical evergreen forests develop? (ii) What do you understand by social forestry? (iii) Define Biosphere reserves? (iv) What is the difference between forest area and forest cover? 3. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words. (i) What steps have been taken up to conserve forests? (ii) How can people’s participation be effective in conserving forests and wildlife? Project/Activity 1. On the outline map of India, mark and label the following. (i) Areas having Mangrove forests. (ii) Biosphere reserves of Nanda Devi, Sunderbans, Gulf of Mannar and Nilgiri. (iii) Mark the location of Forest Survey of India Head Quarter. 2. List the trees, bush and shrub species found around your school. Write their local names and their uses. Rationalised 2023-24