RAS question
Alpine forests in India are found in:
Correct answer: (B) Above 3000m in Himalayas.
Alpine forests in India are found above about 3,000 metres in the Himalayas, where higher mountain vegetation gives way to alpine forests and pastures.
Explanation
Alpine forests are a high-altitude Himalayan vegetation type, so the relevant location is above about 3,000 metres in the Himalayas, not deserts, coasts or islands. NCERT describes the Himalayan ranges as showing a succession of vegetation with altitude: lower foothills have deciduous forests, higher ranges have temperate forests, and the higher reaches transition to alpine forests and pastures. It specifically places silver fir, juniper, pine, birch and rhododendron between 3,000 and 4,000 metres. Alpine forests occur above the treeline, include birch, rhododendron and juniper, and merge into alpine meadows such as Bugyals.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Desert regions are associated with scanty vegetation, shrubs and thorn forests, not the high-altitude Himalayan alpine belt.
- (C) Coastal areas fit littoral, swamp or mangrove vegetation, whereas alpine forests are tied to altitude in the Himalayas.
- (D) Island territories may have tropical rain forests or mangroves, but the alpine forest zone described here belongs to the higher Himalayan ranges.
Concept
This tests natural vegetation by altitude, especially the montane forest succession in the Himalayas. It recurs in RAS because forest types are often asked through climate, altitude and vegetation markers rather than by names alone.