RAS question
Teak forests in Rajasthan are found in:
Correct answer: (C) Southern and southeastern Rajasthan.
Teak forests in Rajasthan are found in southern and southeastern Rajasthan, including the Tectona grandis belt noted for Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh and Banswara.
Explanation
Teak is the common name for Tectona grandis. The Rajasthan Forest Department's article, “Vegetation of Rajasthan,” lists a separate “Tectona grandis type” for Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh and Banswara. Teak forests therefore belong to southern and southeastern Rajasthan, not to the desert or northern plains. Their distribution also includes Dungarpur and the Hadoti districts of Kota, Jhalawar and Baran. This pattern reflects Rajasthan's transition from the arid western tracts towards the less arid eastern and southeastern areas.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The western desert has arid vegetation and is not a teak-bearing region.
- (B) The northern plains are not listed as a teak-bearing region.
- (D) Central Aravalli is associated with dhok, whereas the Tectona grandis type occurs in southern districts such as Udaipur and Banswara.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's natural vegetation and the spatial matching of forest types with physiographic regions. It recurs in RAS because teak, dhok and desert thorn vegetation are standard markers for regional geography questions.