RAS question
Temperate forests in the Himalayas (2000-3000m) are dominated by:
Correct answer: (C) Deodar, Oak, Rhododendron, Maple, and Birch.
Temperate forests in the Himalayas at about 2000-3000 metres are dominated by species such as deodar, oak, rhododendron, maple and birch.
Explanation
The 2000-3000 metre belt in the Himalayas corresponds to Himalayan moist temperate forests, so the answer has to be a cool, montane forest assemblage rather than a lowland, desert or coastal one. These forests occur across Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. In the western Himalayas, the characteristic trees include deodar, blue pine, spruce and silver fir. In the eastern Himalayas, oak, laurel, magnolia and bamboo are listed, while rhododendron forms extensive stands. That pattern directly supports option C: deodar, oak, rhododendron, maple and birch are the only choices that fit a Himalayan temperate forest belt at this altitude.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Teak and sal point to warmer tropical forest conditions, not the cool Himalayan moist temperate belt at 2000-3000 metres.
- (B) Cactus and thorny shrubs indicate arid or semi-arid vegetation, whereas the question asks about moist temperate Himalayan forests.
- (D) Mangrove species belong to coastal and tidal habitats, so they do not match an inland Himalayan altitude zone.
Concept
This tests the altitude-wise distribution of natural vegetation in India, especially the shift from tropical lowland forests to temperate Himalayan forests. RAS often repeats this concept because vegetation belts link physical geography, ecology and state-specific Himalayan examples in one fact pattern.