Vegetation and Forest Resources

3.1 India's Forest Cover

Forest Survey of India (FSI) — State of Forest Report 2021:

• Total Forest Cover: 7,13,789 sq km (21.71% of geographic area)
• Tree Cover (outside recorded forest area): 95,748 sq km (2.91%)
• Total (Forest + Tree Cover): 8,09,537 sq km (24.62% of total area)
• Change 2019–2021: Increase of 2,261 sq km (forest + tree cover)
• States with highest forest cover: Madhya Pradesh (77,482 sq km) > Arunachal Pradesh (66,431) > Chhattisgarh > Odisha > Maharashtra

National Forest Policy 1988: Target = 33% forest cover nationally; 60% in mountain areas; 20% in plains.

3.2 Classification of Forests Under Forest Act

Reserved Forests (RF): Strictly protected; no rights for local communities; approx 54% of recorded forest area.

Protected Forests (PF): Some community rights permitted; approx 29% of forest area.

Unclassed Forests: State forest land not classified above; approx 17%.

3.3 Types of Natural Vegetation (PYQ 2021 — Tropical Evergreen)

1. Tropical Evergreen Forests

• Rainfall requirement: >200 cm (2,000 mm) annually
• Location: Western Ghats (Karnataka, Kerala, Goa), NE India (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland), Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Characteristics: Dense multi-layered canopy (30–60 m height); trees retain leaves throughout the year; no synchronised leaf-fall; very high biodiversity (>40% of India's plant species)
• Key tree species: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), ebony (Diospyros), mahogany (Swietenia — introduced), rubber (Hevea — planted), bamboo (dense in NE), Malabar kino, iron wood (Mesua ferrea)
• Commercially valuable: Rosewood, ebony, Malabar kino
• Key zones: Silent Valley (Kerala — last remaining virgin tropical rainforest in Western Ghats; no road connection), Periyar Tiger Reserve, Namdapha (Arunachal), Nokrek (Meghalaya)

2. Tropical Deciduous Forests — Most Widespread

(a) Moist Deciduous (75–200 cm rainfall):

• Location: Eastern slopes of Western Ghats, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, NE India fringe, eastern MP
• Key species: Teak (Tectona grandis — MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka), sal (Shorea robusta — Odisha, Jharkhand, WB), bamboo, shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
• Features: Shed leaves in dry season (March–May); dense canopy in wet season

(b) Dry Deciduous (50–75 cm rainfall):

• Location: Drier peninsular areas, UP, Bihar, parts of Rajasthan
• Key species: Teak (smaller trees), sal (sparse), sandalwood, amaltas, mahua
• Features: Forest floor has grass and shrubs; grazing common

3. Tropical Thorny/Scrub Forests

• Rainfall: <75 cm (750 mm) annually
• Location: Western Rajasthan, southern Punjab, parts of Gujarat, interior Karnataka, AP (some)
• Key species: Babool/Acacia (Acacia nilotica), ber/jujube (Ziziphus), cactus (Opuntia — introduced), khejri/shami (Prosopis cineraria — Rajasthan's state tree; holds huge cultural significance)
• Characteristics: Low-growing (<10 m), thorny, deep root systems to access water, waxy/leathery leaves to reduce evaporation
• Conservation: Khejri protected under Rajasthan laws; Bishnoi community has historically protected trees and blackbuck

4. Montane Forests — Altitudinal Zonation in Himalayas

Altitude (m)	Forest Type	Key Species
1,000–2,000	Subtropical broadleaf/pine	Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii), oak, rhododendron
2,000–3,000	Temperate coniferous	Blue pine (P. wallichiana), fir (Abies), spruce (Picea), deodar cedar
3,000–4,000	Subalpine	Birch (Betula), rhododendron (Rhododendron), juniper
>4,000	Alpine meadows/tundra	Short grasses, sedges, mosses; no trees

5. Tidal/Mangrove Forests

• Location: Tidal zones of coastal deltas — Sundarbans (Ganga delta, W Bengal), Mahanadi delta (Bhitarkanika, Odisha), Godavari-Krishna delta (AP), Gulf of Kutch (Gujarat), Andaman Islands
• Key species: Sundari (Heritiera fomes — gives Sundarbans its name), mangrove apple, rhizophora, avicennia
• India's mangrove area: 4,992 sq km (FSI 2021); 3.3% increase over 2019
• Largest: Sundarbans (W Bengal, Indian portion) — 4,260 sq km; UNESCO World Heritage + Ramsar Wetland + Tiger Reserve

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