Chapter Notes

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

India is one of the world's 12 mega bio-diversity countries, meaning it has an incredibly rich variety of plant and animal life. This is because India is a vast country with diverse climates and landscapes.

• Plant Diversity: India has about 47,000 plant species, ranking tenth in the world and fourth in Asia. This includes 15,000 species of flowering plants (6% of the world's total) and many non-flowering plants like ferns, algae, and fungi.
• Animal Diversity: The country is home to approximately 90,000 animal species, including a rich variety of fish in its fresh and marine waters.

Key Concepts

• Natural Vegetation: This refers to a plant community that has grown on its own, without any human help, and has not been disturbed by humans for a long time. This is also called virgin vegetation. [!example] A dense, untouched forest in the Himalayas is natural vegetation. In contrast, a mango orchard or a wheat field is part of vegetation, but not natural vegetation because humans planted and manage it.

• Flora and Fauna: The term flora is used to refer to the plants of a particular region or time period. Similarly, fauna refers to the species of animals in a region.

• Endemic and Exotic Species:

  • Endemic (or indigenous) species are plants that are purely Indian in origin.
  • Exotic plants are those that have come from outside India.

Types of Vegetation

Based on climate and terrain, the major types of vegetation in India are:

• Tropical Evergreen Forests
• Tropical Deciduous Forests
• Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
• Montane Forests
• Mangrove Forests

Tropical Evergreen Forests

These forests grow in areas with very heavy rainfall and are green all year round.

• Climate: They are found in areas with more than 200 cm of rainfall and a short dry season. The region is warm and wet throughout the year.
• Location: These forests are found in the heavy rainfall areas of the Western Ghats, the island groups of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar, upper parts of Assam, and the Tamil Nadu coast.
• Characteristics:
  • Trees can reach great heights, up to 60 metres or even more.
  • The vegetation is luxuriant and has a multilayered structure with trees, shrubs, and creepers.
  • There is no specific time for trees to shed their leaves, which is why they always appear green.
• Flora (Plants): Commercially important trees include ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber, and cinchona.
• Fauna (Animals): Common animals include elephants, monkeys, lemurs, and deer. One-horned rhinoceroses are found in the jungles of Assam and West Bengal. These forests also host a variety of birds, bats, sloths, scorpions, and snails.

Tropical Deciduous Forests

These are the most widespread forests in India and are also known as monsoon forests.

• Climate: They are found in regions receiving rainfall between 70 cm and 200 cm.
• Characteristics: The most distinct feature is that trees shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks during the dry summer to conserve water.
• Sub-types: Based on water availability, these forests are divided into two types:

Moist Deciduous Forests

• Rainfall: Found in areas with rainfall between 100 cm and 200 cm.
• Location: Mostly in the eastern part of the country—northeastern states, foothills of the Himalayas, Jharkhand, West Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
• Flora: Teak is the most dominant tree species. Other important trees are bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun, and mulberry.

Dry Deciduous Forests

• Rainfall: Found in areas with rainfall between 70 cm and 100 cm.
• Location: Found in the rainier parts of the Peninsular plateau and the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
• Flora: These forests have open stretches where teak, sal, peepal, and neem grow. Much of this land has been cleared for farming and grazing.
• Fauna (in Deciduous Forests): Common animals are the lion, tiger, pig, deer, and elephant. A huge variety of birds, lizards, snakes, and tortoises are also found here.

The Thorn Forests and Scrubs

This type of vegetation is found in very dry regions where rainfall is scarce.

• Climate: Found in regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall.
• Location: North-western parts of the country, including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
• Characteristics:
  • Trees are scattered and have adaptations to conserve water.
  • Long roots penetrate deep into the soil to find moisture.
  • Succulent stems store water.
  • Thick and small leaves minimize evaporation.
• Flora: Main plant species include acacias, palms, euphorbias, and cacti.
• Fauna: Common animals include rats, mice, rabbits, fox, wolf, tiger, lion, wild ass, and camels.

Montane Forests

"Montane" refers to mountains. In these areas, vegetation changes with altitude because the temperature decreases as one goes higher.

• 1000 to 2000 metres: Wet temperate forests are found, with evergreen broad-leaf trees like oaks and chestnuts.
• 1500 to 3000 metres: Temperate forests with coniferous trees like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce, and cedar are common. These are found on the southern slopes of the Himalayas and in high-altitude areas of southern and north-east India.
• Above 3,600 metres: Temperate forests give way to Alpine vegetation. Common trees are silver fir, junipers, pines, and birches. As they get closer to the snow-line, the trees become progressively stunted, eventually merging into shrubs and scrubs, and finally into Alpine grasslands. [!example] Nomadic tribes like the Gujjars and the Bakarwals use these Alpine grasslands extensively for grazing their livestock.
• Higher Altitudes: At the highest altitudes, only mosses and lichens grow, which form part of tundra vegetation.
• Fauna: Animals found here are adapted to the cold climate and include the Kashmir stag, spotted dear, wild sheep, jack rabbit, Tibetan antelope, yak, snow leopard, squirrels, and the rare red panda.

Mangrove Forests

These forests are found in coastal areas that are influenced by tides.

• Location: They grow in the deltas of major rivers like the Ganga, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Kaveri, where mud and silt accumulate.
• Characteristics: Dense mangroves have roots that are submerged under water, an adaptation that helps them survive in the tidal environment.
• Flora: In the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, sundari trees are found, which provide durable hard timber. Palm, coconut, keora, and agar also grow in these deltas.
• Fauna: The famous Royal Bengal Tiger is the main animal here. Turtles, crocodiles, gharials, and snakes are also found in these forests.

Medicinal Plants

India has been known for its herbs and spices since ancient times. Ayurveda describes some 2,000 plants, and at least 500 are in regular use.

• Sarpagandha: Used to treat blood pressure. It is found only in India.
• Jamun: The juice from its fruit is used to make vinegar, which aids digestion. The seed powder is used for controlling diabetes.
• Arjun: The fresh juice of its leaves is a cure for earache and is also used to regulate blood pressure.
• Babool: Its leaves are used to cure eye sores, and its gum is used as a tonic.
• Neem: Has high antibiotic and antibacterial properties.
• Tulsi: Used to cure cough and cold.
• Kachnar: Used to cure asthma and ulcers. Its buds and roots are good for digestive problems.

Wildlife

India's fauna is as rich as its flora, with approximately 90,000 animal species.

• Key Species and Habitats:
  • Elephants are found in the hot, wet forests of Assam, Karnataka, and Kerala.
  • One-horned rhinoceroses live in the swampy and marshy lands of Assam and West Bengal.
  • Wild ass and camels are found in the arid areas of the Rann of Kachchh and the Thar Desert, respectively.
  • Lions and Tigers: India is the only country in the world that has both. The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the Gir forest in Gujarat. Tigers are found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, the Sundarbans of West Bengal, and the Himalayan region.
  • Himalayan Animals: The cold, high altitudes of Ladakh are home to the yak, Tibetan antelope, bharal (blue sheep), and kiang (Tibetan wild ass).
  • Aquatic Life: Rivers, lakes, and coastal areas have turtles, crocodiles, and gharials. The gharial is a unique type of crocodile found in the world today.
• Bird Life: India has about 2,000 species of birds, which is 13% of the world's total. This includes peacocks, pheasants, ducks, parakeets, cranes, and pigeons.

Threats to Flora and Fauna

The balance of our ecosystem is disturbed due to excessive exploitation of plant and animal resources. About 1,300 plant species are endangered, and 20 are extinct. Many animal species are also endangered or have become extinct. The main causes are:

• Hunting by greedy hunters for commercial purposes.
• Pollution from chemical and industrial waste and acid deposits.
• Deforestation or reckless cutting of forests to create land for farming and housing.
• Introduction of alien species.

Steps to Conserve Flora and Fauna

The government has taken several steps to protect India's rich natural heritage.

1. Biosphere Reserves: Eighteen biosphere reserves have been set up to protect flora and fauna. Twelve of these (including the Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Gulf of Mannar, and Nilgiri) are part of the world network of biosphere reserves.
2. Financial and Technical Assistance: Since 1992, the government has provided assistance to many botanical gardens.
3. Eco-developmental Projects: Specific projects have been introduced to protect endangered species, such as Project Tiger, Project Rhino, and Project Great Indian Bustard.
4. National Parks and Sanctuaries: 106 National Parks, 573 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and several zoological gardens have been set up to care for our natural heritage.

Migratory Birds

Some wetlands in India are popular destinations for migratory birds during the winter.