Natural Vegetation, Forests & Wildlife

India is one of the world’s most biologically diverse countries. It has 12 major forest types covering a vast range of landscapes: from tropical rainforests in the Western Ghats to alpine meadows in the Himalayas, from dry thorn forests in Rajasthan to mangroves in the Sundarbans.

This chapter covers three areas that NDA tests regularly: the types of natural vegetation and which forests cover the most area; forest cover data and which states have the most forests; and protected areas: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, tiger reserves, biodiversity hotspots, and Ramsar sites. These questions reward students with a clear geographic sense of where each forest, reserve, or park is located.

---

Factors Affecting Natural Vegetation

The type of vegetation in an area depends on rainfall (the most important factor, as more rain means denser, taller forests), temperature (determines tropical vs temperate character), altitude (as you go higher, vegetation changes from forests to scrub to grass to bare rock), and soil (different soils support different plants).

---

Types of Natural Vegetation in India

India has six main types of natural vegetation.

Tropical Evergreen Forests

Rainfall needed: More than 200 cm per year.

Where found: Western Ghats (Kerala, Karnataka, Goa), Andaman and Nicobar Islands, northeastern states (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh).

Trees are tall and dense. The canopy closes out sunlight. Trees do NOT shed leaves all at once, so the forest always appears green. Very species-diverse and difficult to exploit commercially because many species are mixed together. Key trees: Ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber, cinchona.

Tropical evergreen forests are found in the Western Ghats, NOT the Eastern Ghats. [NDA 2006-I]

Tropical Deciduous Forests

These are the most widespread forests in India. They shed their leaves during the dry season to conserve water.

Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests receive 100–200 cm of rainfall per year. Found in the Shiwalik Hills, foothills of the Himalayas, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and eastern Maharashtra. Key trees: Teak, sal, bamboo, shisham, sandalwood. Sal is the typical species of tropical monsoon (moist deciduous) forests. Shisham is also found in moist deciduous forests.

Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests receive 50–100 cm per year. Found in drier parts of the Deccan Plateau, Rajasthan borders, and UP and Bihar plains. Key trees: Teak, sal, peepal, neem, palas.

Tropical deciduous forests cover the MAXIMUM area in India. Of these, the Tropical Dry Deciduous type covers more area than the Moist Deciduous type. [NDA 2008-II | NDA 2021-I]

Sequence of tropical forests from largest to smallest area in India: Dry Deciduous → Moist Deciduous → Semi-evergreen → Wet Evergreen. [NDA 2012-I]

Tropical Thorn Forests

Rainfall needed: Less than 50 cm per year.

Where found: Rajasthan, Gujarat, UP, Haryana, Punjab: very dry regions.

Trees are small with thorns. Leaves are thick and waxy to reduce water loss. Plants include acacia, euphorbias, and cactus-like species. Haryana and Punjab have tropical thorny forest as their normal vegetation type. [NDA 2015-II]

Mangrove Forests (Tidal Forests)

Found in coastal areas: river deltas, estuaries, and tidal mudflats. Trees grow in saltwater between sea and land with special prop roots and stilt roots that project out of the mud. Dense and tangled, they protect coasts from storms and erosion. Sundarbans in West Bengal/Bangladesh are the world’s largest mangrove forest. Mangrove vegetation corresponds to coastal/tidal areas. [NDA 2010-I]

Montane (Mountain) Forests

As altitude increases in the Himalayas, vegetation changes through distinct zones:

Altitude Zone	Vegetation	Key Trees
Foothills (up to 1,000 m)	Tropical deciduous	Sal, bamboo
Lower Himalayas (1,000–2,000 m)	Subtropical	Oak, chestnut
Mid Himalayas (2,000–3,000 m)	Temperate	Oak, rhododendron, deodar, pine
Higher Himalayas (3,000–4,000 m)	Alpine	Silver fir, juniper, birch
Above 4,000 m	Alpine meadows (Bugyals)	Grasses, mosses

Himalayan vegetation varies according to both altitude AND climatic conditions. TRUE. The statement “there are mainly two types of tropical forests in the Himalayas” is WRONG. The Himalayas have a range from subtropical to alpine. [NDA 2011-I]

Tree species on the Himalayas: Oak and Rhododendron are Himalayan species. Rosewood is NOT Himalayan. It is found in tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. [NDA 2023-I] Deodar is a coniferous Himalayan species. Walnut is found in Himalayan moist forests. Birch is found in Alpine forests.

Shola forests are special patches of subtropical montane forest found in the high valleys (above 1,500 m) of the Nilgiri Hills in South India, NOT in the Himalayas.

Himalayan meadows are suitable for transhumance, seasonal movement of livestock to high pastures in summer and back to lower valleys in winter. This is because of the availability of seasonal pasture, not the quality of transport facilities.

Alpine Forests and Meadows

Found above the treeline in the Himalayas: low shrubs, grasses, mosses, and sedges, used for seasonal grazing (transhumance).

---

Vegetation Distribution: Key Sequences

Moving from Assam (wet) to Rajasthan (dry). Rainfall decreases and vegetation changes:

Tropical Wet Evergreen → Tropical Moist Deciduous → Tropical Dry Deciduous → Tropical Thorn Forest [NDA 2009-II]

Vegetation sequence from Bikaner to Konark: Bikaner is in western Rajasthan (desert); Konark is in Odisha (coast). Sequence: Desert → Tropical Thorny → Moist Deciduous → Mangrove.

Rainfall and Vegetation Types

Vegetation Type	Annual Rainfall
Tropical Evergreen	More than 200 cm
Tropical Moist Deciduous	100–200 cm
Tropical Dry Deciduous	50–100 cm
Arid / Thorn Forests	Less than 50 cm

Place and Vegetation Type Matching

Place	Vegetation Type	PYQs
Western Ghats	Tropical Evergreen	[NDA 2006-I
Himachal Pradesh	Himalayan Moist Forest	[NDA 2015-II]
Haryana and Punjab	Tropical Thorny Forest	[NDA 2015-II]
Chota Nagpur Plateau	Tropical Moist Deciduous	[NDA 2015-II]
Madhya Pradesh	Teak (Moist Deciduous)	[NDA 2010-I]
Rajasthan	Scrub / Thorn vegetation	[NDA 2010-I]
Arunachal Pradesh	Coniferous / Montane	[NDA 2010-I]

Plant and Vegetation Type Matching

Plant	Vegetation Type
Ebony	Tropical Evergreen
Shisham	Moist Deciduous
Walnut	Himalayan Moist
Birch	Alpine
Sal	Tropical Monsoon (Moist Deciduous)
Teak	Tropical Moist Deciduous
Casuarina	Eastern coast of Tamil Nadu

Casuarina is largely found along the coastal region of Tamil Nadu.

---

Forest Cover in India

State with largest total forest area: Madhya Pradesh. [NDA 2017-II]

State with highest percentage of forest to total area: Mizoram. [NDA 2015-I]

Top three states by total forest area (decreasing order): Madhya Pradesh → Arunachal Pradesh → Chhattisgarh → Odisha → Maharashtra. [NDA 2016-II]

Decreasing order (total forest area): MP (4) → Arunachal Pradesh (3) → Chhattisgarh (2) → Jharkhand (1). [NDA 2016-II]

Forest Survey of India (FSI) is located in Dehradun. The National Forestry Action Plan aims to bring 33% of land under tree cover.

Forest cover changes 2011–2021: Overall forest cover in India INCREASED. However, moderately dense forest (canopy density 40–70%) DECREASED during this period.

---

Protected Areas of India

Three Categories and Their Distinctions

Category	Protection Level	Human Activity	Purpose
National Park	Highest	No human activity, including grazing	Overall ecosystem protection
Wildlife Sanctuary	Moderate	Some activities permitted (forest produce)	Conservation of particular species
Biosphere Reserve	Multipurpose	Allowed in transition zone	Preserve genetic diversity in ecosystems

National parks: People are NOT an integral part of the system. The statement “people are an integral part of national parks” is WRONG.

Wildlife sanctuaries: Concerned with conservation of particular species.

Biosphere reserves: Have three zones: Core, Buffer, and Transition. People CAN live in the transition zone. UNESCO launched the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 1971. Biosphere reserves promote research on ecological conservation. TRUE. The statement “Biosphere reserves are connected with the habitat of a particular wild animal” is WRONG. That describes wildlife sanctuaries.

Important National Parks

National Park	State	Known For
Jim Corbett NP	Uttarakhand	Oldest NP in India; first tiger reserve (1973); originally Hailey NP
Nanda Devi NP	Uttarakhand	Near Chamoli [NDA 2007-I]
Valley of Flowers	Uttarakhand	Alpine flowers; UNESCO World Heritage Site
Kaziranga NP	Assam	One-horned rhinoceros
Manas NP	Assam	Tiger; UNESCO World Heritage Site
Sundarbans NP	West Bengal	Royal Bengal Tiger; mangroves; UNESCO WH Site
Kanha NP	Madhya Pradesh	Barasingha (swamp deer); tiger; Tropical Moist Forests
Pench NP	MP / Maharashtra	Tiger; inspiration for Jungle Book
Panna NP	Madhya Pradesh	Tiger reserve
Ranthambore NP	Rajasthan	Tiger
Sariska NP	Rajasthan	Tiger
Gir NP	Gujarat	Asiatic lion: only wild habitat
Periyar NP	Kerala	Tiger; elephant; Periyar Lake
Silent Valley NP	Kerala	Tropical rainforest; no dams allowed [NDA 2015-I]
Bandipur NP	Karnataka	Tiger; elephant
Nagarhole NP	Karnataka	Tiger; elephant
Dudhwa NP	Uttar Pradesh	Tiger; swamp deer
Simlipal NP	Odisha	Tiger
Keibul Lamjao NP	Manipur	World’s only floating national park; Sangai deer
Indravati NP	Chhattisgarh	Wild buffalo; tiger
Kuno NP	Madhya Pradesh	Cheetahs introduced from Namibia
Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam	AP / Telangana	Largest tiger reserve in India by core area [NDA 2018-I]
Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP	Port Blair, A&N Islands	Marine national park

Jim Corbett National Park: Oldest national park in India: One of nine tiger reserves created at the launch of Project Tiger in 1973: Initially named Hailey National Park.

Nanda Devi National Park is located near Chamoli in Uttarakhand. [NDA 2007-I]

Kanha National Park belongs to the Tropical Moist Forests biogeographical area.

Largest tiger reserve in India by core area = Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana. [NDA 2018-I]

Tiger reserves North to South: Corbett → Sariska → Simlipal → Periyar. [NDA 2017-I]

Tiger Reserve-State Matching: Indravati: Chhattisgarh | Periyar: Kerala | Simlipal:  Odisha | Bandipur: Karnataka

Important Wildlife Sanctuaries

Sanctuary	State	PYQs
Chandra Prabha	Uttar Pradesh	[NDA 2015-I]
Silent Valley	Kerala	[NDA 2015-I]
Valley of Flowers	Uttarakhand	[NDA 2015-I]
Indravati	Chhattisgarh	[NDA 2015-I]
Periyar	Kerala	—
Dachigam	J&K (Kashmir Stag / Hangul)	—
Sariska	Rajasthan	—
Kanha	Madhya Pradesh	—
Ranganathittu	Karnataka	—

Order from South to North: Bhadra (Karnataka) → Simlipal (Odisha) → Pachmarhi (MP) → Shikari Devi (Himachal Pradesh). [NDA 2018-II]

Biosphere Reserves

Biosphere Reserve	State(s)	Note
Nilgiri	TN / Karnataka / Kerala	Spread over three states
Gulf of Mannar	Tamil Nadu	Islands, coral reefs, mangroves
Sundarbans	West Bengal	UNESCO World Network
Nanda Devi	Uttarakhand	NOT Madhya Pradesh
Nokrek	Meghalaya (Garo Hills)	UNESCO World Network [NDA 2012-II]
Manas	Assam	—
Pachmarhi	Madhya Pradesh	UNESCO World Network
Simlipal	Odisha	—
Achanakmar-Amarkantak	Chhattisgarh / MP	—
Agasthyamalai	Kerala / Tamil Nadu	—
Seshachalam	Andhra Pradesh	UNESCO World Network

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is spread over three states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve is in Uttarakhand, NOT Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh has Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve.

Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is in Meghalaya. [NDA 2012-II]

Biosphere reserves in UNESCO World Network: Nilgiri, Nokrek, Pachmarhi, and Seshachalam. [NDA 2017-II] Sundarbans is also in the UNESCO World Network.

Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve comprises islands with estuaries, beaches, coral reefs, salt marshes, and mangroves.

---

Biodiversity Hotspots

A biodiversity hotspot is a region that has a large number of endemic species (found only there) and has lost at least 70% of its original habitat.

India’s biodiversity hotspots: Western Ghats (and Sri Lanka) | Eastern Himalayas (Indo-Burma hotspot) | Sundaland (Andaman and Nicobar Islands region)

Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas are the key hotspots. Aravalli Hills is NOT a biodiversity hotspot. Western Himalayas is NOT a biodiversity hotspot.

---

Ramsar Sites

Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance, protected under the Ramsar Convention (1971, signed in Ramsar, Iran).

Ramsar Site	State / UT	Note
Chilika Lake	Odisha	First Ramsar site in India
Keoladeo Ghana NP	Rajasthan	—
Loktak Lake	Manipur	—
Wular Lake	J&K (UT)	—
Tsomoriri Lake	Ladakh (UT)	—
Sambhar Lake	Rajasthan	—
Hokera Wetland	J&K (UT)	—
Point Calimere WLS	Tamil Nadu	NOT a Union Territory
Bhindawas WLS	Haryana	Ramsar site + birding site (man-made)
Sultanpur NP	Haryana	Ramsar site + birding site (man-made)
Thol Lake WLS	Gujarat	Ramsar site + birding site
Wadhwana Wetland	Gujarat	Ramsar site + birding site

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is in Tamil Nadu: NOT a Union Territory.

Bhindawas and Sultanpur are man-made wetlands that are both Ramsar sites and birding sites, NOT all naturally formed.

---

Sustainable Forestry Concepts

Rural forestry aims to raise trees on community land and privately owned land.

Farm forestry encourages individual farmers to plant trees on their own farmland to meet domestic needs.

---

Tamil Landscape Terms (Sangam Literature)

Tamil Term	Landscape
Kurinchi	Mountainous region
Palai	Arid region
Neytal	Seashore
Mullai	Pastoral region

---