Social
Science
Project
SUMMARY OF NATURAL
VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE
The relief of a region plays a crucial role in
determining the types of vegetation and wildlife.
Mountainous regions have different vegetation and
wildlife than plains or plateaus. The relief of the
region also affects the climate, which in turn
influences the types of plant and animals that can
survive there.
The Climate is a major factor determining
the natural vegetation and wildlife of a region. The
factors under climate affects vegetation and wild
life are:
Temperature
Photoperiod
Precipitation
Temperature: Temperature affects the natural
vegetation as most plants need an ideal
temperature of 20°C to be grown.
Photoperiod: The duration of sunlight varies at
different places due to the differences of latitudes,
altitudes, season and duration of the day.
Precipitation: Precipitation, especially rainfall, has a
significant impact on the distribution of plants.
Areas with high rainfall, like the equatorial regions,
experience rich growth of vegetation. On the other
hand, areas with less rainfall have denser
vegetation. The amount of precipitation influences
the size and structural shape of plants.
Forests in India
The types of forests that can be
identified in India are:
Tropical Evergreen Forests
Tropical Deciduous Forsets
Thorn Forests and Scrubs
Montane Forests
Mangrove Forests
Tropical Evergreen Forests
Tropical Evergreen Forests are restricted to heavy
rainfall areas of Western Ghats and the island
groups of Lakshadweep, Anadaman and Nicobar
Islands. These forests are characterized by tall,
dense trees that never shed leaves, that’s why they
are called evergreen.
The common animals found here are elephants,
monkeys, lemurs and deer.
Tropical Evergreen Forest in India
Tropical Deciduous Forsets
Tropical Deciduous Forests are found in areas of
moderate rainfall and experience a distant dry
season. These forests are characterized by trees
that shed leaves during the dry season to conserve
water. They are also called monsoon forests. The
Deciduous trees in these forests are broad-leaved
and grow to a moderate height of 30-40m.
The common animals found here are lion, tiger,
deer and elephant.
Tropical Deciduous Forest in India
Thorn Forests and Scrubs
Thorn Forests and Scrubs are found in
regions of very low rainfall. These forests are
located in north-western part of India, where
the climate is arid and dry. The trees in these
forests have thorns and spines to protect
themselves for animals and to conserve water.
The common animals found here are rats, mice,
rabbits, fox, wolf, tiger, lion, horses, and
camels.
Thorn Forest and Scrub in India
Montane Forests
Montane forests also known as mountain forests,
are found in the Himalayan region of India. These
forests are characterized by coniferous trees like
pine, cedar, spruce, silver fir, and deodar which
grow between 1500-3000 meters in elevation. The
southern slopes of the Himalayas are home to these
forests. Ultimately, through shrubs and scrubs, they
merge into the alpine grass lands. These are use
extensively for grazing by nomadic tribes, like the
Gujjars and the Bakarwals.
The common animals found in these forests are
Kashmir stag, spotted deer, Tibetan antelope,
ETC…….
Montane forest in India
Mangrove Forests
The mangrove tidal forests are found in the area of
coasts influence by tides. Dense mangroves are the
common varieties with roots of the plants
submerged under water. The deltas of the Gange,
the Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Godavari and the
Kaveri are covered by such vegetation. In the
Ganga-Brahmaputra delta Sundari trees are found,
which provide durable hard timber.
The common animals found here are tiger, turtles,
crocodiles, gharials and snakes are also found here.
Mangrove Forest in India
Wildlife
India has approximately 90,000 animal species. The
country has about 2,000 species of birds. They
constitute 13% of the world’s total. There are 2546
species of fish, which account for between 5 and 8
% of the world total amphibians, reptiles and
mammals. The elephants are the most majestic
animals among the mammals. They are found in the
hot forests of Assam, Karnataka and Kerala. One-
horned rhinoceroses are the other animals, which
live in the swampy and marshy regions of Assam
and West Bengal. Wild ass and camels are found in
arid regions. India is the only country in the world
that has both lions and tigers. The natural habitat of
the Indian lion is the Gir forest in Gujarat. Tigers are
found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh. The
Himalayas harbor a hardy range of animals, which
survive in extreme cold.
Protection of Biodiversity
Under the Government
The Indian government built eighteen biosphere
reserves in the country to protect the flora and
fauna.
The Indian government has provided financial and
technical assistance to many botanical gardens.
The Indian government introduced several
projects like Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project
Great Indian Bustard and many other eco-
development schemes.
The Indian government set up 103 National Parks,
535 Wildlife Sanctuaries and Zoological Gardens
to take care of natural heritage.
