Different Types of Forests in India

India is the world’s most geographically diverse country, so it has different types of forests. Among all the other diversities, 24.5 % of the total forest area covered in India is the country’s total landmass.

According to the Forest Survey of India, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest and wildlife area.

Difference Between Tropical Evergreen and Tropical Deciduous Forest

The main differences between Tropical Evergreen Forests vs Tropical Deciduous Forests are:

Tropical Evergreen Forest	Tropical Deciduous Forest
The tropical evergreen forest comprises evergreen trees like mahogany, rosewood, ebony, etc.	Tropical evergreen forests are also known as the rainforest.
These forests thrive where the annual rainfall is over 200 mm.	These forests thrive where the annual rainfall ranges from 70 mm to 200 mm.
Trees in evergreen forests don’t shed their leaves.	Trees in deciduous forests shed leaves to survive the cold and dry seasons.
Tropical evergreen forests are also known as Rain Forest.	Tropical deciduous forests are also called Monsoon forests.
Common wildlife sighted in the forest are elephants, deer, monkeys, lemurs, etc.	Common wildlife sighted in the forest are tigers, lions, etc.
Evergreen forests are dense and temperature-sensitive.	Deciduous Forests are not dense and rainfall-sensitive.
The soil in these forests lacks essential nutrients.	The soil in these forests is abundant with essential minerals and nutrients.

Different Types of Natural Vegetation in India

There are different kinds of forests in India. Environmentalists worldwide have described India as the greenest country in the world. The Himalayas in the north are home to evergreen forests in India. The types are:-

• Tropical Evergreen Forests
• Deciduous or Rainforests
• Dry Deciduous Forests
• Mountain Forests
• Tidal or Mangrove Forests
• Semi-Desert and Desert Vegetation

Dry thorn and tropical deciduous forests are found mostly in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and a few areas of Maharashtra in India.

Mangrove forests exist in India, too. The tidal or mangrove forests of Sundarbans, West Bengal, are a top-rated tourist attraction in the state. Thick tropical evergreen rainforests exist in the peninsular area and Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Thus, the entire country is more or less filled with natural greenery. 

Forest Survey of India (FSI)

The Government of India established the Forest Survey of India in 1965 as the Investment Survey of Forest Resources, or PISFR. This organisation was later reformed as the Forest Survey of India on 1 June 1981.

It’s an organisation that operates under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and records the country’s forest resources. The organisation’s principal role is to conduct surveys on India’s forest lands, assess forest cover and inventory, monitor forest fires and development projects, and more. Its headquarters are in Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh.

Recorded Forest Area (RFA)

Recorded Forest Area (rfa) is a term used to denote the total area of a country officially recorded as forest by the Government, including specific regions such as national parks, reserved forests, and sanctuaries. Thus, it provides information on how much forest land is actively used or protected by the Government. India’s RFA is 7,12,249 sq km, making up 21.67% of the country’s total landmass.

Centre for Policy Research (CPR)

The Centre for Policy Research, or CPR, is a public organisation dedicated to research established in 1973. It’s a non-profit organisation conducting detailed research independently about the public interest. 

It’s a public think tank run by academics from different fields. These professionals express their valuable views and insights on relatable topics, helping people understand more about important and complex contemporary world issues.

India State of Forest Report (ISFR)

India State of Forest Report is a report on Indian forests released by the Forest Survey of India. It’s a biennial report that comes out once every two years. The report describes India’s total forest cover, estimation of trees, types of forests, etc. The last ISFR came out in 2019, according to which India’s forest cover is 21.67%. 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Rapid environmental and climate deterioration is mainly due to human intervention and activities. As time passes, the problem grows even bigger. The United Nations established a secretariat named UNFCCC, or the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to monitor climate change. It was established in 1992 in Geneva and shifted to Bonn, Germany, in 1995. This secretariat works with the Governments of leading nations to introduce various norms to regulate climate change and save nature. 

World Forest Day

Nature is an essential gift to humanity. The United Nations General Assembly chose March 21 as the International Day of Forests or World Forest Day to preserve this gift. This day is celebrated to remind every human of the importance of forests and raise awareness towards their restoration and safeguarding.

Although this idea has existed since 1971, the event was first celebrated globally in 2012. The UN encourages all countries to conserve all types of trees and forests on local, national, and international levels. The United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations are the main organisers of this event. 

Forestry in India

Forestry is an essential part of Indian society and has played a significant role in rural areas since ancient times. India is considered among the top ten countries in forest coverage. The Forest Department works tirelessly by disease controlling, protecting forests against wildfires, deforestation, etc., to maintain these forests. Mizoram has the most forest cover in percentage, while Haryana has the lowest.

Type of least montane forests in India

India has three types of montane forests: temperate forests, wet temperate forests, and alpine forests. Important trees in the mountain forests are ferns, maples, oaks, rhododendrons, chilgoza, juniper, and deodar. These forests are found in Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya, etc.

Different Goals and Opportunities of Forests in Independent India

• Reduce soil degradation and erosion (especially in coastal lowlands, mountainous terrain, treeless areas and Rajasthan).
• Make improvements in the management of land to allow sustainability.
• Planting and maintaining trees outside forest areas to improve the climate conditions.
• Increase the production of timber (for industry, communication & defence).
• Enhance annual forest revenue 
• Meet the demand for grazing land, fuelwood and wood. 

Forest-related Indian movies

• The Jungle Book
• Sherni
• Kaal
• Shikari
• Agyaat

How many evergreen forests thrive year after year in India?

Forest	Area	Percentage
Tropical Wet Evergreen	20,054	2.61
Tropical Dry Evergreen	937	0.12
Tropical Semi-Evergreen	71,171	9.27
Sub Tropical Dry Evergreen	180	0.02

List of 43 best forests in India

1. Kaziranga National Park, Assam
2. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
3. Gir National Park, Gujarat
4. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
5. Manas National Par,k Assam
6. Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh
7. Nagarhole National Par,k Karnataka
8. Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh
9. Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai
10. Periyar National Park, Kerala
11. Eravikulam National Par,k Kerala
12. Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh
13. Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh
14. Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, Goa
15. Sundarban National Park, West Bengal
16. Simlipal National Park Orissa
17. Guindy National Park, Chennai
18. Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha
19. Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand
20. Panna National Park, Madhya Pradesh
21. Keibul Lamjao National Park Manipur
22. Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary Karnataka
23. Silent Valley National Park, Kerala
24. Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
25. Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh
26. Turahalli Forest Bangalore
27. Sultanpur National Park Haryana
28. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Goa
29. Betla National Park Jharkhand
30. Orang National Park Guwahati
31. Khangchendzonga National Park Sikkim
32. Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Bangalore
33. Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal
34. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam
35. Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh
36. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala
37. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Kerala
38. Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
39. Satpura Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
40. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
41. Chintamani Kar bird sanctuary
42. Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary
43. Valki Machan Forest

List of 13 Best Bird Sanctuaries in India

1. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (also known as Keoladeo National Park), Rajasthan
2. Chilka Lake Bird Sanctuary, Puri (Odisha)
3. Ghatprabha Bird Sanctuary, Karnataka
4. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary (also known as Vembanad Bird Sanctuary), Kerala
5. Kaundinya Bird Sanctuary, Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh)
6. Mayani Bird Sanctuary, Satara (Maharashtra)
7. Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
8. Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary, Nellore (Andhra Pradesh)
9. Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
10. Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary, Karnataka
11. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, Gurgaon (Haryana)
12. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Chorao Island (Goa)
13. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu

Conclusions

Due to rapid globalization, Indian forests are constantly threatened. To evade this danger, the government has announced a list of protected forests distributed across the country and looked after by forest inspectors.

The Forest Department of India strictly maintains these forests. Outsiders are not allowed in without a special permit. The government and some private organisations jointly look after some forests, which are termed unclassed forests of India. Local communities whose livelihood is based on these forests also actively protect them.

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