Forest Types, Biomes and Wildlife Conservation
5 vegetation types, mangroves, Project Tiger, national parks, endangered species, Sundarbans.
Forest Types, Biomes and Wildlife Conservation
Natural Vegetation & Wildlife of India
What you'll learn
- What determines natural vegetation — climate, soil, altitude.
- Five types of natural vegetation in India with examples.
- Key wildlife in each zone; endangered species.
- Conservation — national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves.
- Project Tiger and other conservation programmes.
Key concepts
What determines vegetation?
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Rainfall | More rain → denser, taller forest; less rain → grassland/scrub/desert |
| Temperature | Cold → coniferous (needle-leaf); hot-wet → tropical broadleaf |
| Altitude | Higher altitude → temperature drops → vegetation changes (like moving towards poles) |
| Soil | Sandy → desert plants; alluvial → agriculture; rocky → sparse |
Five types of natural vegetation in India
1. Tropical Evergreen Forests
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rainfall | >200 cm/year |
| Location | Western Ghats, northeast India (Assam, Meghalaya), Andaman & Nicobar |
| Character | Tall (30–60 m); multi-layered canopy; trees do NOT shed leaves simultaneously → always green |
| Key trees | Rosewood, ebony, mahogany, rubber, cinchona |
| Wildlife | Elephants, monkeys, lemurs, birds of paradise |
2. Tropical Deciduous Forests (Monsoon Forests)
India's most widespread forest type:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rainfall | 70–200 cm/year |
| Location | Large parts of MP, AP, Odisha, Maharashtra, UP, Jharkhand |
| Character | Trees shed leaves in dry season (6–8 weeks); allows sunlight to reach floor |
| Sub-type: Moist deciduous | 100–200 cm rain; teak, sal, shisham, arjun |
| Sub-type: Dry deciduous | 70–100 cm rain; sparser; khair, axle wood; large grass patches |
| Wildlife | Lions (Gir), tigers, leopards, elephants, bison, deer |
Teak and sal = most commercially valuable Indian trees.
3. The Thorn Forests and Scrubs
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rainfall | <70 cm/year |
| Location | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, UP (semi-arid), south Punjab |
| Character | Thorny trees with small/waxy leaves to reduce water loss; long roots |
| Key plants | Acacias, euphorbias, cactus, khejri (state tree of Rajasthan) |
| Wildlife | Camel, wild ass, wolves, tigers (rare), lizards, snakes, rodents |
4. Montane (Mountain) Forests
Altitude determines vegetation — as you go higher, temperature drops:
| Altitude (approx.) | Vegetation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 m | Tropical; similar to plains |
| 1,000–2,000 m | Temperate broadleaf: oaks, chestnuts |
| 1,500–3,000 m | Coniferous (needle-leaf): pine, deodar, fir, spruce |
| 3,000–3,500 m | Alpine meadows (bugyals); rhododendron |
| Above 3,500 m | Mosses, lichens → snow line |
Deodar (cedar) = state tree of Himachal Pradesh; prized for timber. Eastern Himalayas (Assam, Arunachal): also tropical broadleaf at lower altitudes due to heavy rainfall.
5. Mangrove Forests (Tidal/Littoral Forests)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | River deltas, coastal mudflats; Sundarbans (WB/Bangladesh), Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi deltas; Andamans |
| Character | Salt-tolerant; trees have prop roots/pneumatophores (breathing roots) that stick up from mud |
| Key tree | Sundari (gives Sundarbans its name); also mangrove, palm, coconut |
| Wildlife | Royal Bengal Tiger, Irrawaddy dolphin, saltwater crocodile, sea turtles, migratory birds |
Sundarbans = world's largest mangrove forest; UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wildlife and endangered species
| Species | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal Tiger | Endangered | Sundarbans, Ranthambore, Corbett, Bandipur |
| Asiatic Lion | Critically endangered | Gir Forest (Gujarat) — only wild population |
| Snow Leopard | Vulnerable | High Himalayas (Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand) |
| One-horned Rhinoceros | Vulnerable | Kaziranga (Assam) |
| Ganges River Dolphin | Endangered | Ganga-Brahmaputra river system |
| Great Indian Bustard | Critically endangered | Rajasthan grasslands |
| Olive Ridley Turtle | Vulnerable | Odisha coast (Gahirmatha) |
Conservation
Protected Areas
| Type | Definition | Number in India |
|---|---|---|
| National Park | Highest protection; no human activity (habitation, grazing, logging); wildlife protected | 106 |
| Wildlife Sanctuary | Protected; some human activities (like grazing) allowed; wildlife is prime concern | 567 |
| Biosphere Reserve | Large area; core zone (no disturbance) + buffer zone + transition zone; people can live in outer zone | 18 |
| Tiger Reserve | Under Project Tiger; overlaps with national parks/sanctuaries | 54 |
Project Tiger (1973)
- Launched by PM Indira Gandhi after tiger census showed alarming decline (~1,800 tigers left).
- Created dedicated tiger reserves; banned hunting; relocated villages.
- Result: tiger population recovered — estimated ~3,600+ tigers in 2022.
- India has ~70% of the world's wild tiger population.
Other programmes
- Project Elephant (1992): protect elephants and their corridors.
- Project Crocodile: restored all three Indian crocodile species.
- Sea Turtle Conservation: Olive Ridley nesting beaches protected in Odisha.
Threats to vegetation and wildlife
- Deforestation: agriculture, logging, urbanisation.
- Poaching: tigers for skin/bones; rhinos for horn; elephants for ivory.
- Habitat fragmentation: roads, dams, farms cut wildlife corridors → animals can't migrate.
- Climate change: shifting rainfall patterns; glacier melt affecting montane forests.
- Invasive species: Lantana camara chokes forest floor in many Indian forests.
Quick check
- Name the five types of natural vegetation in India with rainfall range for each.
- Why are tropical evergreen forests always green?
- What is special about mangrove trees? Where are the Sundarbans?
- Name two endangered species in India and where they are found.
- What is Project Tiger? What were its results?
Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Natural Vegetation & Wildlife.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
- What you'll learn
- Key concepts
- Quick check
Master this topic with Drishti OS
Get unlimited mock tests, AI-powered mentorship, and complete video courses when you join.
Start Free Practice