Types of Forests in India
• Physical Geography
• Forest Resources
Introduction
• Definition of Forest:
• At present, in India, there is no clear nationally-accepted definition of ‘forest’.
• States are responsible for determining their definition of forests.
• The prerogative of the states to define forests stems from a 1996 Supreme Court order called the T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs the Union of India judgment.
• In the judgement, the Supreme Court interpreted that the word “forest” must be understood according to its “dictionary meaning”.
• This description covers all statutorily
• recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise.
• Constitutional Provisions:
• Forests are included in the Concurrent List in the (Seventh Schedule) of the Constitution of India.
• Through the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 Forests and Protection of Wild Animals and Birds were transferred from State to Concurrent List.
• Article 51 A (g) of the Constitution states that it shall be the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests and Wildlife.
• Article 48 A in the Directive Principles of State policy, mandates that the State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.
• Statute:
• India’s forests are currently governed by the National Forest Policy, 1988 which has environmental balance and livelihood at its centre.
• Forestry Report:
• According to India State of Forest Report, 2019, tree and forest cover together made up 24.56% (8,07,276 sq km) of India's area.
• The country is pursuing a long-term goal of having 33 percent of its land under forest cover.
Classification of Forests
On Administration-Basis
Reserved Forests
• Under direct supervision of the Government.
• No public entry allowed for the commercial purpose of cattle grazing.
• 53% of the Total Forest Area (TFA) of the country under this category.
Protected Forests
• Looked after by the government.
• Local people are allowed to collect forest produce and cattle grazing without causing any serious damage.
• Occupy about 29% of the TFA.
Unprotected Forests
• Unclassified Forests.
• No restriction on cutting trees or grazing cattle.
• Occupy 18% of the TFA.
Classification as per Constitution of India
State Forests
• Include almost all important forest areas of the country and are under full control of the government (state/central).
• Cover almost 94% of the TFA.
Commercial Forests
• Owned and administered by local bodies (municipal corporations, village panchayats, district boards etc.)
• Cover slightly more than 1% of the TFA.
Private Forests
• Under private ownership.
• Cover 5% of the TFA.
On Merchantability
Merchantable
• Forests that are accessible.
• Cover 82% of the TFA.
Non- Merchantable
• Forests that are situated at high mountainous peaks; non accessible.
• Cover 18% of the TFA.
Based on Composition
Coniferous Forests
• Temperate Forests
• Found in middle and upper elevations of the eastern Middle Himalayas and N-E Indian states like Arunachal Pradesh.
• Cover 6.50% of the TFA of the country.
Broad-Leaf Forests
• Tropical and subtropical monsoon forests.
• Found in the plateaus, plains and mountainous areas of the country.
• Cover about 94% of the TFA of the country.
Based on Average Annual Rainfall
In India, the Forests, on the basis of average annual rainfall, can be categorised broadly into five categories:
Tropical Evergreen Forests
• Moist Evergreen Forests:
• Region: Found in southern India along the Western Ghats, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and north-eastern region.
• Climatic Conditions: Found in warm and humid areas with an annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean annual temperature above 22°C.
• Trees: In these forests, trees reach great heights up to 60 m or above.
• There is no definite time for trees to shed their leaves, flowering and fruition; these forests appear green all the year round.
• Species found in these forests include Rosewood, Mahogany, Aini, Ebony, etc.
• The more common trees that are found here are the jackfruit, betel nut palm, jamun, mango, and hollock.
• Semi Evergreen Forests:
• Region: Found in the less rainy parts of the regions where moist evergreen forests are found; Western Ghats, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Eastern Himalayas.
• Trees: Such forests have a mixture of moist evergreen and moist deciduous trees.
• The under growing climbers provide an evergreen character to these forests.
• Main species are white cedar, hollock and kail.
• Dry evergreen:
• Region: Found in the Shivalik Hills and foothills of the Himalayas up to a height of 1000 metres in the north.
• Found along Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka coast in the south.
• Climatic Conditions: Usually have a prolonged hot and dry season and a cold winter.
• Trees: Have mainly hard-leaved evergreen trees with fragrant flowers, along with a few deciduous trees.
• Trees have a varnished look.
• Some of the more common ones are the pomegranate, olive, and oleander.
Tropical Deciduous Forests (Monsoon Forests)
• Moist Deciduous Forests:
• Region: These forests are found in the north-eastern states along the foothills of Himalayas, eastern slopes of the Western Ghats and Odisha.
• Rainfall: Found in the regions which record rainfall between 100-200 cm.
• Trees: Tall trees with broad, branched trunks.
• Some of the taller trees shed their leaves in the dry season.
• Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amla, semul, kusum, and sandalwood etc. are the main species of these forests.
• Dry Deciduous Forests:
• Region: Found throughout the northern part of the country except in the north-east.
• Also found in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• Rainfall: Covers vast areas of the country, where rainfall ranges between 70 -100 cm.
• On the wetter margins, it has a transition to the moist deciduous, while on the drier margins to thorn forests.
• Trees: As the dry season begins, the trees shed their leaves completely and the forest appears like a vast grassland with naked trees all around.
• Tendu, palas, amaltas, bel, khair, axlewood, etc. are the common trees of these forests.
Thorn Forests
• Rainfall: The forests occur in the areas that receive annual rainfall less than 50cm.
• Regions: This type is found in areas with black soil: North, West, Central, and South India.
• Includes semi-arid areas of south west Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
• Trees: The trees do not grow beyond 10 metres and consist of a variety of grasses and shrubs. Spurge, caper, and cactus are typically found in this region.
• The plants remain leafless for most part of the year.
• Babul, Acacia, Kokko, Khair, Khajuri, Ber, Neem, Khejri, Palas, etc.are common species of the forests.
Montane Forests
• Montane Wet Temperate Forests:
• Region: Occur in the northern and southern India.
• In the North, it is found in the region to the east of Nepal into Arunachal Pradesh, at a height of 1800–3000 metres, receiving a minimum rainfall of 200 cm.
• In the South, it is found in parts of the Nilgiri Hills, the higher reaches of Kerala.
• Trees: The forests in the northern region are denser than in the South.
• This is because over time the original trees have been replaced by fast-growing varieties such as the eucalyptus.
• Rhododendrons, Champa and a variety of ground flora can be found here.
• Montane Subtropical Forests:
• Climatic Conditions: Found in the region where average rainfall is 100-200 cm and temperature varies between 15°C to 22°C.
• Region: Found in north-western Himalayas (except Ladakh and Kashmir), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Trees: Chir (Pine) is the main tree but Oak, Jamun and Rhododendron are also found in these forests.
• Himalayan Forests:
• Himalayan Moist Forests:
• Region: Found in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and northern hilly parts of Bengal.
• Elevation: Found in the belt where altitude varies between 1000-2000 m.
• Trees: Oak, chestnut, chir, sal, shrubs and nutritious grasses.
• Himalayan Dry Temperate:
• Region: J&K, Chamba, Lahaul & Kinnaur districts (Himachal Pradesh) and Sikkim.
• Trees: Mainly coniferous; deodar, oak, chilgoza, maple, olive, mulberry and willow.
• Alpine and Subalpine Forests:
• Elevation: In the higher reaches, there is a transition to Alpine forests and pastures occurring at altitudes of 2,500-4,000 m.
• Sub alpine forests extend from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh between 2900 to 3500 metres.
• Trees: In the Western Himalayas, the vegetation consists mainly of juniper, rhododendron, willow, and black currant.
• In the eastern parts, red fir, black juniper, birch, and larch are the common trees.
Littoral/Swamp Forests
• Region: Found along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the delta area of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
• Other areas of significance are the Mahanadi, the Godavari and the Krishna deltas.
• Trees: Some of these forests are dense and impenetrable. Only a limited number of plants are found in these evergreen forests.
• They have roots that consist of soft tissue so that the plant can breathe in the water.
• It consists mainly of whistling pines, mangrove dates, palms, and bulletwood.
• Mangroves in India: In India, the mangrove forests spread over 6,740 sq. km which is 7% of the world’s mangrove forests.
• The forests stabilise the shoreline and protect the coastal areas from erosion.
• Sunderbans along the Ganges delta is the largest tidal forest in the world.
