Factors Influencing Natural Vegetation in India
Land Soil
- The type of vegetation is influenced by the nature of the land. Natural vegetation is mainly found in non-agricultural lands.
- The type of soil also influences natural vegetation. For example, do not support dense vegetation and only thorny bushes are cacti are found.
Temperature and Humidity
- The vegetation’s characteristics and extent are determined by temperature and humidity. For example, Tropical Evergreen rain forests are found in the Terai areas of the Himalayas.
- In contrast, when we go higher in the mountain range, we will find a variety of Mountain Forests/Montane Forests of rhododendrons and junipers.
Photoperiod (Sunlight)
- The most basic requirement for plant growth and survival is Sunlight. Plants obtain energy from light through a process known as photosynthesis.
- But there is a variation in the duration of sunlight at different places due to differences in latitude, altitude, season, and duration of the day. When the photoperiod is longer, the trees grow faster in the summer.
Altitude
- Plant life grows at impressive elevations. Altitude affects the amount of sunlight and water that the plant receives.
- At high altitudes, short-wave radiation is seen. Not all plants can survive this type of sunlight.
- Plants growing at a high altitude typically receive a lot of rainfall, which trickles down a mountain in the form of streams or rivers.
- The vegetation generally decreases with the increasing altitude. The sun-facing side of a mountain also has better vegetation growth.
Read about: Natural Vegetation of India
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