Natural Vegetation of India, Types, Map, Factors, Distribution, Need

Natural Vegetation of India

Natural Vegetation of India: With a coastline spanning more than 7500 km, India has a total geographic area of over 329 million hectares. The nation’s ecosystem diversity is vast, ranging from sea level to high mountains. It includes hot, dry areas in the northwest, cold regions in the trans-Himalayas, tropical rainforests in Northeast India and the Western Ghats, mangroves in the Sundarbans, and both freshwater and marine ecosystems.

India ranks 10th in the world and 4th in Asia for plant diversity with about 47000 species. This includes non-flowering plants like ferns, algae, and fungi, as well as 6% of the world’s flowering plants. The country is also home to around 80000 animal species in its freshwater and marine environments, including many types of fish.

Naturally grown plant without any human intervention and not disturbed by humans are known as Natural Vegetation. These are also known as Virgin Vegetation.

• Orchards are not natural vegetation, but they do grow fruits and vegetables.
• Endemism refers to plants unique to India, like Nepenthes khasiana, the only native pitcher plant here.
• Exotic species are plants that have come from other places. For example Giant Salvinia and Water Hyacinth can be found in the backwaters of Kuttanad, Kerala.

Types of Natural Vegetation in India

Here is the List of are five types of Natural Vegetation in India.

Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests

• Tropical evergreen rainforests thrive in areas with over 200 cm of rainfall.
• They are mainly found in Northeast India (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland), the Western Ghats, the Tarai regions of the Himalayas, and the Andaman Islands.
• Significant populations of these forests are also present in the Khasi and Jaintia hills.
• Trees in these forests grow rapidly and include species like bamboo, rosewood, garjan, mahogany, and sandalwood.
• The rich vegetation features a variety of trees, shrubs, and creepers, creating a multilayered habitat.
• Common animals in these areas include elephants, monkeys, and lemurs.

Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests

• Deciduous forests are found in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and lower Himalayas.
• They receive 100 to 200 cm of rainfall each year.
• The main tree species is teak, but others include deodar, blue gum, palash, sal, sandalwood, ebony, arjun, khair, and bamboo.
• Trees in these forests shed their leaves during the dry winter and summer.
• The forests are divided into moist and dry deciduous types based on water availability.

Dry Deciduous Forests

• Trees in dry deciduous forests lose their leaves during the dry season to save water and grow new ones in the rainy season.
•  These forests are found in areas with a clear dry season and get less rainfall than moist deciduous forests.
•  The canopy is uneven but mostly closed, featuring common species like teak, sal, and bamboo.
•  These forests are home to various animals, including herbivores like deer and elephants, and predators like tigers and leopards.
•  The soil is usually nutrient-rich, supporting a wide range of plant species.

Mountain Forests/Montane Forests

• Mountains feature forests known as montane forests, which vary significantly along their slopes.
•  Evergreen trees like sal, teak, and bamboo thrive up to 1,500 meters on the Himalayan foothills.
• On steeper slopes, temperate conifer trees such as pine, fir, and oak grow well.
• Rhododendrons and junipers are found at higher elevations in the Himalayas.
• Above these vegetative zones, alpine grasslands extend up to the snowfields.

Tidal or Mangrove Forests

• Mangrove or tidal forests grow along coastlines and river deltas, like those of the Cauvery, Krishna, Mahanadi, Godavari, and Ganga rivers.
• In West Bengal, these forests are known as the “Sundarbans.”
• The largest tree in these forests is the “Sundari,” along with other important species like hogla, garan, and pasur.
•  These forests are valuable for the forestry industry because they provide firewood and lumber.
• The coastal area is enhanced by palm and coconut trees, adding to its beauty.

Semi-deserts and Deserts Vegetations

• This area gets less than 50 cm of rainfall each year.
• Vegetation includes babul, acacia, and thorny plants.
• Indian wild dates grow here, known for their dense fruit and extensive roots.
• These plants store water in their stems to survive drought.
• This type of vegetation is commonly found in Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan.

Natural Vegetative Propagation: Plant propagation is the process of increasing the population of a specific plant species. This can occur through sexual or asexual reproduction. Horticulturists have developed asexual methods that use parts of the plant, like stems, roots, or leaves, to grow new plants. This is known as vegetative propagation, where a single parent plant can produce new plants under the right conditions.

Examples of Natural Vegetative Reproduction

• Plants like tulips, daffodils, onions, and hyacinths reproduce through bulbs. A bulb has a flattened stem called the basal plate, from which roots grow all around. The top connects to the leaves, and the node (where leaves attach) contains buds that can grow into new bulbs.
• Gladiolus and crocus have corms instead of bulbs. A corm is similar to a basal plate but doesn’t have leaf bases. Roots grow from the edges and bottom, while new shoots develop from the top. Each year, a new corm forms.
• Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes grow from tubers. These tubers develop from swollen rhizomes, which are underground stems that spread out from the parent plant in late summer.
• Strawberries create above-ground shoots called stolons. These shoots have few leaves and develop small plantlets at their tips. When the stolon bends down and touches the ground, roots form and anchor the new plant.

Conservation of Natural Vegetation in India

• Creation of biosphere reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, and national parks to preserve the area’s native flora and fauna.
• To prevent the depletion of valuable resources, it is necessary to promote the conservation of creeks, lakes, and wetlands.
• At the provincial and local levels, mindfulness initiatives like Vanamahotsava and the Social Ranger Service need to be reenergized.
• Since 1992, financial and technological help has been provided to numerous botanical gardens.
• Several initiatives have been made to preserve the nation’s wildlife, including Project Rhino and Project Great Indian Bustard.
• To support the government’s conservation efforts, 18 Biosphere reserves have been established in the nation..

Distribution of Natural Vegetation in India

In places that get a lot of rain, more than 200 cm each year and have a short dry season tropical rainforests grow. You can find these forests in the Western Ghats, the islands of Lakshadweep, Andaman, and Nicobar, the hilly areas of Assam, and along the coast of Tamil Nadu.

Factors Affecting Natural Vegetation of India

In accordance with physical, geographic, climatic, and ecological factors, there are various types of forests, including deciduous forests, which are primarily composed of deciduous tree species and have leaves throughout the year, and evergreen forests, which are primarily composed of tree species that have leaves throughout the year (mainly composed of deciduous tree species i.e. species which lose their leaves during particular months of the year). Each type of forest sustains a particular population of organisms that have adapted to live there. The kingdom of flora and fauna is incredibly diverse as a result of the following factors:

Land

The characteristics of the land have an impact on the natural vegetation both directly and indirectly. For example, the vegetation varies between plateaus and plains and mountainous areas. While the undulating and uneven terrains are where grassland and woodlands develop, giving a habitat for a variety of wildlife, the rich ground is typically used for agriculture.

Soil

Different types of soil support different plants. For example, mangroves and delta plants thrive in moist, swampy soils, while cacti and prickly bushes grow well in sandy desert soils. On steep slopes with some soil, conical trees can flourish.

Altitude

Just like how plant types change as you move to higher latitudes, they also change as you go up in elevation. The main idea is that “altitude reflects latitude.” This means that the climate and natural vegetation at different heights are similar to those found at different latitudes.

Temperature

Along with air and soil humidity, precipitation, and temperature, vegetation in a region is determined by its kind and extent. Temperature has an impact on the kind, growth, and character of vegetation since colder climates result from temperature declines or height rises. The varieties of vegetation and their growth, for example, are impacted by the drop in temperature on the Himalayan slopes and the hills of the peninsula over a height of 915 m. The vegetation ranges from tropical to subtropical temperate to alpine here on the Himalayan slope.

Photoperiod (Sunlight)

It is described as the fluctuation in the length and intensity of the sun’s rays at various locations. The latitude, altitude, season, and length of the day all contribute to this variance in sunshine. For example, the extended duration of sunshine throughout the summer causes a high rate of plant and tree growth. The Southern Himalayas contains thicker vegetation than the Northern sides due to the longer period of sunshine.

Precipitation

In India, the South-West monsoon, which is currently progressing, brings nearly the entire rainfall season (June to September). In comparison to other places with less rainfall, areas with strong rainfall always have greater vegetation. For example due to the southwest monsoon rains, monsoon rains promote a high growth of tropical evergreen forests on the western slopes of the Western Ghats, but the eastern slopes do not have dense woods.

Importance of Natural Vegetation in India

India is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, with over 48000 plant species, ranking in the top twelve globally. It has about 15000 flowering plant species making up around 6% of the world total, and ranks ninth in the world and fourth in Asia. India also hosts many non-flowering plants like ferns, algae, and fungi, along with 89000 animal species, including aquatic ones. Natural vegetation provides many benefits without human help. Forests help maintain the water cycle and reduce soil erosion, which helps combat climate change. Environmental changes can harm humans, animals, and plants. In India, natural vegetation covers more than 2 billion acres, about 4% of the country’s land.

In comparison, only 25% of U.S. forests are considered natural while 50% are cultivated. Vegetation includes all types of plant communities, both natural and artificial. Forests provide essential goods like wood, fruits, vegetables, and flowers, making life easier for people. The type of vegetation in an area is influenced by various factors, with climate being a major one.

• Temperature
• Type of Soil
• Precipitation
• The Photoperiod
• Land area

Need of Natural Vegetation of India

• We receive both oxygen and precipitation from forests.
• The presence of woods reduces soil erosion.
• Animals and birds are both used by plants for pollination and seed dissemination.
• We can find a variety of medications in forests.
• A range of forest products are used as raw materials in many industries.
• In the natural world, they are a constant.
• These wildlife communities support the maintenance of ecological harmony.
• Some species of animals are no longer alive, and others are in danger of going extinct.
• It is important to protect creatures that are in danger.
• Animals and humans both have the right to live on our earth.

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