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 ecological or ecosystem diversity of the nation is immense, spanning from sea level to the tallest mountain ranges in the world; hot and arid conditions in the northwest to cold, arid conditions in the trans-Himalayan region; tropical wet evergreen forests in Northeast India and the Western Ghats; mangroves in the Sundarbans; and freshwater aquatic to marine ecosystems.

India ranked 10th in the world and fourth in Asia for plant diversity, with approximately 47,000 plant species. In addition to non-flowering plants including ferns, algae, and fungi, India is home to 6% of the world’s blooming plants. India boasts a total of 80,000 animal species in its fresh and marine waters, in addition to a wide range of fish.

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

• Although orchards are not naturally occurring vegetation, they do contain grown fruits and vegetables.
• Endemism: indigenous plant unique to India. For instance, the plant Nepenthes Khasiana is native only to India. It is the only variety of pitcher plant native to our nation.
• Exotic species are those that have migrated from elsewhere. Example: Giant Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) and Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) can be seen in the backwaters of the Kuttanad region in Kerala..

Types of Natural Vegetation in India

Here’s the List of are five types of Natural Vegetation in India:

Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests

Areas with more than 200 cm of precipitation are home to tropical evergreen rain forests. The Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, the Western Ghats, the Tarai districts of the Himalayas, and the Andaman groups of Islands are where they can be found in considerable numbers. They can also be found in the Khasi and Jaintia hills. The trees in this area are growing rapidly. The predominant trees in this region include bamboo, rosewood, garjan, mahogany, and sandalwood. Its abundant vegetation, which includes trees, shrubs, and creepers of all kinds, gives it a multilayered structure. The most prevalent animals in these regions include elephants, monkeys, and lemurs.

Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests

The deciduous woods can be found in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and the surrounding regions, as well as on the lower slope of the Himalayas. This region receives between 100 cm and 200 cm of precipitation annually. The area’s predominant species is teak. Deodar, Blue Gum, Pal Ash, Sal, Sandalwood, Ebony, Arjun, Khair, and Bamboo can also be spotted in addition to those. Both the dry winter and dry summer cause the trees in this woodland to lose their leaves. Once more, these forests are separated into moist and dry deciduous based on the availability of water.

Dry Deciduous Forests

These forests thrive where there is 50 to 100 cm of annual precipitation. These are primarily found in the South-east of Rajasthan, the Central Deccan plateau, Punjab, Haryana, some of Uttar Pradesh, and sections of Madhya Pradesh.

Mountain Forests/Montane Forests

Mountains are home to woods known as montane. Along the mountainside, mountain forest types vary greatly. Up to a height of 1500 metres, evergreen trees like sal, teak, and bamboo flourish on the Himalayan foothills. Temperate conifer trees, including pine, fir, and oak, flourish on the steeper slope. Rhododendrons and junipers grow in the Himalayas’ higher elevations. Alpine grasslands develop after these vegetative zones, continuing till the snowfield.

Tidal or Mangrove Forests

Mangrove or tidal forests develop along the coast and at the borders of deltas, such as those formed by the Cauvery, Krishna, Mahanadi, Godavari, and Ganga rivers. These forests are referred to as “Sundarbans” in West Bengal. The largest tree in these woodlands is called the “Sundari.” Hogla, Garan, Pasur, and other significant trees can be found in the tidal woods. Because it provides firewood and lumber, this forest is significant to the forestry industry. The seaside strip is made beautiful by palm and coconut trees.

Semi-deserts and Deserts Vegetations

Less than 50 cm of rain fall in this area per year. Babul, acacia, and thorny plants can all be found in this area of vegetation. This is typically where you may find Indian wild dates. They have meat that is dense and extensive roots. In order to survive the drought, the plants in this area store water in their stems. Certain regions of Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan have this vegetation.

Natural Vegetative Propagation

Less than 50 cm of rain fall in this area per year. Babul, acacia, and thorny plants can all be found in this area of vegetation. This is typically where you may find Indian wild dates. They have meat that is dense and extensive roots. In order to survive the drought, the plants in this area store water in their stems. Certain regions of Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan have this vegetation.

Increasing the population of a particular species or cultivar of plant is done through plant propagation. Reproduction is both sexual and asexual. Over time, horticulturists have developed asexual propagation techniques that make use of vegetative plant parts. This enables the creation of plants in ways that are not possible in nature. Vegetative propagation is a method of plant reproduction in which, in the right circumstances, a vegetative portion, such as a stem, root, or set of leaves, develops into a new plant. It is also categorised as asexual reproduction because just one parent is involved.

Examples of Natural Vegetative Reproduction

• The vegetative propagation unit for plants like tulips, daffodils, onions, and hyacinths is the bulb. The stem is reduced to a disc, called the basal plate, from which roots protrude all the way around. The top surface of the stem and the bases of the leaves are connected. The node (where the leaves attach) contains axillary buds that may later develop into new bulbs.
• The interior of gladiolus and crocus “bulbs” is not at all like that of onions. These plants have corms. The corm is basically a basal plate when the leaf bases are absent. The corm’s edge and convex (bottom) surface both continue to see root growth. The shoot system’s apical and axillary buds emerge from the top surface, which is almost concave. The following year, each of them will grow a fresh corm.
• Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) both contain tubers. Rhizomes, or underground stems without leaves, break through the deeper soil layers surrounding the parent plant’s base in the late summer. The rhizome tips swell in the fall, producing a bloated structure known as a tuber.
• Strawberries form an above-ground branch (shoot) with few leaves. These nearly leafless branches are called stolons. The tip’s crown develops into a little plantlet (apical bud). The end of the stolon is weighed down by this swelling crown. As a result of the horizontal position, auxin builds up as the crown bends the stolon downward and roots start to form. The roots pierce the earth when it touches it, anchoring the crown.

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 regions with high rainfall—those with an annual rainfall of above 200 cm and a brief dry season—forests are grown. Tropical Rainforests are another name for them. The Western Ghats, the island groups of Lakshadweep, Andaman, and Nicobar, the higher reaches of Assam, and the coasts of Tamil Nadu are where these woods can be found.

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 instance, 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

As different types of soil support various vegetation types, the soil component varies from location to location. Different types of plants grow in various types of soil. While mangroves and deltaic vegetation flourish in the moist, swampy soils of the delta, cactus and prickly bushes do well in the sandy soils of the desert. On steep slopes with some soil depth, conical trees flourish.

Altitude

Similar to what is seen as latitude increases, the distribution of flora increases as elevation does. The basic rule is that “altitude mirrors latitude,” and there is a significant relationship between latitudinal and altitudinal climate zona as well as natural vegetation.

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 instance, 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 instance, the extended duration of sunshine throughout the summer causes a high rate of plant and tree growth. The Southern Himalayas feature 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 instance, 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

When it comes to plant diversity, which includes over 48,000 different species, India is home to the world’s mega biodiversity, which is also among the top twelve countries. The country has more than 15,000 species or about 6% of the total number of flowering plants in the world, and is ranked ninth in the world and fourth in Asia. India is home to an abundance of non-flowering plants, such as ferns, algae, and fungi. Additionally, there are 89,000 different species of animals, including aquatic ones.

Without any human intervention, the plants and trees that develop in a certain location have various advantages. In order to maintain the water cycle for people and other creatures, forests cut a variety of plants from the planet. By limiting soil erosion, forests also slow down the entire process of climatic change. As you are aware, environmental changes can seriously harm not only us humans but also animals and vegetation. More over 2 billion acres, or around 4% of the total area of the country, have been estimated to be covered by natural vegetation in India.

In contrast, just 25% of all woods in the United States are classified as “natural,” with the remaining 50% being “cultivated.” The term “vegetation” refers to all different kinds of plant communities, including artificial vegetation. Because of the numerous advantages of the vegetation, which includes the provision of basic goods like wood, fruits, vegetables, perfumes, flowers, and essential oils, the woods assist mankind in making their lives easier. The natural vegetation and soil of each location are influenced by a variety of elements, and the region’s climate has a significant impact on the vegetation in the area.

• 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.

Natural Vegetation of India FAQs

Q What are the five vegetation of India?

Ans. Five Vegetation of India are :

• Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests,
• Deciduous or Monsoon Type of Forests,
• Dry Deciduous Forests and Scrubs,
• Semi Desert and Desert Vegetation,
• Tidal or Mangrove Forests
• Mountain Forests.

Q How many types of natural vegetation are found in India?

Ans. There are five major types of natural vegetation found in India- Tropical Evergreen, Deciduous, Dry Deciduous, Desert, Tidal and Mountain Forests.

Q What is the natural vegetation?

Ans. Natural vegetation refers to a plant community, which has grown naturally without human aid and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time. This is termed as a virgin vegetation. Thus, cultivated crops and fruits, orchards form part of vegetation but not natural vegetation

Q What are the 5 types of natural vegetation?

Ans. Vegetation regions can be divided into five major types: forest, grassland, tundra, desert, and ice sheet.

Q What is the importance of natural vegetation for India?

Ans. Vegetation releases oxygen and sequesters carbon. Vegetation affects soil development over time, generally contributing to a more productive soil. Vegetation provides wildlife habitat and food.

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