The rich spectrum of Indian forests

SAIKAT K BASU

India is one of the 17 mega Biodiversity regions of the world. Indian forests support a variety of ecosystems with diverse flora and fauna.  Some famous and important forests of India are Jim Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Keibul Lamjao National Park, and Kukrail Reserve Forest. As per the India’s total forest cover is 7, 15,343sq km, which is 21.76% of the country’s geographical area. It was found that the total contribution of forests in the economy of India from timber industry to the tourism industry was 1.13% of the GDP. It also helps to maintain a good ecosystem in India and prevent soil erosion. For better understanding we have to first understand that what forests are.

A forest is a complex ecological system in which trees are the dominant life-form. A forest is nature’s most efficient ecosystem, with a high rate of photosynthesis affecting both plant and animal systems in a series of complex organic relationships. Also it is the largest terrestrial Ecosystems of earth by area. The forest is divided into six basic layers, namely the emergent, canopy, understory, shrub layer, herb layer and forest floor. Now day’s forests serve as the natural home for many animals. Forests account for 75% of the gross primary production of the Earth’s biosphere, also contains 80% of the earth’s plant Biomass, also plays a crucial role in Water Cycle Regulation. It is also a treasure of medicinal plants.

In India, forests are primarily categorized into five major groups based on climate, Rain fall and typical vegetation, like Tropical evergreen forests growing in areas with average annual precipitation of 200 cm and above, Tropical Deciduos forests growing in regions with annual precipitation between 70-200 cm, Tropical Thorn forests occur in regions with less than 70 cm of average annual precipitation and  montane or mountain forests where precipitation rates change according to the altitude. 

The highest forest area in India is covered by Tropical Deciduous forests (Monsoon forest).  They are highly found in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand and in parts of Maharashtra. The distribution of natural forests in India is governed principally by rain fall which may vary from 12cm to 125cm annually in different parts of the forests.  Top three states showing maximum increase in forest cover are Mizoram (242km), followed by Gujarat (180 sq. km) and Odisha (152 sq. km). area wise top three states having largest forest and tree cover are Madhya Pradesh (85,724 sq. km) followed by Arunachal Pradesh (67,083 sq. km) and Maharashtra (65,383 sq. km).

There is a wide variety of animals and plants found in India. The common animals found in these forests are elephant, monkeys and deer.  One- horned rhinoceroses are found in the jungles of Assam and West Bengal. Besides these animals, plenty of birds, bats, sloth, scorpions and snails are also found in these jungles. These are most widespread forests of India. Also India is contains the 7% of the total plant species of the world. 

Some common Indian wildlife are Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris),  Asiatic lion (Panthera leo perisica), Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus), Snow leopard (Panthera unica), One-horned Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicorns), Dhole (Cuon alpinus), Sloth bear or Black bear (Melursus ursinus), Lion tailed macaquae (Aliurus fulgens), Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) to mention only a handful. Some well known forest plant species include Banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Sandalwood (Santalum album), Palash (Butea monosperma), and several hundred species of rare and endangered medicinal plants. 

The Sundarban Mangrove forest is one of the largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is adjacent to the border of India’s SundarbanWorld Heritage Site inscribed in 1987. The Site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mud-flats and small Islands of salt tolerant Mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological process. This area is known for its wide range of fauna  including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. The Sundarban Reserve Forest(SRF) – The largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world, is located in the south- west Bangladesh between the river Baleshwar in the East and Harinbanga in the West, adjoining the Bay of Bengal. 

Sundarban lies between latitude 21° 27’ 30’’ and 22° 30’ 00’’N and longitude 89°02’00’’ and 90°00’00’’ E with a total area of 10,000 sq.km, 60% of this land lies in Bangladesh  and rest in India. The land area, including exposed sandbars, occupies 414,259 ha(70%) with water bodies covering 187,413ha(30%). Sundarban's exceptional biodiversity includes 334 plant species(245 genera, 75 families) 165 algae, 13 orchid species. Around 693 wildlife species are reported including 49 mammals, 59 reptiles, 8 amphibians, 210 white fishes, 24 shrimps, 14 crabs, 43 mollusks species. The avian fauna include  315 species of waterfowl, 9 kingfisher species, and the magnificent white-bellied sea Eagle. 

Indian forests are vital pillar of the country’s ecological and economic resilience, covering approximately 24.6% of its land area. They serve as nature’s lungs, absorbing millions of tons of carbon dioxide annually and supporting the livelihoods of nearly 275 million people through timber and non-timber products. However, these ecosystems face critical threats from deforestation, forest fire and climate change, making sustainable management and community-based conservation essential for securing India’s environmental future.  Types of forests found in India are Tropical Deciduous, Tropical Throne Forest, Tropical Evergreen, Montane Forests, and Mangrove etc.  India is one of the world’s 17 megadiversecountries, and home to approximately 7-8% of all recorded species globally. Its forests are huge and dense each supporting a unique variety of plants and animals.