Type of Forest

Specific
divisions

Locations

Species

Regional Features

Notable Characteristics

Tropical Evergreen
and Semi Evergreen
Forests

Evergreen

Western slope of western ghats

Hills of north eastern region
Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Rosewood,
Mahogony,
Aini, Ebony

Warm and humid areas with

mean annual temp- above 22 deg
annual precipitation of over 200
cm.

well stratified with layers closer to

ground
covered with shrubs and creepers
short structured trees and tall variety
trees (60m & above)
No definite time for leaf shedding,
flowering, fruition

Semi
Evergreen

less rainy parts of above said regions

White cedar,
hollock and
kail

Tropical Deciduous
Forests
(

Tropical Thorn Forests

a mixture of evergreen and moist

deciduous trees
undergrowing climbers - provide
evergreen character
rainfall between 70-200 cm

most widespread forest in India

also called monsoon forests

moist
deciduous
forest

North eastern states - along

foothills of himalayas
eastern slopes of Western Ghats
Odisha

Teak, Sal,
Shisham,
Hurra,
Mahua,
Amla, Semul,
Kusum,
Sandalwood

rainfall between 100-200 cm

dry deciduous
forests

Rainer areas of peninsula

plains of Uttar Pradesh
Bihar

Tendu,
Palas,
Amaltas, Bel,
Khair,
Axlewood.

rainfall between 70-100 cm

covers vast areas of the country

wetter margins transition to
moist deciduous forest
drier margins transition to thorn
forests
Dry season shed their leaves
completely appears like vast
grassland with naked trees.

Semi-arid regions of
south west punjab, Haryana,
Rajastan, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh

Babool, Ber,
Khair, Neem,
Khejri, Palas,
Wild date
palm

rainfall less than 50 cm.

1. Plants remain leafless for most part

of the year and give an expression of
scrub vegetation.
2. Tussocky grass grows upto a
height of 2m as the under growth.

Montane Forests
(
)

Mountainous areas decrease in

temperature with increase in altitude
-- change in natural vegetation.
Northern
mountain
forests

Southern
mountain
forests

The Himalayan ranges show a

succession of vegetation from the
tropical to the tundra, which change
in with the altitude.

3 distinct areas of peninsular India - Western Ghats

Vindhyas
Nilgiris
Also found in Satpura and Maikal
Ranges also.

Littoral ()
and Swamp (
Forests

Chilka Lake (Orissa) and Keoladeo

National Park (Bharatpur) protected
as water-fowl habitats Convention of
Wetlands of International Importance.

Magnolia,
Laurel,
Cinchona
(
), Wattle

Foothills deciduous forests

1000 - 2000m
wet temperate type forests
1500-2000 - pine forests

Closer to tropics, only 1500m above

sea level
vegetation temperate in higher
regions
subtropical lower regions of
western Ghats, especially in KL, TN,
KA.
rich variety of wetland habitats 70%
under paddy cultivation.