KERALA

Geographic Area 38,863 km2 (1.2% of country) Recorded Forest Area

Population 31.84 million (3.1% of country) Reserved Forest (RF): 11098 km2
Urban 8.26 million ( 26%) Protected Forest (PF): 170 km2
Rural 23.57 million (74%) Unclassed Forest (UF): 0 km2
Average Population Density 819 persons per km2 Total: 11,268 km2
Tribal Population 1.10%
Livestock Population 5.8 million (1.2% of country) Of State’s Geographic Area 28.99%
No.of Districts 14 Of Country’s Forest Area 1.45%
No. of Hill Districts 10
No. of Tribal Districts 9

Forest Cover Forest Cover Very Dense

Forest (VDF):
Very Dense Forest (VDF): 334 km2 0.9%
Moderate Dense Forest (MDF): 9,294 km2
Open Forest: 5,949 km2 Moderate Dense
Forest (MDF):
Total: 15,577 km2 Non-Forest
59.9% 23.9%
Of State’s Geographic Area: 40.08%
Of Country’s Forest Cover: 0.47%
Open Forest:
15.3%

Tree Cover Forest & Tree Cover

2
Culturable Non-Forest Area: 21,922 km Total Forest & Tree Cover: 17,480 km2
No. of trees per ha of CNFA: 13.6 Of State’s Geographic Area: 44.98%
Tree Cover: 1,903 km2 Of Country’s Forest & Tree Cover: 2.25%
Of State’s Geographic Area: 4.90% Per capita Forest & Tree Cover: 0.05 ha
Of CNFA: 8.68%
Fig. 7.14
Table 7.14a : District-wise Forest Cover (Kerala)

Number of Districts: 14 (Area in km2)

District Geographic Forest Cover Percent Change
Area Very Moderate Open Total
Dense Dense Forest Forest
Alappuzha 1,414 0 4 17 21 1.49 19
ErnakulamTH 2,407 5 228 232 465 19.32 -96
IdukkiTH 5,019 37 2,442 1,240 3,719 74.10 -7
KannurTH 2,966 36 424 293 753 25.39 -2
Kasaragod TH 1,992 0 265 306 571 28.66 6
Kottayam 2,203 0 185 110 295 13.39 67
KozhikodeH 2,344 56 346 229 631 26.92 -24
MalapuramTH 3,550 69 494 650 1,213 34.17 -142
PalakkadTH 4,480 55 823 693 1,571 35.07 110
Pathanamthitta 2,642 0 1,172 371 1,543 58.40 77
Quilon 2,491 23 640 548 1,211 48.62 -26
(Kollam) TH
Thiruvanthapur 2,192 21 421 547 989 45.12 -5
amTH
Thrissur 3,032 19 505 394 918 30.28 25
WaynadTH 2,131 13 1,345 319 1,677 78.70 15
Total 38,863 334 9,294 5,949 15,577 40.08 17

Table 7.14b : Forest cover change matrix of Kerala

2001 2003 Assessment Total 2001

Assessment Dense forest Open forest Scrub Non-forest
Dense forest 7927 2792 2 1051 11772
Open forest 1019 2542 11 216 3788
Scrub 2 18 50 1 71
Non-forest 680 597 9 21946 23232
Total 2003 9628 5949 72 23214 38863
Net change -2144 2161 1 -18