 Tropical Rainforests  Tropical Deciduous Forests  Torn Forest & Desert Vegetation  Mangrove Forest  Mountain Vegetation

 They are found in warm & wet regions with an annual rainfall of more than 250 cm.  The trees are very tall & form a canopy at the top allowing very little light to reach the ground.  The different species of trees shed their leaves at different periods of a year, which is responsible for the permanent green cover in these forests.  Therefore they are also called Evergreen forest.

 They are found in western slopes of Western Ghats, Assam, Meghalaya, parts of West Bengal, Odisha and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  The major species found here includes Ebony, Mahogany, Rosewood, Jamun and Chinchona.

 They occur in the regions experiencing cm annual rainfall.  Deciduous trees have a definite leaf shedding period spread over 6-8 weeks each year.  However, the forests are never completely bare as different species shed their leaves at different times.  These forests are of two types: Moist Deciduous ( cm annual rainfall) & Dry Deciduous ( cm annual rainfall).

 These forests are found in the eastern slopes of Western Ghats, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh.  Major species found here are Teek, Sal, Sandalwood, Pipal, Neem, Shisham etc.

 They occur in the regions receiving less than 70 cm annual rainfall.  They are also known as desert vegetation.  They have needle like leaves, while some plants have leaves in the form of spines to prevent loss of water.  These forests are found in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, parts of Madhya Pradesh & central rocky regions of Deccan Plateau.  Major species of plants here are Cactus, Khair, Keekar, Babul, Ber, Date palms & Dhak.

 Mangrove forests can survive in both saline & fresh water.  They are found along the tidal belts of deltas.  So, they are also known as tidal forests.  They are found in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu, near Chilka in Odisha and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.  The Sundari tree is the most common species in the mangrove forests of Sundarbans.

 Lofty mountains like the Himalayas house different types of vegetation depending on the altitude.  On the lower reaches of the Himalayas, we come across rainforests & deciduous forests.  Between 1500 & 2000 m, we find coniferous forests.  Above 3000 m, alpine grasslands occur.  Vegetation starts decreasing drastically beyond this level & at 4000m only mosses & lichens are found.

 Trees inhale carbon dioxide & exhale oxygen.  Forests provide habitats for wild animals.  Trees moderate the temperature of a place.  Trees hold the soil firmly together & prevent soil erosion.  They enable percolation of water into the ground.  Forests help to bring about ecological balance.  They provide forest products like timber, fuel, wood, gum, honey, medicinal herbs, fruits & nuts, etc.

 The elephant is found in the forests of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh & the North-East States.  Camel, most of which have now been domesticated, are found in the Thar desert of Rajasthan

 Wild asses are found in the marshy Rann of Kutchch in Gujarat.  Tigers are mainly found in the wildlife reserves created by government like Ranthambor National Park of Rajasthan & Kanha National Park of Madhya Pradesh.

 One-horned rhinoceroses are found in the Kaziranga National Park.  Blackbuck, spotted deer & nilgais are found in various forests of peninsular India, and in the wildlife sanctuaries of Rajasthan & U.P.

 Lions are found in Gir National Park of Gujarat.  Wild goats, yak, snow leopard and chiru. Are found in Leh & Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir.

 Brown & black bears are found in the Himalayan ranges, while sloth bear is found all over peninsular India.