Introduction

Forests in India exhibit remarkable geographical diversity, ranging from the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats to the alpine vegetation of the Himalayas. They have played a vital role in the nation’s history, supporting ancient civilizations and cultural practices. These forests are home to an array of flora and fauna, contributing significantly to biodiversity. Iconic sites like Sundarbans and Jim Corbett National Park attract tourists worldwide, showcasing their ecological and aesthetic value. Forests also serve as vital resources for livelihoods, climate regulation, and conservation, highlighting their enduring importance to India’s natural heritage and global environmental significance.

Indian Forests

Forests in India have always been one of the richest resources. Indian forests are ancient in nature and composition.  The first foresters in India were highly influenced by forest management in Germany.

History of Indian Forests

History of Indian Forests reveals a constant process of exploitation and preservation. The history of Indian forests is rather intimately associated with the political history of the state. The earliest indication of forestry administration in India is found in 300 BC.

Ministry of Environment and Forests

Ministry of Environment and Forests is an Indian Ministry functioning as part of the Indian administrative system. It is responsible for making and implementing policies and programs for the preservation and improvement of the environment and forests.

Distribution of Forests in India

Distribution of forests in India is such that 22.09 percent of its biographical area is under forests. The concentration of forests is the highest in Central and Eastern India. Variation among States is wide.

Forests in Northern India

Forests in Northern India are the ones which regionally fall within the ambit of the northern side of India. Himalayan Subtropical Broadleaf Forests in India are the chief Forests in Northern India.

Forests in Southern India

Forests in Southern India speak in volume about the remnants of the southern forest topography, terrain, climate, vegetation portraying the natural diversity. These forests have the ability to stay green during the long dry season.

Forests in Eastern India

Forests in Eastern India have the essence of a distinct identity, not only because of its geography, history and culture but also because of the great diversity of its natural ecosystems. These forests are based in the Eastern Ghats Mountain Range in India.

Forests in West India

Forest Vegetation in West India is mostly defined by the tropical thorn forests and tropical dry deciduous forests. The desert dune scrub vegetation consisting of stunted trees and thorny bushes is found in Rajasthan and Haryana.

Rain Forests of India

Rainforests of India are mainly located in the north-eastern state of Assam. They are also found in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Western Ghats. These forests are getting rapidly depleted and immediate steps need to be taken conserve the rain forests of India.

Reserved Forests in India

Reserve forests in India are considered as rich source of flora and fauna, which helps in maintaining biological balance in the environment. Typically, reserved forests in India enjoy a considerable higher degree of protection.

Western Himalayan Broadleaf Forests

Western Himalayan broadleaf forests are characterized by the broad leaves in herbs and shrubs. This forest is found in the temperate region of Western Himalayas covering the three countries- Nepal. India and Pakistan.

Western Himalayan Sub-Alpine Conifer Forests

Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests are temperate coniferous forest eco-region of the middle and upper elevations of the western Middle Himalayas. The middle Himalayas covers the countries like Nepal, India and Pakistan.

Temperate Deciduous Forests

Temperate Deciduous Forests extends across the Indian states of Bihar, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh. During the winter months the trees shed their leaves. In the autumn the leaves change colour.

Deccan Thorn Scrub Forests in India

Deccan Thorn scrub forests in India are home to numerous flora and fauna species. The region is spread across the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra and parts of northern Sri Lanka.

Himalayan Subtropical Pine Forests

Himalayan Subtropical Pine Forests are renowned for being the largest in the whole of the Indo - Pacific areas. It comprises of "subtropical coniferous forest eco region". It covers areas of India and also other countries like Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Mountain Forests in India

Mostly located in the Himalayas, the mountain forests in India play an important role in India’s natural vegetation. The Indian states, which fall under this region, are Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

Indian Temperate Coniferous Forests

Indian temperate coniferous forests are an integral part of the natural vegetation in India. These forests are actually a planetary major biotic community that is characterized by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing climate.

Upper Gangetic Plains Moist Deciduous Forests in India

Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests in India lie on the alluvial plain of the Asia`s largest river, Ganges and also Yamuna, and cover a huge area of 263,100 square kilometers.

Central Deccan Plateau Dry Deciduous Forests in India

Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests in India are an integral part of the Deccan Plateau that is a large triangular plateau, situated in southern India. The forests together form a Tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion.

Forests of Madhya Pradesh

Forests of Madhya Pradesh constitute around 31 percent of the total geographical area of the state and near about 12.44 percent of the forest area of India. This area has been classified into 'Reserved Forest', 'Protected Forest' and 'Unclassified Forest'.

Chottanagpur Dry Deciduous Forests in India

Chhota-Nagpur dry deciduous forests in India extend across the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. The forests are home to large populations of Asia`s largest predator and largest herbivore, the Tiger and the Asian Elephant.

Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forests in India

Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests in India are outstandingly rich in number of species and endemism.  The ecoregion is considered as a biodiversity hotspot for the species like Rhododendrons and Oaks.

Northwestern Thorn Scrub Forests in India

Northwestern Thorn scrub forests in India spread across the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu.  Northwestern Thorn scrub forests in India form an ecoregion that represents a large expanse of degraded dry forest surrounding the Thar Desert.

Eastern Highlands Moist Deciduous Forests

Located in east central India, the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist region. The characteristics of these forests are that the leaf of the trees here are broad in shape.

East Deccan Dry Evergreen Forests

East Deccan dry evergreen forests are an ecoregion of southeastern India. It covers the eastern part of Tamil Nadu and southeastern part of Andhra Pradesh. It lies in the rain shadow region of the Western and Eastern Ghats.

Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago Tropical Moist Forests

Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forest is located in the region of Indian Ocean with the broad wood leaves like Scaevola and Argusia. In this region of the Indian Ocean, many thin ring-shaped atolls stand out against Blue Ocean.

Andaman Islands Rain Forests

Andaman Islands rain forests are one of the best ones among all the eco-regions in India. The Islands are located between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.  The monsoon forests in the Andaman Islands are characterised by shade trees called padauk and the Terminalia genus of trees.

Indian Dry Deciduous Forests

Indian dry deciduous forests are actually a type of the Indian deciduous or monsoon forests and they are mainly found in both Northern India and in south Deccan plateau in India.

Indian Tropical Rain Forests

The Tropical Rain Forests are a kind of forest which are found in areas with a regular and no more than two months of low rainfall. It consists of canopy of trees which is completely closed preventing penetration of sunlight for discouraging ground cover growth.

Brahmaputra Valley Semi-Evergreen Rain Forests in India

Brahmaputra Valley Semi-Evergreen Rain Forests are an integral part of India`s ecosystem. These forests were historically considered as some of the most productive areas in the Indian Subcontinent bioregion.

Forests of Arunachal Pradesh

Forest of Arunachal Pradesh is categorized into six categories. They are the Tropical forests, subtropical forests; pine forests, temperate forests, alpine forests and lastly the bamboo forests and grasslands.

Himalayan Subtropical Broadleaf Forests in India

Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests in India are quite rich in biodiversity. The forest types include the Dodonea scrub, the subtropical dry evergreen forests of Olea cuspidata, the northern dry mixed deciduous forests, etc.

Semi-Evergreen Forests in Odisha

Located on the coastal plain of the Indian state of Odisha, the Odisha semi-evergreen forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of eastern India. The total area of the ecoregion is 22,300 square kilometers.

South Western Ghats Moist Deciduous Forests in India

South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests in India have one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems. The forests are located between 250- and 1000-meters elevation and they create an ecoregion covering an area of 23,800 square kilometers.

Sundarbans Freshwater Swamp Forests in India

Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests, is considered to be one of the most endangered and endemic ecoregions in India, as it is nearly extinct, at present. The main reason behind this has been hundreds of years of habitation and exploitation.

Kathiawar-Gir Dry Deciduous Forests in India

Located in the western India, Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests in India are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion. The main part of the ecoregion comprises the Aravalli Range and the eastern half of Rajasthan, eastern Gujarat and the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.

Narmada Valley Dry Deciduous Forests in India

Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests in India are mainly located along the Narmada River Valley. The forests are also located along the flanking Vindhya Mountain Range and the western part of the Satpura Mountain Range in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Northern Dry Deciduous Forests in India

Northern dry deciduous forests in India are located in the east-central part of India and cover an area of 58,300 sq. kilometers. They form a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion that extends across Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

South Deccan Plateau Dry Deciduous Forests in India

South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests in India are located adjacent to the moist deciduous forests that lie along the foothills of the southern extent of the Western Ghats Mountains.

Northeast India-Myanmar Pine Forests

Northeast India-Myanmar Pine forests are located in the northeastern part of India and in the adjacent portions of Burma (Myanmar). The forests form an ecoregion that covers a huge area of 9700 square kilometres.

Forests in Western Ghats Mountain Range in India

Forests in Western Ghats Mountain Range in India are divided into four main eco space categories. These forests are now the tourist attractions. It is also the house of many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Forests in Eastern Ghats Mountain Range in India

Forests in Eastern Ghats Mountain Range in India are located in the Indian states like West Bengal (Southern portion only), Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The eco region covers an area of 25,500 square kilometers.

South Western Ghats Montane Rain Forests in India

South Western Ghats montane rain forests are an ecoregion of southern India. The forests are situated at elevations over 1000 meters and are cooler and wetter than the lower-elevation South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests.