The document discusses India's natural vegetation and wildlife. It describes various types of natural vegetation found in India, including tropical evergreen forests, tropical deciduous forests, thorn forests and scrubs, montane forests, and mangrove forests. It also discusses factors like relief, climate, and ecosystems that affect India's diversity of flora and fauna. Additionally, it provides examples of important plant and animal species found in different forest types and biome across India and conservation efforts undertaken by the government to protect natural heritage.

1. NATURAL
VEGETATION
AND WILDLIFE

2. WtfAT IS NATURAL VEGETATION?
It refers to a plant community which has
grown naturally without human aid.
When the natural vegetation are left untouched
for over long period of time is called VIRGIN
VEGETATION
Virgin vegetation
Endemic Vegetation : Plant species originated
inside the country
Exotic vegetation: Plant species originated
outside the country

3. FACTORS AFFECTING DIVERSITY IN
FLORA AND FAUNA
a. Relief
• Land
• Soil
b. Climate
• Temperature
• Photoperiod
• Precipitation
c. Ecosystem

4. RELIEF
1. Land
 It affects the natural vegetation both directly and
indirectly.
 The nature of land influence the type of vegetation.
 For, e.g. ; Fertile land is generally devoted to agriculture
and the rough terrain areas where grasslands and
woodlands develop give shelter to a variety of wildlife.
2. Soil
 Different types of soil provide a basis for different types of
vegetation.
 For, e.g. ; Sandy soils of desert support cacti and thorny
bushes whereas, wet marshy and deltaic soil supports
mangroves and deltaic vegetation. The hill slopes with
some depth of soil have conical trees

5. CLIMATE
1. Temperature
 The character and extent of vegetation are mainly
determined by temperature, humidity in air , pressure
and soil.
 An area with high temperature and high humidity
supports evergreen forest, while an area with high
temperature and low humidity supports thorny forest.
2. Photoperiod{sunlight}
 Duration of sunlight.
 It depends on latitude, altitude, season and duration of
the day.
 Trees grow faster in summer because of longer
photoperiod.

6. 3. Precipitation
 In India almost the entire rainfall is brought in by the advancing
monsoon [June to September] and retreating monsoons.
 Areas of heavy rainfall have dense vegetation as compared to other
areas of less rainfall.

7. ECOSYSTEM
 All the plants and animals in an area are interdependent and
interrelated to each other in their physical environment, thus forming an
ecosystem.
 Human beings are also an integral part of the ecosystem. They utilize the
vegetation and wildlife.
 The greed of human beings leads to over utilization of these resources.
They cut the tree and kill the animals creating economical imbalance. As
a result some plants and animals have reached the verge of extinction.
 A very large ecosystem on land having distinct types of vegetation and
animal life is called a biome. The biomes are identified on the basis of
plants.

8. ‘India’s natural vegetation has
undergone many changes due to
various factors ‘ what are they?
• The growing demand for cultivated land
• Development of industries & mining
• Urbanization
• Over-grazing of pastures.

9. IMPORTANCE OFFORESTS
 They influence climate and cause rainfall.
 They reduce soil erosion.
 They control wind force and temperature.
 They provide shelter to various animals species.
 They support a variety of industries.
 They offer panoramic or scenic view for recreation.
 The control flood.
 They purify the air.

10. Difference between Flora and Fauna?
Flora : Plants of a particular region
or period, listed by species and
considered as a group.
Fauna : Species of animals of a
given area.

11. The five principle Biomes of
the world
Listed in order of availability of soil, water and
heat,
the five principal biomes of the world are :
• Forests.
• Savanna.
• Grassland.
• Desert.
• Tundra.

12. Types of vegetation
Tropical evergreen forests
Tropical deciduous forests
Tropical thorn forests and scrubs.
Montane forests.
Mangrove forests

13. NATURAL
VEGETATION
OF INDIA

14. TROPICAL EVERGREEN FORESTS
 These forests are also called TROPICAL RAINFORESTS.
 12% of India is covered with this forest.
 These are found in the region of Western Ghats, both groups
of islands{Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands},
upper parts of Assam and some parts of the coasts of Tamil
Nadu and Odisha.
 These areas are warm and wet almost throughout the year.
 tfeight of the trees is up to 60 m and they all are creepers
and bushes.

15.  Vegetation occur in multilayered structure.
 There is no definite time for the trees to shed their leaves;
as such these forests appear green all the year round.
 Annual rainfall is 200 cm.

16. Plants found here:
EBONY
MAHOGANY
CINCHONA
ROSEWOOD
RUBBER

17. Animals found here:
DEER
SCORPIONS
LEMUR
ELEPtfANTS
SLOTtf

18. Tropical Deciduous Forests
 These cover around 64% of total forested areas of India.
 Also called MONSOON FORESTS.
 Annual rainfall : 70 cm to 200 cm
 The trees of these forests shed their leaves for about 6 to 8
weeks in dry summer.
 There are 2 types of tropical deciduous forest
1. Moist deciduous
2. Dry deciduous

19. MOIST DECIDUOUS
 The moist deciduous forests are found in areas which receive
rainfall between 100 cm and 200 cm.
 They cover about 34% of country’s forested areas.
 Such forests are found mainly in the eastern part of India;
like northeastern states, along the foothills of the tfimalayas,
Jharkhand, West Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
 They are also found on the eastern slopes of the Western
Ghats.

20. Plants found here:
ARJUN
BAMBOO
KtfAIR
KUSUM
MULBERRY
SAL
SANDALWOOD
TEAK

21. DRY DECIDUOUS
 The dry deciduous forests are found in those regions which
receive rainfall between 70 cm and 100 cm.
 They cover about 30% of the country’s forested areas.
 Such forests are found in the rainier parts of the peninsular
plateau and the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

22. FLORA AND FAUNA OF DRY DECIDUOUS FOREST:
SAL
TEAK

23. The Thorn Forests and Scrubs
 These cover around 5% of total forested area of the country.
 Thorn forests grow in those regions which receive less than
70 cm of rainfall.
 This type of vegetation is found in the north-western part of
India, e.g. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and tfaryana.
 The trees found here are scattered.
 The plants have long roots, succulent stem and small thick
leaves.
 All these characteristics have developed to minimize
evaporation and conserve moisture.

24. FLORA AND FAUNA OF THORNY FOREST
EUPHORBIA
PALM
cactus
ACACIA

25. Montane Forests
 The forests in the mountainous areas are called montane forest.
 Different types of vegetation are found at different altitudes in
the mountains.
1. The wet temperate type of forest is found between a height of 1000
and 2000 metre. Evergreen broad-leaf trees such as oak and chestnut
abound in such forests.
2. Temperate forests are found between the heights of 1500 and 3000
metre. Coniferous trees; like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce and cedar
abound in such forests.
3. Alpine vegetation are found are heights of more than 3600 metre.
 These forests are mainly found along the southern slopes of the
tfimalayas and at high altitudes in southern and north-eastern
India.

26. FLORA AND FAUNA OF MONTANE FORESTS

27. Mangrove Forests
 These are also called Tidal Forests because these are found in
coastal areas influenced by sea tides.
 Roots of the mangrove plants are submerged under water.
 tfollow roots grow out vertically above water so that roots
can breathe.
 Mangrove forests are found in the deltas of the Ganga, the
Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Godavari and the Kaveri.

28. FLORA AND FAUNA OF MANGROVE
FORESTS

29. MEDICINAL PLANTS
 Sarpagandha:
1. It is used for the treatment of high blood sugar. ...
2. It cures insomnia, hysteria and hypertension. ...
3. It is also useful for in the treatment of cataract.
4. It also cures plague and fever.
 Arjun:
1. The bark of the tree has been used for several centuries for treating
cardiovascular ailments.
2. It has a host of other therapeutic benefits including treating
asthma, hypertension and kidney stones.

30.  Babool:
1. Treats Eye pain
2. For Toothache
3. Aids in Jaundice
4. Treats Diarrhoea
5. Good for Stomach related problems
6. Cures Throat problems
7. Aids in Eczema
8. Helpful in Pregnancy
9. Reduces Excessive sweating

31.  Neem:
1. Neem leaf is used for leprosy, eye disorders, bloody nose, intestinal
worms, stomach upset, loss of appetite, skin ulcers, diseases of the
heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), fever, diabetes, gum
disease (gingivitis), and liver problems.
 Tulsi plant: Benefits include oral care, relief from
respiratory disorders, as well as treatment of fever,
asthma, lung disorders, heart diseases and stress.

32.  Kachnar:
1. MOUTH DISORDERS
2. LOOSE MOTION
3. SWELLING OF LIVER
4. DYSURIA
5. DIARRHOEA DUE TO INDIGESTION
6. INTESTINAL WORMS
7. WORM INFECTED WOUNDS
8. STOMATITIS
9. MULTINODULAR TUBERCULOSIS
10. DYSPEPSIA
11. CHRONIC CONSTIPATION
12. DIARRHOEA

33. WILDLIFE
• India has about 90,000 animal species,
2,000 species of birds which constitute 13%
of the world’s total. There are 2,546 species
of fish, which account for nearly 12% of the
world’s stock. It also shares between 5 and 8
percent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles
and mammals.

34. Distribution of WILDLIFE in India
• Elephants are found in the hot wet forests of Assam, Karnataka
and Kerala.
• One-horned rhinoceroses live in swampy and marshy lands of
Assam and West Bengal.
• Rann of Kachchh is habitat of wild ass and camels are found in
Thar desert.
• Indian bison, nilgai (blue bull), chousingha (four horned antelope),
gazel and different species of deer are some other animals found in
India.
• Gir forest in Gujrat is the natural habitat
of lion whereas Tigers are found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh,
the Sundarbans of West Bengal and the tfimalayan region.
• The tfimalayas harbour a hardy range of animals, which survive in
extreme cold.

35. • • Ladakh’s freezing high altitudes are a
home to yak, the shaggy horned wild ox
weighing
around one tonne, the Tibetan antelope,
the bharal (blue sheep), wild sheep, and
the kiang (Tibetan wild ass). The ibex,
bear, snow-leopard and very rare red
panda are found in certain parts.
•In the rivers, lakes and coastal areas,
turtles, crocodiles and gharials are found.
•Birds like Peacocks, pheasants, ducks,
parakeets, cranes and pigeons are some of
the birds inhabiting the forests and
wetlands of the country.

36. Conservation of Flora and Fauna
• • The excessive exploitation of the plants and animal resources by
human beings, disturbed the ecosystem. About 1,300 plant species
are endangered and 20 species are extinct also few animals are
endangered and some have become extinct.
• Causes of this threats are:
→ tfunting by greedy hunters for commercial purposes.
→Pollution due to chemical and industrial waste and acid
deposits
→ Introduction of alien species
→Reckless cutting of the forests to bring land under cultivation
and inhabitation.

37. • • Governmental steps to protect flora and fauna of country are:
→ Fourteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to
protect flora and fauna.
→ Financial and technical assistance is provided to many
Botanical Gardens by the government since 1992.
→ Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard and
many other eco- developmental projects have been introduced.
→89 National Parks, 490 Wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological
gardens are set up to take care of Natural heritage.
•The Sunderbans in the West Bengal, Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand,
the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu and the Nilgiris (Kerala,
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) have been included in the world
network of Biosphese reserves.

38. List of fourteen bio-reserves in India are:
• Sunderbans (West Bengal)
• Simlipal (Odisha)
• Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu)
• Dihang-Dibang (Arunachal Pradesh)
• The Nilgiris in South India (in the states of Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka and Kerala)
• Dibru Saikhowa (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand)
• Agasthyamalai (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
• Nokrek (Meghalaya)
• Kanchenjunga (Sikkim)
• Great Nicobar (Bay of Bengal)
• Pachmari (Madhya Pradesh)
• Manas (Assam)
• Achanakmar-Amarkantak (Chhattisgarh)

40. -By
SOCIAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT