Presentation of "Forest Types of India" - Based on the Classification of Champion & Seth (Published by Forest Research Institute, India in 1968)

1. World Forest Day - 2020
Forest Types of India
Part-I (55 Slides)
By
Ravindra Nath Saxena
Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Madhya Pradesh
Mobiles : 9827057603 & 9424407858
Emails : ravindrasaxena2001@gmail.com
Certain photographs of this presentation is courtesy of Shri Bhupinder Rana, IFS, CCF,
Himanchal Pradesh and under his copyright. Thanks to him for his contribution.
Rest of the photographs are under the ‘copyright” of the Author
Author

3. Anthropo-centrism and contempo-centrism
• Country has never been subjected to “ecological
audit”. The country may be registering economic
growth rate of 4 to 7%, but unofficial estimates
provide that in ecological terms our growth rate is
about (-)4%.
• National Forestry Action Plan accepts that “forestry”
contributes about 5-6% to economic GDP, while
resource allocation is meager less than 0.1%. Even
whatever meager is allotted is being diverted for non-
forest purposes. Forest resource has been divested
@ 6% p.a.
ATTRIBUTES OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTRY
MANAGEMENT IN THE WORLD

4. The Mother Earth as visible from the Space

5. As evident from satellites
of thinning of the Ozone
layer led to the Montreal
Protocol for reducing
CFC’s.
Hole in the “Ozone Layer”
above Antarctica, due to
CFCs emission & threat.
The details are provided in
next three slides.
Montreal Protocol

6. Title
Body text
Ozone Depletion
Growth of the Antarctic ozone
hole over 20 years, as observed
by the satellite
Darkest blue areas represent regions
of maximum ozone depletion.

7. Title
Body text
Earth’s Shrinking Biosphere
1900-2000 AD
Currently, the Earth is the only
home we have.
With each new person added to our
growing population, the amount of our
living space decreases.
Land Area
hectare per /
capita
INDIA
Per capita agricultural area - 0.60 Ha.
Per capita forest area - 0.04 Ha.

8. Title
Body text
Transboundary: Dust over the Pacific
Images taken between
April 29 and May 5, 2005
shows dust from the Gobi
Desert crossing the
Pacific, well on its way to
North America.

9. World - Annual Precipitation Trends

10. Anthropogenic Radio-active System

11. Comparison of Temperature Change

12. Global Temperature Range

13. Indicators of Human Influence

14. Rising Sea Level

15. Spatial patters of the changes in summer
monsoon rainfall
2071-2100 (baseline 1961-1990 : A-2 scenario

16. Spatial patterns of the changes in annual mean
surface air temperature
[2071-2100 (baseline 1961-1990 : A-2 scenario)

17. CHANGES IN ANNUAL NUMBER OF
RAINY DAYS
(A-2 scenario)

18. Transmission Window of Malaria in Different
States of India

19. Body text
Receding Gangotri Glacier, Northern India
• Receding
since 1780
• Last 25 years,
Gangotri
Glacier has
retreated more
than 850 m (2
788 ft)

20. REDUCTION IN AREA FOR PRODUCTIVITY OF
IRRIGATED WHEAT
Impact under 425 ppm CO2 concentration and 20C temperature rise

21. Biogeographic Zones of India

22. Forest Cover and Biosphere Reserves of India
(Notified under the “Man & Biosphere” program of UNO

23. The Earth Mankind Inherited

24. The Earth Mankind Inherited

25. The Earth Mankind Inherited

26. The Earth Mankind Inherited

27. The Earth Mankind Inherited

28. Most threatened wildlife species - I

29. Most threatened wildlife species - II

30. Most threatened floral species - I

31. FORESTS AT A GLANCE
• Geographical area – 32,87,263 sq. kms.
• Forest area – 7,57,740 sq. kms.
• Forest cover – 6,78,333 sq. kms. – the eco-resource for livlihood.
• Legal status of forest area –
A. Reserve Forests (RF) – 3,99,919 sq. kms.
B. Protected Forests (PF) – 2,38,434 sq. kms.
C. Un-classed forests – 1,36,387
• Un-culturable non-forest areas – 2,11,286 sq. kms.
• Growing Stock – 4740.858 million cubic meter
• Growing Stock / ha. – 74.42 cubic meter
• Current Annual Increment – 8.76 million cubic meter
• Current C.A.I. - 0.69 cubic meter / ha.
• Potential CAI possible - 3.60 cubic meter / ha.
(Peterson’s formula)
• Simpson’s Biodiversity Index, Berger-Parker Species Richness Index,
Shannon Weiner Biodiversity Index not provide promising picture.
• Forest cover stagnant with cyclical change, qualitative deterioration of
ecological resources due to scarcity of finances.

32. At the time of promulgation of the Constitution of India,
subject of “forests” was kept in the “State List”.
There was no entry of “wildlife”.
“Forests” transferred to the “Concurrent List”, List-III as Entry–
17A and “Wildlife” as the Entry-17B by the 42nd Constitutional
Amendment Act, 1976.
Article-251 & 254 of the Constitution provides that state
statutes cannot be repugnant to Central Acts. If there is any
repugnancy, state statutes automatically becomes
“null & void”.
Constitutional provisions related to
“forest” & “wildlife”
All forest & wildlife statutes - FCA, WLPA, IFA, PESA, STOFDRFRAct
are Central Acts. The statutory reforms are in jurisdiction of the
Parliament. Statutory reforms virtually impossible.

33. NATIONAL FOREST POLICY, 1988
•Previous Forest Policies were enunciated in 1894 & 1952.
•Salient features of National Forest Policy, 1988.
• Principal aim - ensuring environmental stability and maintenance
of ecological balance.
• Emphasis on afforestation, social forestry and farm forestry
(extension in non-forest areas).
• Involve local communities in forest protection.
• Enhance investment and other resources for forestry.
Chink.jpg

34. Principal forest and wildlife statutes
• Indian Forest Act, 1927 (RF and PF cannot be used for carbon
trading purposes).
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (prohibitory in nature,
plantations / forest crop cannot be harvested in protected
areas of the country).
• Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (regulate allocation of forest
areas to private entities).
These forest statutes are silent about “carbon
trading”. Thus to facilitate carbon trading in the
country, a statute may be having title “Indian
Carbon Sequestration & Trading Act” should be
enacted in near future. Indian Contract Act is unable
to take care of this complicated issue.

35. Statutory provision for Environment, Forest and
Wildlife Clearances
•Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
[under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986].
•Section-2(ii), Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
•Section-38O(g), Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – NPV is
10 times in national parks and 5 times in wildlife
sanctuaries; can seriously upset cost:benefit ratio.
Other statutory provisions, having high impact on project planning
 Panchayati-raj Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996.
 Scheduled Tribe & Other Forest Dwellers (Recognition
of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
 Governance and administration of Scheduled-V and VI
areas, notified under the Constitution of India.
 Issues of Land Acquisition Act, 1894 as amende in 2012.

36.  The Act promote exploitation of biodiversity in
regulated manner and not prohibitory or
conservation oriented in nature.
 Recently Forest Department personnel has been
assigned power to take cognizance in the Act
(recently Range Officer is authorised to take
cognizance), though 99% faunal and floral
diversity is found in forest areas only.
Biological Diversity Act, 2002

37. BIODIVERSITY SECTOR
With over 45,000 plant species, 81,000 animal species,
India is one of the world's 12 mega-biodiversity
centers. The ethos of conservation is ingrained in
India's cultural heritage, developmental activities are
increasingly threatening this rich biodiversity.
Approximately 20 wildlife species are categorized as
"possibly extinct" 1,500 plant species are considered
vulnerable and endangered, and some breeds have
suffered genetic erosion.
Enunciate Biodiversity (Conservation) Policy.
Panchayati Raj Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996
or PESA (73rd Constitution Amendment) is not having
overriding effect on IFA or WLPA.

38. Forest Types of India
Definition of “Forest Type”
For the purpose of this memoir a forest type may be defined as a
unit of vegetation which possesses (broad) characteristics in physiognomy
and structure sufficiently pronounced to permit of its differentiation from
other such units.
This is irrespective of physiographic, edaphic or biotic factors. It is
selected in the first place subjectively from the ever-varying cover of
vegetation, with boundaries arbitrarily imposed on what are in face
gradual changes (clines or continua).
Since these forest types have a bearing on the practice of scientific
forestry, and practical utility is indeed the main reason for distinguishing
them, necessarily greater importance is placed on the main tree layers or
on the most emergent vegetation.
Distinctions based on shrub and ground flora, characteristic of much
recent ecological work on the vegetation of India, have necessarily been
given a subordinate place.
The major type-groups are subdivided into types on a geographic
basis since a recognizable type-group varies somewhat with locality owing
to differences in floristics and minor variations in climate and site
occurring within the range associated with each group-type as a whole.

39. • Units which are clearly associated with a definite site factor and
differ appreciably from the prevalent type of the surrounding area
are referred to as edaphic types (E). In using this term no exclusive
emphasis is intended on the special physical or chemical properties
of the soil mantle as such; on the other hand it is felt that the sum
of the distinctive features of the site whether caused in the main by
micro-topographic, microclimatic or moisture and drainage factors,
affect the vegetation to an extent rendering is advisable it
differentiate it from the typical form believed to be primarily
determined by climatic factors. One easily recognized group of such
types, those occurring in permanently or periodically wet sites, are
separately treated as SWAMP TYPES (to which is appended, for
convenience only, the littoral forest type occurring on coastal
beaches).
• In giving names to types, terms implying site conditions have been
avoided as far as possible, but to avoid circumlocution or the use of
words too long or technical for general convenience, the
qualifications wet, moist and dry have been admitted, implying that
the vegetation has the appearance commonly associated with
different degrees of moisture availability.

40. • The alternative method presents one with the problem as to the criteria to
be used in dividing up the vast range of forms of vegetation that is met
with. An excellent review of the possibilities has been put forward by
FOSBERG (1958) taking into account the proposals of BURTT-DAVY (1938)
and BEARD (1944), as well as those of the pioneers beginning with
SCHIMPER (1905), MAYR (1909) and RUEBEL (1930). The possible bases for
classification are at least seven, viz., (1) Physiognomy, (2) Structure, (3)
Function, (4) Floristics, (5) Dynamics, (6) Environment and (7) History. By
“function” is meant here the morphological characteristics which seem to
indicate adjustment to environment. Practical difficulties arise in attempts
to draw up a scheme based on only one of these aspects, though apparent
inconsistencies are often traceable to nomenclature as mentioned above in
connection with the naming of types.
• Physiognomy provides an easy basis for a rough differentiation of very
broad categories and has been used to some extent by most writers
including SCHIMPER. It is ordinarily taken to include characters such as
evergreen or deciduous habit and such structural or functional features as
are associated with very dry (xeromorphic) or very wet (hydromorphic)
sites.

41. Classification of “forests” on the basis of
temperature
Zone Mean annual
temperature
Mean January
temperature
Winter
I. Tropical . . . . Over 24oC Over 18o C None; no frost.
II.
Subtropical
. . . . 17o to 24oC 10o to 18oC Definite but not
severe; frost
rare.
III.
Temperate
. . . 7o to 17oC -1o to 10oC Pronounced,
with frost and
some snow.
IV. Alpine . . . . Under 7oC Under -1oC Severe, with
much snow.
On this primary basis of temperature, India may be
divided up as follows :

42. Soil Types of India

43. Forest Types of India
(Champion & Seth, 1968)

44. Major Groups of Forest Types of India

45. Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests of India

46. Pure Teak Forests, Pench National Park

47. Miscellaneous Forests, Molem Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa

48. Banana & Bamboo Forests, Sreijosha National Park,
Arunachal Pradesh

49. Chir Pine Forests

50. Dipterocarpus Forests with Mangroves,
Andaman Archipelago

51. Sal Forests, Kanha National Park

52. Fir & Spruce Forests During Winter

53. Bambusa nutans, FRI, Dehra Dun

54. Babool Scrub Forests, Jaipur, Rajasthan

55. Deodar Forests, Himachal Pradesh