Types of Forests in India

India is endowed with a rich diversity of forest types ranging from tropical wet evergreen forests in the Western Ghats and North East to thorn forests in central India. According to official data, India’s total forest and tree cover stands at 24.56% of its geographical area.

Forest Classification Systems

The first systematic classification of Indian forests was developed by H.G. Champion in 1936, which was later revised in collaboration with S.K. Seth in 1968. This Champion and Seth classification categorized forests based on climate, species composition, rainfall patterns and other biotic and abiotic factors. Indian forests have been broadly classified into 16 types under 6 major groups – tropical, sub-tropical, montane sub-alpine, and alpine.

Tropical Forests

There are 7 subtypes of tropical forests in India as per Champion and Seth classification.

Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests

• Found along the Western Ghats, Assam, West Bengal hills and the Andaman & Nicobar islands
• Receive over 250 cm of annual rainfall, no distinct dry season
• Dominated by tall, dense broadleaf evergreen trees like mahogany, aini, bulletwood, white cedar
• Little undergrowth due to dense canopy cover
• High species diversity – trees, orchids, ferns, wildlife
• Shelter rich wildlife like Indian elephant, tiger, hornbills, pangolin
• Threatened by deforestation, mining, dams, agriculture expansion

Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests

• Transitional zones between wet evergreen and tropical deciduous forests
• Distributed across Western Ghats, North East hills, Eastern peninsular region
• Receive medium annual rainfall between 200-250 cm
• Vegetation includes teak, rosewood, jamun, ficus, cashew
• Medium canopy cover and moderate undergrowth
• Inhabit sloth bears, barking deer, hornbills, lemurs
• Face threats from logging, firewood collection, grazing

Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests

• Most extensive forests cover in India
• Found across Central Indian plateau and Eastern peninsula
• Receive 100-200 cm annual rainfall, distinct dry season
• Sal is the predominant canopy species
• Also include haldu, axlewood, crocodile bark, jamun
• Inhabit tigers, leopards, gaurs, sambar deer, wild pigs
• Prone to forest fires in summer, affected by mining projects

Littoral and Swamp Forests

• Coastal mangrove forests along deltas, creeks, backwaters
• Distributed across Western coast, Andaman & Nicobar, Sundarbans
• Inundated by daily tides, freshwater rivers
• Dense mangrove vegetation like sundari, goran, palm
• Intertidal habitat shelters rich biodiversity of aquatic life
• Provide natural protection against coastal storms, erosion
• Critically threatened by development projects

Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

• Found across Deccan plateau, East India and Gujarat
• Receive 50-100 cm rainfall, face water scarcity in summers
• Teak, salai, ebony, crocodile bark, axlewood common trees
• Shed leaves in dry season to conserve water
• Inhabit blackbuck, chinkara, sloth bear, leopard, wolf
• Heavily degraded due to over-exploitation for timber

Tropical Thorn Forests

• Arid forests of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, UP
• Receive less than 70 cm annual rainfall
• Thorny bushes and scrubs dominate landscape
• Adapted to drought, poor soil conditions
• Inhabit caracals, wolves, rats, buzzards, owls, cobras
• Prone to grazing, erosion, desertification pressures

Tropical Dry Evergreen Forests

• Only found in coastal Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
• Receive meagre rainfall (60-100cm) in winter
• Shorea talura, manilkara, strychnine tree common
• High rate of endemism in flora and fauna
• Inhabit endangered grizzled giant squirrels, tufted grey langurs
• Critically threatened by urbanization, agriculture, grazing

Subtropical Forests

There are mainly 3 subtypes of subtropical forests found in India:

Subtropical Broad-Leaved Forests

• Distributed across foothills of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim
• Found at elevations between 1,000 – 3,000 metres
• Receive high rainfall up to 2,000 mm annually
• Dominated by sal, oak, chestnut, magnolia, laurel, maple
• Medium height canopies with some conifers at higher reaches
• Inhabit endangered red pandas, clouded leopards, golden langurs
• Provide important watershed protection to rivers
• Degraded due to illegal logging, forest fires

Subtropical Pine Forests

• Conifer forests spread across Northeast hills above 1,500 metres
• Comprised of chir pine, blue pine, deodar, fir trees
• Grow in poor, rocky, leached soil with low nutrients
• Experience 5-6 months of snowfall in winter months
• Sparsely inhabited by gorals, deer, squirrels, bears
• Do not support large wild herbivore populations
• Degradation threats from jhum cultivation, logging

Subtropical Dry Evergreen Forests

• Found in Shivaliks and Tarai foothills up to 1,000 metres
• Receive less than 100 cm rainfall annually
• Dominated by salar, Indian jujube, axlewood trees
• High diversity of shrubs, climbers, grasses in understory
• Shelter nilgai, barking deer, wild pigs, monkeys
• Prone to forest fires, water scarcity, over-grazing
• Important wildlife corridors between plains and hills

Montane Wet Temperate Forests

• Distributed between 1,500 – 3,300 metres across Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
• Receive heavy rainfall between 250-300 cm annually
• Dominated by oak, chestnut, maple, birch, cherry, juniper
• Lush broadleaf forests with dense understory and mosses
• Shelter endemic wildlife like Nilgiri tahr, laughing thrush
• Prone to landslides, under pressure from roads, dams

Himalayan Forests

Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests

• Found between 1,500 – 3,000 metres across Kashmir, Himachal, Sikkim
• Receive snowfall as well as 1,000 – 2,500 mm rainfall
• Comprised of pine, deodar, spruce, silver fir, rhododendron
• Laden with orchids, lichens, herbs and shrubs
• Inhabit black bears, barking deer, tigers, monal pheasants
• Degraded due to timber extraction, tourism

Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests

• Occur above moist temperate zone from 2,400 – 3,600 metres
• Receive meagre 25 – 75 cm of precipitation annually
• Open canopies of pine, cedar, juniper, birch, rhododendron
• Hardy shrubs and herbs like sagebrush in understory
• Shelter endangered snow leopards, blue sheep, bears
• Highly threatened by overgrazing, fragmentation

Sub Alpine Forests

• Found above treeline between 3,000 – 4,500 metres
• Consists of stunted juniper, pine, birch surviving in pockets
• Cushion herbs, shrubs and lichens dominate landscape
• Inhabited by endangered red pandas, snow leopards
• Extreme climate limits regeneration of trees

Alpine Forests

Moist Alpine Scrub

• Occurs between 3,000 – 3,500 metres elevation
• Receives higher snowfall and rainfall than dry alpine scrub
• Dominated by small shrubs like juniper, potentilla, rhododendron
• Also consists of hardy perennial flowering herbs
• Much richer vegetation cover compared to dry alpine scrub
• Supports endangered red pandas, snow leopards, Tibetan wolves
• Provides important habitat for numerous Himalayan birds
• Sensitive to temperature changes, threatened by warming

Dry Alpine Scrub

• Found above 3,500 metres closer to the snow line
• Receives less than 370 mm of low rainfall annually
• Braves arctic temperatures and snow cover for over 6 months
• Consists of stunted shrubs like juniper, artemisia, astragalus
• Sparse vegetation cover, limited to streams and snowmelt
• Inhabited by argali wild sheep, ibex, golden eagles, bears
• Highly fragile ecosystem vulnerable to climate change and human activities like tourism
• Playing a pivotal role in water security for communities living downstream