Table of Contents
The Indian Meteorological Department recognizes four seasons, namely:
- Winter (December-March)
- Summer (April-May)
- Monsoon (June-September)
- Season of retreating south-west monsoon (October-November)
The climate of India is monsoon-type, fed by two rain bearing winds, viz.,
- The South-west Monsoon (June-September): The south-west monsoons contribute 86% of the total rainfall in India. They open on the west coast around beginning of June and continue till September with a declining trend as they move inland.
- The North-east Monsoon (November-December): These are also called winter monsoons and are confined to a smaller area, particularly the east coast. It is Tamil Nadu’s major monsoon.
Regions of Heavy Rainfall (above 200 cm)
- Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya, Sikkim and northern parts of West Bengal
- The Western Ghats
- The Himalayan slopes
Regions of Scanty Rainfall (below 50 cm)
- Kutch and Western Rajasthan
- Southern Haryana, South-east Punjab and Ladakh
Forests in India
According to India State of Forests Report, 2011 (ISFR, 2011), the total forest cover of the country as per 2011 assessment is 692,027 km2 (21.05% of the total geographic area of the country).
India’s tree cover has been estimated as 90,844 km2 constituting 2.76% of its total geographical area. Tree cover is defined as tree patches less than 1 ha area with canopy density above 10%.
The National Forest Policy, 1988, has laid down a target of raising the area covered by forests in India to nearly 33.3%.
State having lowest area under forest cover—Haryana [1068 km2]
State having largest area under forest cover—Madhya Pradesh [77,700 km2]
Percentage of forest cover w.r.t. total geographical area—Mizoram [90.68%]
In terms of largest forest cover, Madhya Pradesh (11.25%) is followed by Arunachal Pradesh (9.75%), Chhattisgarh (8.09%), Maharashtra (7.33%) and Orissa (7.07%).
Forest Cover in Hill and Tribal Districts
Hill Districts’. There are 124 hill districts in India. 39.74% of their geographical area is under forest cover. Forest cover in the hill districts has decreased by 548 km2. All districts of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand are hill districts. The percentages of these states for forest cover is 63.07% of their geographical area.
Tribal Districts: There are 188 tribal districts in India. 37.25% of their geographical area is under forest cover. Forest cover in tribal districts has decreased by 679 km2.
Types of Forests in India
- Evergreen Forests (Tropical): Found in areas where rainfall ranges between 200 and 300 cm, e.g., Western Ghats and sub-Himalayan regions. These are coniferous forests with trees having needle-shaped leaves and provide teak, rosewood, mahogany, pine and bamboo.
- Deciduous Forests (Monsoon Forests): Found in areas having rainfall between 150 and 200 cms per annum, e.g., parts of Deccan Plateau stretching across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. They provide fine timber such as teak, sal, sandalwood, etc.
- Dry Forests: Found in desert regions of Rajasthan and south of Punjab, where rainfall is below 75-100 cms per annum. The trees include babul, neem, tamarind, etc. In the regions with rainfall below 50 cms per annum like the central and western parts of Rajasthan we find semi desert and desert vegetation. The plants include scrubs, thorny bushes and cactus.
- Hill Forests: Found in southern India and in the Himalayan regions and provide timber oak, deodar, pines, chir, are major trees found in these forests.
- Tidal Forests (Mangrove): Found in coastal plains which are generally submerged, particularly on river deltas on the east coast (Ganges, Mahanadi, Godavari). The forests on the Gangetic delta in Bengal are called Sunderbans after the Sundari trees found in these forests. The mangrove cover in India is 4639 km2 (0.14% of India’s geographic areas) spread across 12 States and UTs.
Coral Reefs Areas in India
The Indian reef area is estimated to be 2375 km2. The four major coral reef areas identified for intensive conservation and management are: (i) Gulf of Mannar; (ii) Gulf of Kachchh; (iii) Lakshadweep and (iv) Andaman and Nicobar.