NATURAL VEGETATION
India is situated at tropical latitudes and has diverse temperature
and rainfall regimes. The overall climate of India is suitable for the growth
of forests. The climax formations of Indian subcontinent have been altered much
due to human activities in the last few thousand years. However, the remaining
vegetation shows that the natural vegetation of India primarily consists of
forests. The grasslands found in the region are not natural plant formations
but have originated secondarily due to destruction of natural forests in some
places. Therefore, these represent various stages of seral (successional)
development due to the influence of a variety of biotic influences.
FORESTS OF INDIA
The most important factors influencing the physiognomy, species
composition, phenology etc. of Indian forests are temperature, rainfall, local
edaphic and biotic factors. These factors have been used in the classification
of Indian forests. Most detailed classification of Indian forests is by
Champion and Seth (1967) in which 16 major types of forests have been
recognized. These 16 major types can be grouped into 5 major categories viz.
moist tropical, dry tropical, montane sub-tropical, temperate and alpine
forests.
Forest cover in india
(A) MOIST TROPICAL FORESTS
These forests are found in the areas of quite high temperature and
rainfall. The forests are dense, multi-layered and have many types of trees,
shrubs and lians. These forests are further categorized into 4 types depending
on the degree of wetness in the area and the dominant life form in the forest.
(1) Tropical moist evergreen forests
These are climatic climax forests found commonly in areas having
annual rainfall above 250 cm and temperature 25-30oC. These forests
are chiefly distributed on the western face of Western Ghats, Assam, Cachar,
parts of West Bengal, northern Canara, Annamalai Hills and Coorg in Meysore and
Andman Islands.
The characteristic feature of these forests is dense growth of very
tall trees having height of more than 45 m. Climbers, lians, epiphytes and
shrubs are abundant but herbs and grasses are rare in these forests. The carpet
layer of herbs and grasses can not grow because very dense layer of leaf canopy
of trees does not allow enough light to reach to the ground.
Dominant trees in forests of west coast are Dipterocarpus
indica, Palaquim and Cellenia while in forests of
Assam Diptercarpus macrocarpus, D. turbinatus, Shorea assamica, Mesua
ferrea and Kayea are the dominant trees.
Common subdominants in these forests are Mangifera,
Eugenia, Myristica, Pterospermum, Polyalthia, Elaeocarpus, Schlechera,
Artocarpus, Memeocylon, Poeciloneuron, Cinnamomum, Diospyros, Sapindus, Vitex,
Holigarna, Alstonia, Hardwickia, Spondias, Dendrocalamus, Calamus, Bombax,
Veteria, Calophyllum, Pandanus, Cedrela, Tetrameles, Strobilanthes, Emblica,
Michelia, Ixora, Hopea, Lagerstroemia, several species of ferns and
orchids.
(2) Tropical moist semi-evergreen forests
These are also climatic climax forests found commonly in areas of
annual rainfall 200-250 cm and temperature 25-32oC.These forests a
Characteristic feature of these forests is dense growth of
evergreen trees intermixed with deciduous trees that shed their leaves for very
brief period of relative dryness. Average height of trees in these forests is
25-35 m and shrubs are common. Forests have rich carpet layer of herbs, grasses
ferns and orchids.
Dominant trees in these forests are Dipterocarpus alatus,
Hopea, Terminalia and Salmalia in Andman
Island; Artocarpus, Micheliaand Mangifera in
Orissa;Schima wallichii, Bauhinia, Phobe and Ammora in
Assam.
Common subdominants in these forests are Mylia,
Schleichera, Bambusa, Ixora, Calamus, Sterculia, Webera, Strobilanthus,
Cedrela, Shorea, Actinodaphne, Garcinia, Lagerstroemia, Mallotus, Vernonia,
Dendrocalamus, Pelvetta, Elattaria, Pothos, Vitis, Garuga, Albizzia and Dellenia.
Common herbs and grasses in the ground (carpet) layer are Inula,
Andropogon, Crotolaria, Imperata, Leca, Desmodium, Fambosa and Woodfordia.
(3) Tropical moist deciduous forests
These forests are found in the area having temperature of 25-30oC
and quite high annual rainfall of 150-200 cm spread over most of the year but
periods of rain alternating with very short periods of dryness. In several
areas, the forests have been converted into open savannahs due to intensive
biotic factors. These forests are chiefly distributed in a narrow belt along
Himalayan foothills, on the eastern side of Western Ghats, Chota Nagpur, Khasi
hills, in moist areas of Kerala, Karnataka, sothern Madhya Pradesh, parts of
northern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
Chief characteristic of these forests is dominance of deciduous
trees that remain leafless for one or two months only along with lower story of
smaller trees and evergreen shrubs.
Dominant trees of these forests in north India are Tectona
grandis, Shorea robusta, Salmella, and Dalbergia while
in south India only Tectona grandisand Shorea sp. are
dominant.
Common subdominants in the forests are Cedrela, Albizzia,
Terminalia, Adina, Melia, Sterculia, Grewia, Gariya, Lagerstroemia, Cordia,
Pongamia, Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Chloris, Mallotus, Anogeissus, heteropogon,
Cymbopogon and Andropogon.
(4) Littoral and swamp forests
These forests are found in wet marshy areas, in river deltas, in
saline or other swampy areas and along the sea coasts. They are chiefly
distributed in deltas of large rivers on the eastern coast and in pockets on
the western coast (Tidal forests), in saline swamps of Sundarban in West
Bengal, coastal areas of Andhra and Orissa (Mangrove forests) and in
less saline or non-saline swampy pockets throughout the India.
Chief characteristic of these forests is dominance of halophytic
evergreen plants of varying height with varying density of plants in different
area.
Dominant plants of tidal and mangrove forests are Rhizophora,
Bruguiera, Ceriops, Horitora, Avicennia, Nipa, Sonneratia and Acanthus.
In less saline swamps, dominant plants are Ipomea, Phoenix, Phragmitis,
Casuarina, Manilkara and Calophyllum. In other
swamps, the dominant plants are Barringtonia, Syzygium, Myristica,
Bischofia, Trowia, Lagerstroemia, Sophora, Pandanus, Entada and Premna.
(B) DRY TROPICAL FORESTS
These forests are found in the areas where wet season is followed
by a relatively long period of dryness during which trees remain leafless.
These forests are dominated by smaller trees and shrubs and have abundance of
shrubs or sometimes grasses. This category includes three types of forests.
(1) Tropical dry deciduous forests
These forests are found in areas having temperature of 25-32oC
and annual rainfall of 75-125 cm along with a dry season of about six months.
Distribution of these forests in northern India is in areas of Punjab, Haryana,
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa. In the southern and central India, these
forests are distributed in dry areas of Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and
Madhya Pradesh.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is open canopy of small
(10-15 m high) trees and abundance of shrubs.
Dominant species of the forests in north India are Shorea
robusta, anogeissus, Terminalia, Buchnnania, Somocarpus, Carissa, Emblica, Madhuca,
Acacia, Aegle, Diospyros, Bauhinia, Eugenia, Zyzyphus, Lannea, Sterculia,
Dendrocalamus, Salmelia, Adina, Grewia, Adathoda and Helicteres.
In south India, dominant plants are Tectona grandis, Dalbergia, Kydia,
Terminalia, Pterospermum, Dillenia, Acacia, Diospyros, Anogeissus, Boswellia,
Bauhinia, Chloroxylon, Hardwickia, Soymida, Gymnosporia, Zyzyphus,
Dendrocalamus and Holorrhena.
Subdominant species in these forests are Bambusa,
Lantana and grasses like Panicum, Andropogon and Heteropogon.
(2) Tropical thorn forests
These forests are found in the areas of high temperature of 27-30oC
and very low annual rainfall of 20-60 cm with long periods of dryness. These
forests are distributed in western Rajasthan, parts of Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Tamilnadu.
Chief charateristic of such forests is sparse distribution of small
(8-10 m high) mostly thorny trees with shrubs being more common than trees. The
plants in these forests remain leafless for most of the year. They develop
leaves only during the brief rainy season when grasses and herbs also become
abundant.
Dominant plants in these forests are Acacia nilotica, A.
leucophloea, A. senegal, Prosopis spicigera, P. juliflora, Albizzia and Capparis.
Common subdominant plants are Zyzyphus, Anogeissus, Erythroxylon,
Euphorbia, Cordia, Randia, Balanites, Salvadora, Gymnosporis, Leptadenia,
Suaeda, Grewia, Gymnoma, Asparagus, Butea, Calotropis, Adathoda, Madhuca,
Salmelia, Crotolaria, Tephrosia and Indigophera.
(3) Tropical dry evergreen forests
These forests are found in the areas of relatively high temperature
and small rainfall available only during summers. The forests are distributed
in some parts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka.
Chief characteristic features of the forests are dense distribution
of mixed small evergreen and deciduous trees of 10-15 m height, absence of
bamboos and abundance of grasses.
Dominant plants in the forests are Memecylon, Maba,
Pavetta, Foronia, Terminalia, Ixora, Sterculia, Mesua and Schleichora.
(C) MONTANE SUBTROPICAL FORESTS
These forests occur in the areas where climate is cooler than
tropical but warmer than temperate areas i.e. on the hills between the
altitudes of 1000 m and 2000 m. The forests are dominated by semi-xerophytic
evergreen plants. This category includes three types of forests.
(1) Sub-tropical broad-leaved hill forests
These forests occur in relatively moist areas at lower altitudes on
mountain ranges. Their chief distribution is in eastern Himalayas of West
Bengal and Assam , hills of Khasi, Nilgiri and Mahabaleshwar.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is dense growth of
evergreen browd-leaved trees with abundant growth of climbers and epiphytic
ferns and orchids.
Dominant trees in the forests of north are Quercus, Schima and Castanopsis with
some temperate species. In the southern areas, dominants are Eugeniaand
members of family Lauraceae.
Common co-dominants and subdominants in the eastern Himalayas
are Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia, catachu, Sterospermum, Cedrela toona,
Bauhinia, Anthocephalus cadamba, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Albizzia procera,
Salmella, Artocarpus chaplasha and Dendrocalamus. In the
western Himalayas, codominants and subdominants are Shorea robusta,
Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrela toona, Ficus glomerulata, Eugenia jambolina, Acacia
catachu, Butea monosperma, Carissa and Zizyphus. Other
common plants in these forests of both north and south India are Actinodaphne,
Randia, Glochidion, Terminalia, Olea, Eleagnus, Murraya, Atylosia, Ficus,
Pittosporum, Saccopetalum, Carreya, Alnus, Betula, Phobe, Cedrela, Garcinia and Polulus.
In the south, Mangifera and Canthium and
climers like Piper trichostachyon, Gnetum scandens and Smilax
macrophylla are also common.
(2) Sub-tropical dry evergreen forests
These forests occur in areas having quite low temperature and
rainfall. The forests are distributed in the lower altitudes of eastern and
western Himalayas.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is presence of thorny
xerophytes and small-leaved evergreen plants.
Dominant plants in the forests are Acacia modesta, Dodonea
viscosa and Olea cuspidata.
(3) Sub-tropical pine forests
These forests occur at middle altitudes between 1500-2000 m in
Himalayas. They are distributed in western Himalayas from Kashmir to Uttar
Pradesh. In eastern Himalayas, the forests occur in Khasi Jayantia Hills of
Assam.
Chief characteristics of the forests in open formations of pine
trees.
Dominant trees in the forests are P. roxburghii and Pinus
khasiana.
(D) TEMPERATE FORESTS
These forests are found in the areas having quite low temperature
along with comparatively high humidity than the comparable areas of higher
latitudes. The cause of high humidity is greater rainfall in Himalayas except
in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir where humidity
is lower. The forests occur mainly in the Himalayas at altitudes 2000-4000 m.
The forests are generally dominated by tall conifers or angiospermic evergreen
trees with abundance of epiphytic mosses, lichens and ferns. The category
includes three types of forests.
(1) Wet temperate forests
These forests are found at altitudes of 1800-3000 m in the cooler
and humid mountains. They are distributed in the eastern Himalayas from eastern
Nepal to Assam, in the western Himalayas from Kashmir to western Nepal and in
Nilgiri Hills of south Indian.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests in the Himalayas is
dense formation of evergreen, semievergreen broad-leaved and coniferous trees
of up to 25 m height. In south India, these forests are termed Shola
forests and mostly have 15-20 m high broad-leaved trees with dense
leaf canopy, abundant epiphytic flora and rich herbaceous undergrowth.
Dominant trees in the forests of western Himalayas are angiosperms
like Quercus, Betula, Acer, Ulmus, Populus, Corylus, Caprinus etc.
and conifers likeAbies, Picea, Cedrus etc. In eastern Himalayas,
dominants are Quercus, Acer, Prunus, Ulmus, Eurya, Machilus, Symplocos,
Mahonia, Begonia, Michelia, Thunbergia, Rhododendron, Arundinaria, Bucklandia,
Pittosporum, Loranthus, Tsug and, Abies. In the Nilgiri Hills,
the dominants are Rhododendron nilagiricum, Hopea, Balanocarpus,
Artocarpus, Artocarpus, Elaeocarpus, Pterocarpus, Hardwickia, Myristica,
Cordonia, Salmalia, Mucuna and Dioscorea. In all the
areas, the undergrowth is formed by members of Asteraceae, Rubiaceae,
Acanthaceae and Fabaceae.
\
(2) Himalayan moist temperate forests
These forests are found at 1700-3500 m altitude in eastern and
western Himalayas. These occur in areas having annual rainfall above 100 cm but
relatively less than that in areas of wet temperate forests.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is presence of tall (up
to 45 m high) conifers, oaks or their mixture along with thin partly deciduous
undergrowth.
Dominant trees in the eastern Himalayas are Tsuga dumosa,
Quercus lineata, Picea spinulosa, Abies densa and Quercus
pachyphylla. In the western Himalayas, dominants in lower zones are Quercus
incana, . dialata, Cedrus deodara, Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithiana, Abies
pindrew, Cotoneaster,Berberis and Spire while in the higher
zones the dominants are Quercus semicarpifolia and Abies pindrew.
(3) Himalayan dry temperate forests
These forests occur in the regions of Himalayas having very low
rainfall. They are distributed in both eastern and western Himalayas.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is dominance of
evergreen oaks and conifers. Undergrowth is formed by scrubs.
Dominant trees in the forests of comparatively drier western
Himalayas are Pinus gerardiana and Quercus ilex.
In the comparatively wetter western Himalayan region, the dominants are Abies,
Picea, Larix griffithia and Juniperus wallichiana.
Subdominant plants in these forests are Daphne, Artemesia,
Fraxinus, Alnus, Cannabis and Plectranthus.
(E) ALPINE FORESTS
These forests are found in the regions of Himalayas having
extremely low temperature and humidity. The forests are dominated by perennial
and annual herbs and grasses though some trees may also be present in areas of
relatively high humidity. Abundant lichen flora is characteristic feature of
these forests. This category includes three types of forests.
(1) Sub-alpine forests
These forests are found in open strands throughout the Himalayas
between the altitude 3500 m and the tree tine.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is presence of some evergreen
conifers and broad-leaved trees along with prominent shrub layer.
Dominant trees in the forests are Abies spectabilis,
Rhododendron and Betula. Prominent shrubs in the forests
are Cotoneaster, Rosa, Smilax, Loniceraand Strobilanthus.
(2) Moist alpine scrub forests
These forests are found in the Himalayas above the tree line up to
5500 m altitude in somewhat moist areas.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is dominance of dwarf,
evergreen shrubby conifers and broad-leaved trees along with prominent shrub
layer under them.
Dominant trees in the forests are Juniperus and Rhododendron while
prominent shrubs are Thalictrum, Lonicera, Saxifraga, Arenaria, Bergia,
Sedum andPrimula.
(3) Dry alpine forests
These forests are found in comparatively more dry areas of
Himalayas upto 5500 m altitude.
Chief characteristic feature of the forests is open formation of
xerophytic scrubs with many herbs and grasses.
Dominant plants in the forests are Juniperus, Caragana, Eurctia, Salix and Myricaria.
GRASSLANDS OF INDIA
The grasslands of India are not of primary origin. These have
originated secondarily in many areas due to destruction of natural forests by
biotic interference, particularly due to excessive grazing and land clearing
for agriculture. These grasslands are maintained in various seral
(successional) stages by a variety of biotic factors.
Biosphere reserves of
India
[1
The Indian government has established 18 Biosphere
Reserves in India,[2] (categories
roughly corresponding to IUCN Category V Protected areas),
which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal Sanctuary),
and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer
zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to
the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities
who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.
Contents
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Name
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States
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Year
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2000
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2001
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West Bengal
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2001
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2004
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2009
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2009
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2008
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2012[3]
Sid
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2013[5]
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List of Biosphere Reserves[edit]
In 2009, India designated Cold Desert of Himachal Pradesh as
a biosphere reserve. On September 20, 2010, the Ministry of Environment and
Forests designated Seshachalam Hills as the 17th biosphere reserve.
Panna (Madhya Pradesh) was scheduled to become the 18th on August 25, 2011.[2]
|
Biosphere reserves of India (area wise)
|
|||||||
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Year
|
Name
|
Location
|
State
|
Type
|
Key Fauna
|
Area (km²)
|
|
|
1
|
2008
|
Part of Kutch, Rajkot, Surendranagar and
Patan Districts
|
12454
|
||||
|
2
|
1989
|
Indian part of Gulf of Mannar extending from Rameswaram island in
the North to Kanyakumari in the South of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka
|
10500
|
||||
|
3
|
1989
|
Part of delta of Ganges and Barahamaputra river
system
|
9630
|
||||
|
4
|
2009
|
Pin Valley National Park and surroundings;Chandratal and Sarchu
& Kibber Wildlife Sancturary
|
WesternHimalayas
|
7770
|
|||
|
5
|
1988
|
Parts of Chamoli District, Pithoragarh District & Bageshwar District
|
5860
|
||||
|
6
|
1986
|
Part of Waynad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai, Nilambur, Silent Valleyand Siruvani Hills
|
5520
|
||||
|
7
|
1998
|
Part of Siang and Dibang Valley
|
5112
|
||||
|
8
|
1999
|
Parts of Betul District, Hoshangabad District and Chhindwara District
|
4981.72
|
||||
|
9
|
2010
|
Seshachalam Hill Ranges covering parts of Chittoor and Kadapa
districts
|
4755
|
||||
|
10
|
1994
|
Part of Mayurbhanj district
|
4374
|
||||
|
11
|
2005
|
3835
|
|||||
|
12
|
1989
|
Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang Districts
|
2837
|
||||
|
13
|
2000
|
Parts of Kanchanjunga Hills
|
2620
|
||||
|
14
|
2001
|
Neyyar, Peppara and Shenduruny
Wildlife Sanctuary and their adjoining areas
|
1828
|
||||
|
15
|
1989
|
Southern most islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
|
885
|
||||
|
16
|
1988
|
Part of Garo Hills
|
820
|
||||
|
17
|
1997
|
Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts
|
765
|
||||
|
18
|
2011
|
Part of Panna and Chattarpur
Districts
|
543
|
||||
Potential sites for Biosphere Reserves
Following is the list of potential sites for
Biosphere Reserves as selected by Ministry of Forests and Environment:
·
Namdapha, Arunachal Pradesh
·
Thar Desert,
Rajasthan
·
Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
·
Kavalam, Assam
·
Kanha, Madhya Pradesh
·
North Islands of Andaman and Nicobar
·
Abujmarh, Chhattisgarh
·
Chintapalli, Andhra Pradesh
·
Lakshadweep Islands, Lakshadweep
·
Seshachallam
·
Blue Mountain
·
Tawang and West Kamang
Wildlife of India
India has the largest wild population of tigers in
the world.
The most endangered Indian top
predator of 2010, the dhole is on edge of extinction.
Less than 2500 members of the species remain in the world.
Snowleopard is an endangered species found
along the Himalayas
The Wildlife in India is a
mix of species of different types of organisms.[1] Apart
from a handful of the major farm animals such as cows, buffaloes, goats,
poultry and sheep, India has an amazingly wide variety of animals native to the
country. It is home to Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Pythons, Wolves, Foxes,Bears, Crocodiles, Rhinoceroses, Camels, Wild dogs, Monkeys, Snakes, Antelope species, Deer species,
varieties of bison and not to mention the mighty Asian elephant.
The region's rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in 89 national parks, 18
Bio reserves and 400+ wildlife sanctuaries across the country.India has some of
the most biodiverse regions of the world and hosts three of the world’s 34
biodiversity hotspots – or treasure-houses – that is the Western Ghats, the
Eastern Himalayas and Indo- Burma.[2] Since
India is home to a number of rare and threatened animal species, wildlife
management in the country is essential to preserve these species.[3] According
to one study, India along with 17 mega diverse countries is home to about
60-70 % of the world's biodiversity.[4]
India, lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, is home to about 7.6% of all mammalian,
12.6% of avian,
6.2% of reptilian,
and 6.0% of flowering plantspecies.[5] Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, also
exhibit extremely high rates of endemism;
overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic.[6][7] India's
forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats,
and Northeast India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these
extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest
of eastern India; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest
of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western
Gangetic plain.[8] Important
Indian trees include the medicinalneem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies.
The pipal fig tree,
shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded the Gautama Buddha as
he sought enlightenment.
Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating
in Gondwana,
to which India originally belonged. Peninsular India's
subsequent movementtowards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass
set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and
climatic change 20 million years ago caused the extinction of
many endemic Indian forms.[9] Soon
thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes
on either side of the emerging Himalaya.[8] As
a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are
endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.[5] Notable
endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of
the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated
threatened species.[10] These
include the Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger,
and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a
near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated
cattle.
In recent decades, human encroachment has
posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was
substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to
safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the
1980s. Along with over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 15 biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere
Reserves; 25 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.
The varied and rich wildlife of India has had
a profound impact on the region's popular culture. The common name for
wilderness in India is Jungle, which was adopted into the English language. The
word has been also made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.
India's wildlife has been the subject of numerous other tales and fables such
as the Panchatantra and the
Fauna
The endangered Black buck at
theUndying National Park within
the Chennaimetropolis
One of the world's rarest monkeys,Gee's Golden Langur typifies the precarious
survival of much of India's mega fauna.
India is home to several well-known large
mammals, including the Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion,Leopard, Sloth Bear and Indian Rhinoceros.
Some other well-known large Indian mammals are: ungulates such as the rare Wild Asian Water buffalo, common Domestic Asian Water buffalo, Gail, Gar, and several
species of deer and antelope. Some members of the dog family, such as the Indian Wolf, Bengal Fox and Golden Jackal,
and the Dhole or
Wild Dogs are also widely distributed. However, the dole, also
known as the whistling hunter,is the most endangered top Indian
carnivore, and the Himalayan Wolf is now a critically endangered species endemic to India.[citation needed] It is also home to the Striped Hyena, Macaques, Languors and Mongoosespecies.
Conservation of wildlife
The need for conservation of wildlife in India
is often questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the face of
direct poverty of the people. However, Article 48 of the Constitution of India
specifies that, "The state shall endeavour to protect and improve the
environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country" and
Article 51-A states that "it shall be the duty of every citizen of India
to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers,
and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures."[11]
Large and charismatic mammals are important
for wildlife tourism in India, and several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries
cater to these needs.Project Tiger, started in 1972, is a major effort to
conserve the tiger and
its habitats.[12] At
the turn of the 20th century, one estimate of the tiger population in
India placed the figure at 40,000, yet an Indian tiger census conducted in 2008
revealed the existence of only 1,411 tigers. 2010 Tiger census revealed that
there are 1700 tigers left in India.[13] The
passing of the Forest Rights Actby the Indian government in 2008 has
been the final nail in the coffin and has pushed the Indian tiger to the verge
of extinction. Various pressures in the later part of the 20th century led to
the progressive decline of wilderness resulting
in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats.
At the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) General
Assembly meeting in Delhi in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the
threat to several species of wildlife and
the shrinkage of wilderness in India. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was
imposed, and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. The
framework was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach.
Launched on 1 April 1973, Project Tiger has
become one of the most successful conservation ventures in modern history. The
project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves'
which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within
India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural
environment. Today, there are 39 Project Tiger wildlife reserves in
India covering an area more than of 37,761 km².
Project Elephant,
though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India.[14] Most
of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park.
·
Recent extinctions
Illustration of a Himalayan Quail from A. O. Hume's work. Last seen in 1876
The exploitation of land and forest resources
by humans along with hunting and trapping for food and sport has led to the
extinction of many species in India in recent times. These species include
mammals such as the Indian/Asiatic Cheetah, Wild Zebu, Javan Rhinoceros,
and Sumatran Rhinoceros.[15] While
some of these large mammal species are confirmed extinct, there have been many
smaller animal and plant species whose status is harder to determine. Many
species have not been seen since their description.
Some species of birds have gone extinct in
recent times, including the Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa
caryophyllacea) and the Himalayan Quail(Ophrysia
superciliosa). A species of warbler, Acrocephalus orinus, known earlier from a single
specimen collected by Allan Octavian Hume from near Rampur in Himachal
Pradesh, was rediscovered after 139 years in Thailand.[16][17]
Fungi of India
The diversity of fungi[18] and
their natural beauty occupy a prime place in the biological world and India has
been a cradle for such organisms. Only a fraction of the total fungal wealth of
India has been subjected to scientific scrutiny and mycologists have to unravel
this unexplored and hidden wealth. One-third of fungal diversity of the globe
exists in India. The country has an array of 10 diverse biomes including
Trans-Himalayan zone, Himalaya, Desert, Semi-Arid zone, Western Ghats, Deccan
Peninsula, Gangetic Plain, North-Eastern India, Coasts and Islands where varied
dominating regimes manifest. This enables the survival of manifold fungal flora
in these regions which include hot spot areas like the Himalayan ranges,
Western Ghats, hill stations, mangroves, sea coasts, fresh water bodies etc.
Many fungi have been recorded from these regions and from the country in
general comprising thermophiles, psychrophiles, mesophiles, aquatic forms,
marine forms, plant and animal pathogens, edible fungi and beneficial fungi and
so on. The number of fungi recorded in India exceeds 27,000 species, the
largest biotic community after insects. The true fungi belong to the Kingdom[19] Fungi
which has four phyla, 103 orders, 484 families and 4979 genera. About 205 new
genera have been described from India, of which 32% were discovered by C. V.
Subramanian of the University of Madras.[20][21] These
features indicate a ten-fold increase in the last 80 years.
Flora of India
There are about 17500 taxa of flowering plants
from India. The Indian Forest Act, 1927 helped to improve
protection of the natural habitat.
National symbols of India OF (ANIMALS)
