Consider the following States:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Himachal Pradesh
- Mizoram
In which of the above States do ‘Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests’ occur?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- Tropical evergreen forests are characterized by trees that remain green throughout the year, with no specific time for shedding leaves, flowering, or bearing fruit.
- They are further categorized into tropical wet (moist) evergreen, semi-evergreen, and dry evergreen forests.
- The tropical wet evergreen forests in India can be found in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- These forests thrive in hot and humid regions, with precipitation exceeding 250 cm and a mean annual temperature of less than 25 degrees Celsius, along with humidity levels surpassing 80%.
- They have a stratified structure, with shrubs and creepers on the lower layers, followed by short and tall trees, some reaching a height of over 60 meters.
- The forests are renowned for their rich biodiversity, with an abundance of flora and fauna.
- These forests produce fine-grained and durable timber.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
