What is Vegetation & types of vegetation found in India? – Principles of Indian geography

Table of Contents

Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests or Rain Forests Distribution

These forests are restricted to heavy rainfall areas of the Western Ghats and the island groups of Lakshadweep, Andaman, and Nicobar, upper parts of Assam and Tamil Nadu coast.
Climatic and soil conditions: They receive heavy rainfall throughout the year, usually more than 250 cm of rainfall, and have an annual temperature of about 25°-27°C. So the dry season here is distinctly short.

Characteristics:

Due to high temperature and humidity, the trees of Tropical wet evergreen forest don’t shed their leaves together. Therefore, they are called evergreen trees.
The trees form a thick canopy. The forests are dense and multilayered. Even during the day, the dense canopies of the closely spaced trees prevent sunlight from penetrating the forest
Mesphophytic plants are found. These are plants that can neither adjust in too wet nor in water-scarce conditions. They require a moderately hot and humid climate to thrive.
Bamboos, ferns, climbers, orchids, and other plants dominate the undergrowth.

Characteristics:

They also have a low litter (fallen dry leaves) presence.
The timber from these forests is hard and long-lasting. It has a high commercial value, but it is difficult to exploit due to-

Flora: Rosewood, Mahogony, Aini, Ebony, and other important species can be found in these forests.
Fauna: Elephants, Monkeys, Lemur, and Deer are found here. One-Horned rhinos are found in Assam, West Bengal.