Distribution
- Along the coasts of Tamil Nadu.
Climatic Conditions
- Annual rainfall of 100 cm [mostly from the north-east monsoon winds in October – December].
- Mean annual temperature is about 28°C.
- The mean humidity is about 75 per cent.
- The growth of evergreen forests in areas of such low rainfall is a bit strange.
Characteristics
- Short statured trees, up to 12 m high, with complete canopy.
- Bamboos and grasses are not conspicuous.
- The important species are jamun, tamarind, neem, etc.
- Most of the land under these forests has been cleared for agriculture or casuarina plantations.
Casuarina plantation
- It resembles feathery conifer in general appearance.
- They are rapid-growing, carefree species for sites and climates as varied as coastal sand dunes, high mountain slopes, hot humid tropics, and semi-arid regions.
- They have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. It grows 15 to 25 metres in height on average.
Distribution
- Casuarina is the most popular farm forestry in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Odisha, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
Benefits
- Reduces damage in the event of natural calamities.
- Line planting in the coastal areas helps in controlling the wind force.
- It is also used for tourism promotion in view of its ornamental appearance.
- It provides top quality firewood.
- The wood is suitable for paper pulp and useful raw material for the manufacture of paper for writing, printing, and wrapping.
- It has some serious medicinal values as well.
Wasteland development
- The characteristics which make it a suitable species for wasteland development include adaptability to a wide range of habitats, fast growth, salt tolerant, drought resistant, ability to reclaim land and stabilize sand dunes.
- Intercrops such as groundnut, cucumber, watermelons, sesamum, and pulses can also be raised along with the plantation.
Climatic Conditions
- Annual rainfall is 100-150 cm.
Characteristics
- These are similar to moist deciduous forests and shed their leaves in dry season.
- The major difference is that they can grow in areas of comparatively less rainfall.
- They represent a transitional type – moist deciduous on the wetter side and thorn forests on the drier side.
- They have a closed but uneven canopy.
- The forests are composed of a mixture of a few species of deciduous trees rising up to a height of 20 metres.
- Undergrowth: Enough light reaches the ground to permit the growth of grass and climbers.
Distribution
- They occur in an irregular wide strip running from the foot of the Himalayas to Kanyakumari except in Rajasthan, Western Ghats and West Bengal.
- The important species are teak, axlewood, rosewood, common bamboo, red sanders, laurel, satinwood, etc.
- Large tracts of this forest have been cleared for agricultural purposes.
- These forests have suffered from over grazing, fire, etc.
Climatic Conditions
- Annual rainfall is less than 75 cm.
- Humidity is less than 50 per cent.
- Mean temperature is 25°-30°C.
Characteristics
- The trees are low (6 to 10 metres maximum) and widely scattered.
- Acacias and Euphorbias are very prominent.
- The Indian wild date is common. Some grasses also grow in the rainy season.
Distribution
- Rajasthan, south-western Punjab, western Haryana, Kachchh and neighbouring parts of Saurashtra.
- Here they degenerate into desert type in the Thar desert.
- Such forests also grow on the leeside of the Western Ghats covering large areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
- The important species are neem, babul, cactii, etc.
