Bhitarkanika Mangroves are located in which Indian State?

Ans. The Bhitarkanika Mangroves are a mangrove wetland in India's Odisha state.

What percentage of the total land area of the country should under forest or tree cover?

As per the NATIONAL FOREST POLICY 1988, the national goal should be to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area of the country under forest or tree cover.

List of Forests in India 2024, Important Forests in India Download PDF

Q: What is the percentage of the total forest cover in India?

As of 2021, the total forest cover in India is 713,789 Sq km, which is 21.71 percent of the total geographical area.

Table of Contents

List of Forests in India: Remembering the List of Forests in India is important for every all India competitive Examination. The word forest is derived from a Latin word “Foris” means Outside. Forests are one of the most important natural resources of the earth. The National Forest Policy of India, 1988 envisaged a goal of achieving 33 per cent of the geographical area of the country under forest & tree cover.

Types of Indian Forests

Indian forests perform an important role to make a healthy environment and it reduce air pollutions. As of 2021, the total forest cover in India is 713,789 Sq km, which is 21.71 percent of the total geographical area. These forests can be classified in five major groups namely:

1. Moist Tropical Tropical forest

The Moist Tropical Tropical Forest has found in regions with high rainfall near above 200 cm annually. It Characterized by dense vegetation, towering trees and a rich diversity of flora and fauna.
2. Dry tropical forest

Located in the areas with lower rainfall 100-200 cm annually and a distinct dry season. Vegetation is less dense with deciduous trees that shed their leaves during the dry season.

3. Temperate forest

It found at higher elevations generally between 1,500 to 3,000 meters. It also found with cooler temperatures. It consists of evergreen trees, conifers tree and sometimes deciduous trees.

4. Sub tropical forest

This types of forest located at mid-elevations in subtropical regions between 1,000 to 2,500 meters. Also these forests have a mix of evergreen and deciduous species and experience warm summers and mild winters.

5. Alpine forest

The Alpine trees has found at very high altitudes near above 3,000 meters and these are characterized by cold temperatures and harsh climatic conditions.

List of Important Forest Reserves in India

Forest reserves are areas of land that are legally protected for the conservation of forests and wildlife. These reserves aim to preserve biodiversity to protect the endangered species and maintain ecological balance.

No	Name of Reserve Forest	Place
1	Kaziranga National Park	Assam
2	Jim Corbett National Park	Uttarakhand
3	Ranthambore National Park	Rajasthan
4	Manas National Park	Assam
5	Dudhwa National Park	Uttar Pradesh
6	Nagarhole National Park	Karnataka
7	Pench National Park	Madhya Pradesh
8	Sanjay Gandhi National Park	Mumbai
9	Periyar National Park	Kerala
10	Eravikulam National Park	Kerala Munnar
11	Namdapha National Park	Arunachal Pradesh
12	The Great Himalayan National Park	Himachal Pradesh
13	Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary	Goa
14	Sundarban National Park	West Bengal
15	Simlipal National Park	Orissa
16	Guindy National Park	Chennai
17	Bhitarkanika National Park	Odisha
18	Rajaji National Park	Uttarakhand
19	Panna National Park	Madhya Pradesh
20	Keibul Lamjao National Park	Manipur
21	Silent Valley National Park	Kerala
22	Sariska Tiger Reserve Alwar	Rajasthan
23	Pilibhit Tiger Reserve	Uttar Pradesh
24	Turahalli Forest	Bangalore
25	Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary	Goa
26	Orang National Park	Guwahati
27	Khangchendzonga National Park	Sikkim
28	Bandipur Tiger Reserve	Bangalore
29	Buxa Tiger Reserve	West Bengal
30	Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary	Assam
31	Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary	Andhra Pradesh
32	Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary	Kerala
33	Parambikulam Tiger Reserve	Kerala
34	Kanha Tiger Reserve	Madhya Pradesh
35	Satpura Tiger Reserve	Madhya Pradesh
36	Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary	Kerala
37	Gir National Park	Gujarat
38	Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary	Karnataka
39	Sultanpur National Park	Haryana
40	Betla National Park	Jharkhand

List of Important Forests In India

S.No	Name	Location	Notes
1	Abujmarh forest	Chhattisgarh	The Abujhmarh forest is spread over 1,500 square miles in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. It is home to indigenous tribes of India, including Gond, Muria, Abuj Maria, and Halbaas.
2	Annekal Reserved Forest	Western Ghats	Annekal Reserved Forest is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India.
3	Baikunthapur Forest	Dooars, West Bengal	The Baikunthapur forests are situated in the Terai region of western Dooars/Duars within the state of West Bengal.
4	Bhavnagar Amreli Forest	Gir National Park, Amreli district, Gujarat	Bhavnagar Amreli Forest is a reserved area for conservation of Asiatic lions.
5	Bhitarkanika Mangroves	Odisha	The Bhitarkanika Mangroves are a mangrove wetland in India’s Odisha state. In 1975, an area of 672 km2 was declared the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. The core area of the sanctuary, with an area of 145 km2, was declared Bhitarkanika National Park in September 1998. The Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which bounds the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary to the east, was created in September 1997
6	Dvaita Forest	Thar Desert	The Dvaita Forest or Dvaitavana was situated to the south of the Kamyaka Forest. It contained within it a lake called the Dwaita lake, abounding with flowers, and delightful to look at, and inhabited by many species of birds, elephants and many trees (3,24). It was on the south-western outskirts of Kurujangala and thus the whole of the Kuru Kingdom. It was situated near the borders of the desert (northern extension of the Thar desert into Haryana) (3,176). It also lay on the banks of the Saraswati River (known there as the Bhogavati).
7	Jakanari reserve forest	Coimbatore	This forest is in the foothills of Jakanari mountain of Nilgris. Jaccanaire reserve forest/Jakanari is a reserve forest in north of Coimbatore where Forest College and Research Institute is situated. This reserve forest is recently becoming polluted because of human activities of nearby Mettupalayam.
8	Kamyaka Forest	Kuru Kingdom along the banks of the Sarasvati River	Kamyaka Forest is mentioned in the Indian Epic “Mahabharata” being situated at the head of the Thar Desert, near the Trinavindu Lake. It contained within it a lake called the Kamyaka lake (2,51).
9	Kukrail Reserve Forest	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh	The Kukrail Reserve Forest was planted in the 1950s over 5000 acres to serve as the city’s green lungs.
10	Madhu Forest	Northern India, west of Yamuna	According to the Ramayana, an Asura named Madhu, ruled this forest and its territory.
11	Molai forest	Jorhat district, Assam	Molai forest is named after Padma Shri Jadav “Molai” Payeng, Indian environmental activist and forestry worker.
12	Mulai Kathoni	Brahmaputra River, Assam	Molai forest is a forest on Majuli district in the Brahmaputra River near Kokilamukh, Assam.
13	Naimisha Forest	Gomati River, between the Panchala Kingdom and Kosala Kingdom, Uttar Pradesh	Naimisha Forest or Naimiṣāraṇya was an ancient forest mentioned in the Mahabharata and the puranas.
14	Nallamala Hills	Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh (South of River Krishna)	The Nallamala Hills is bordered by two major rivers Krishna and Pennar. Nestled in the Nallamala Ranges of Eastern Ghats, the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is a repository of Biodiversity and an abode for endangered flora and fauna.
15	Nanmangalam Reserve Forest	Chennai,Tamilnadu	Nanmangalam Reserve Forest is a protected forest located in Chengalpattu district, about 24 km from the city centre.
16	New Amarambalam Reserved Forest	The Western Ghats	Amarambalam Reserve Forest is one of the largest reserve forests of Kerala. The Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) has identified 212 species of birds from the Nilambur and Amarambalam forests
17	Pichavaram Mangrove Forest	Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu	World’s second biggest mangrove forest.
18	Saranda forest	West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand	Saranda is Asia’s largest Sal Forest. Sal (Shorea robusta) is the most important tree in the area.
19	Vandalur Reserve Forest	Chennai, Tamilnadu	Vandalur Reserve Forest is a protected area located in the suburb of Vandalur in the southwestern part of Chennai, about 30 km from the city centre. In 1976, a portion of the reserve forest covering 1,265 acres (512 ha) was demarcated by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department as the new location for the Madras Zoo,

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