Question

Match the columns;

a) Evergreen forests	i) Sundar trees
b) Deciduous forests	ii) Pine
c) Coastal forests	iii) Pau Brazil
d) Himalayan forests	iv) Khejadi
e) Thorny and bush-type vegetation	v) Teak
	vi) Orchid
	vii) Sal

Answer 1

Hint: The basic definition of forests says that they are areas of land that are covered by trees. But around the world, depending on factors like; tree density, tree height, land use, ecological function etc. forests have numerous definitions. Forests are also classified into different types depending on the biome that they exist in, the type of trees, longevity of leaves etc.

Complete answer:
a) Evergreen forest – These forests are made up of evergreen trees; i.e. trees whose leaves remain green throughout the year, unlike those of the deciduous forest which shed their leaves in winter or dry season. Though (vi) orchids can be found in various environmental conditions around the world, they are most commonly seen in tropical evergreen forests.

b) Deciduous forest – These forests are not densely filled with trees. The trees that dominate in these forests are those which shed their leaves seasonally. The (v) Teak trees are found in different types of deciduous forest, for e.g. Moist and Dry upper mixed deciduous forests, Lower Mixed deciduous forests, deciduous dipterocarp forests etc.

c) Coastal forest – (iii) Pau Brazil is the national tree of Brazil and is found in the Atlantic Coastal Forests. (i) Sundar trees are most prominent in the Sundarbans which are located in the delta formed by the confluence of River Ganga and Brahmaputra.

d) Himalayan forest – These are a type of subtropical pine forest. Hence, (ii) Pine trees are prominent here. (vii) Sal tree is another species of plant that is found in this climatic condition. The Sal trees are found at elevations upto 1700 kilometers above the sea level.

e) Thorny and bush-type vegetation – (iv) Khejadi is a thorny and bushy species of plant which is found dry regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, U.P. etc.

Note: The total forest cover in India is around 7,67,581 square kilometers. The dry deciduous forests make up forty percent of the total forest cover. The wet deciduous forests make up seventeen percent of the total forests in India. The evergreen forests cover twelve percent of all the forests. The thorny bushy cover and alpine forests together cover only four percent.