Question

Which of the following characteristics are associated with the dry monsoon forest of India?
1. Annual rainfall is below 50cm
2. The trees are short rooted
3. Thorny shrubs and grassland
4. Mango, Mahua, Sisam, and Keeker are the prominent trees.
A. 1 and 2
B. 2 and 4
C. 3 and 4
D. 1,2 and 3

Answer 1

Hint: Monsoon forests are the deciduous forests of the tropical region. The trees of these forests shed off their leaves in the months of dry summer. The further regrowth of leaves takes place after the showers of monsoon rains. Hence, they are named monsoon forests.

Complete Answer:
The monsoon forests receive annual rainfall in the range of 200 cm and 70 cm. Based on the availability of water, we have moist monsoon forests and dry monsoon forests. The trees of moist monsoon forests grow in places that usually get rainfall between 200 and 100 cm whereas that of dry monsoon forests are found in areas having 100- 70 cm range. This implies that dry monsoon forests of India don't receive rainfall below 50 cm annually. So, statement (1) is wrong. The trees of such dry deciduous or monsoon forests receive very little rainfall compared to that of moist forests. Also, they need to survive a long dry summer season. Due to all these reasons, these trees have long roots which facilitate the regular availability of water for their survival. So, statement 2 is wrong.
Most of the trees are stunted, thorny, and xerophytic with small sizes of leaves. Thus, plenty of forests mainly consist of grasses, shrubs, and herbs. Thus, thorny shrubs are grasslands and are characteristic features of dry monsoon forests. So, statement 3 is right. Mango, Mahua, Sisam, and Keeker widely grow in dry types of deciduous forests owing to the dry seasonal climate. So, statement 4 is correct.
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: Dry monsoon forests are synonymous to dry deciduous forests. All characteristic features of these forests are attributed to the climatic conditions like long summer, lack of availability of precipitation.