Rajasthan Natural Vegetation राजस्थान की प्राकृतिक वनस्पति, Download PDF Here

NATURAL VEGETATION

Natural vegetation and forests play an important role in maintaining the environmental and ecological balance. Forests help to improve local weather, prevent soil erosion, regulate river flow, and provide raw materials for a variety of enterprises. Many communities rely on forests for their livelihood, and recreational options abound. Storms have a lower velocity when they pass through forests. Forests supply industrial wood, construction wood, fuel wood, feed, and a variety of other useful and important goods. Forests acts as a shelter for animals.

Distribution of Forest: The forest cover in Rajasthan is very thin in comparison to the other states of Bharat because of its physical and climatic conditions. In Rajasthan, there are significant differences in the geographical distribution of forests -Dense Forest cover in Rajasthan is concentrated mainly in the districts of Sirohi, Banswara, Dungarpur, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Alwar. More than 20% area of these districts is forested. Churu, Nagaur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, and other dry and arid districts have less than 2% of their land covered with forest. Sirohi has the maximum forest coverage (31%) and minimum is in Churu (0.05%), and Jaisalmer is devoid of vegetation. Only thorny bushes and sevan grass is found in Jaisalmer. Now greenery is increasing here with the availability of water by Indira Gandhi Canal.

Types of Forests in Rajasthan

Tropical Thorny Forests - These woods can be found in dry and semi-arid areas of western Rajasthan, particularly in the districts of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Pali, Bikaner, Churu, Nagaur, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu. In these woodlands, trees are little and there are a lot of stunted bushes. In these woodlands, you'll find Khejari, Rohida, Ber, Ker, and Thor trees, as well as a few bushes. Their leaves are prickly and their roots are lengthy. Due to its immense utility in the desert, Khejri is known as the Kalp Vriksha.

A number of bushes are also found in these forests. Foag, Akra, Ker, Lana, Arna and Jharber are the main bushes of this region. Aside from that, the land is home to a variety of grasses. Sevan and dhaman grasses are among the most well-known of these. Dhaman grass is high in nutrients and beneficial to dairy cattle, whilst sevan grass is good for all animals.

Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests – In Rajasthan, these forests occupy a large region. These can be found in locations with 50 to 100 centimetres of rain. In these woodlands, the following areas can be found –

1. Dry Teak Forests – These woodlands can be found at elevations ranging from 250 to 450 metres. The profusion of teak trees has given these forests their name. These forests may be found in Udaipur, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Chittorgarh, and Baran districts. Teak trees account for 50 to 75 percent of overall forest cover. These woodlands also have Tendu, Dhawara, Gurjan, Godal, Siris, Haldu, Kher, Semal, Reetha, Baheda, and Imali trees. Teak trees cannot withstand extreme cold or frost, hence they are only found in the southern parts of Rajasthan. Teak wood may be used to make agricultural implements and construction components.

2. Salar Forests – These forests can be found on slopes with elevations of over 450 metres. These forests can be found in Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Sirohi, Pali, Ajmer, Jaipur, Alwar, and Sikar districts. Salar, Dhok, Kathira, and Dhavar are the primary trees in these woodlands. Gum can be found in abundance in the salad tree. Its wood is used in the packaging industry. Salar woodlands got their name from the dominance of Salar trees.

3. Bamboo Forests – These forests are known as bamboo forests because of the prevalence of bamboo trees. In Rajasthan, these woods can be found in locations where there is a lot of rain. These forests may be found in Banswara, Chittorgah, Udaipur, Baran, Kota, and Sirohi districts. The abundance of bamboo trees has given Banswara its name. These forests also contain Dhawara, Teak, Dhokra, and other hardwoods.

4. Dhokra Forests – The Dhokra forests are found in a very large area of Rajasthan. Most of the area of Rajasthan other than desert is favourable for dhokra trees. As a result, it is widely distributed throughout the state. These are most noticeable in Rajasthan at elevations ranging from 240 to 760 metres. The districts of Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Alwar, Ajmer, Udaipur, Rajsamand, and Chittorgarh are the most affected. In Rajasthan, Dhokra is also known as Dhok. These forests constitute part of the state's main forest wealth.

5. Palash Forests – These forests grow on rocky and rough surfaces. On plateaus bordered by hills, these trees are more noticeable. These forests can also be found on stony plains and areas where the soil is hard. Jharber, Kankeri, Hingota, Harjan, and Arunj trees are Palash's companions. The districts of Alwar, Ajmer, Pali, Sirohi, Udaipur, Rajsamand, and Chittorgarh are home to these woods.

Sub-Tropical Mountain Forest – These forests are mainly in Mount Abu area. These include evergreen and semi-evergreen vegetation. It contains dense vegetation. Mango, Bamboo, Neem, Teak trees etc. are found in these forests. These forests are found in less than 0.5% of the total forested area of Rajasthan.

Administrative Classification of Forests -

The forest resources of Rajasthan have been divided into three divisions based on administrative set-up.

Reserved Forests – These are state owned forests in which cutting of trees and grazing is prohibited. These forests are in 38 % of the forest area.

Protected Forests – These forests are also under government control. Tree cutting and grazing may be done with permission. These forests are found on 51 percent part of the total forested area of the state.

Unclassified Forests – Tree cutting and grazing are not regulated by the government in these areas. This category includes the remaining 11% of the state's forested area.