Tropical Rain Forests
These forests are restricted to heavy rainfall areas of the Western Ghats and the island groups of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar, upper parts of Assam and Tamil Nadu coast. They are at their best in areas having more than 200 cm of rainfall with a short dry season. The trees reach great heights up to 60 meters or even above. Some of the commercially important trees of this forest are ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber and cinchona.
Tropical Deciduous Forests
These are the most widespread forests of India. They are the monsoon forests and spread over the region receiving rainfall between 200 cm and 70 cm. Trees of this forest-type shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry summer.
These forests exist, therefore, mostly in the eastern part of the country – northeastern states, along with the foothills of the Himalayas, Jharkhand, West Orissa and Chhattisgarh, and on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. Teak is the most dominant species of this forest. Bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, Kusum, Arjun, mulberry are other commercially important species.
The Thorn Forests and Scrubs
In regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall, the natural vegetation of India consists of thorny trees and bushes. This type of vegetation is found in the north-western part of the country including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant species. Trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get moisture.
Montane Forests
In mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude leads to the corresponding change in natural vegetation of India. You can find the wet temperate type of forests between a height of 1000 and 2000 metres. Evergreen broad-leaf trees such as oaks and chestnuts predominate. Between 1500 and 3000 meters, you can find the temperate forests containing coniferous trees like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce, and cedar.
Mangrove Forests
You can find the mangrove tidal forests in the areas of coasts influenced by tides. Mud and silt get accumulated on such coasts. Dense mangroves are the common varieties with roots of the plants submerged under water. You can find these in the deltas of the Ganga, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Godavari and the Kaveri.