Types of Forests

Forests are an integral part of Vegetation. India is one of the ten most forest-rich countries in the world. Together, India and nine other countries account for 67 per cent of the world’s total forest area. Read here to learn more about the Types of Forests.

Forests are classified based on factors such as climate, vegetation, and geography. Each type supports unique flora, fauna, and ecological processes.

Definition of forest

The word Forest is derived from the Latin word ‘Fores’ meaning outside, the reference being to a village boundary or fence and it includes all uncultivated & uninhabited land.

The forest is the second largest land use in India next to agriculture. The forest cover of India is assessed as 80.9 million hectares which constitutes 24.62 per cent of the country’s geographical area ranging in different types of forest from the Himalayan Temperate to Dry Zone forests.

At present, in India, there is no clear nationally accepted definition of ‘forest’. States are responsible for determining their definition of forests. 

The prerogative of the states to define forests stems from a 1996 Supreme Court order called the T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs. the Union of India judgment. In the judgement, the Supreme Court interpreted that the word “forest” must be understood according to its “dictionary meaning”. This description covers all statutorily recognised forests, whether designated as reserved, protected or otherwise.

Forest-Related Terms: Video Explainer

Constitution provisions relating to the forest

Forest is included in the Concurrent List in the (Seventh Schedule) of the Constitution of India. Through the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 Forests and Protection of Wild Animals and Birds was transferred from State to Concurrent List.

Article 48 A in the Directive Principles of State policy, mandates that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.

Article 51 A (g) of the Constitution states that it shall be the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests and Wildlife. 

Statutes relating to the forest:

India’s forests are currently governed by the National Forest Policy, 1988 which has environmental balance and livelihood at its centre.

Types of Forests

A great variety of forests are found in different parts of India due to the unequal distribution of rainfall and temperature, seasonal variation, and varied biotic conditions. 

Forests have a great relationship with the surrounding atmosphere. The range of forests in India is very diverse.

We can find here from the rain forest of Kerala in the South to the alpine pastures of Ladakh, from the desert of Rajasthan in the west to the evergreen forest in the northeast.

Accordingly, the forests in India can be divided as

1. Classification of forest type on an administrative basis

Reserved Forests	Protected Forests	Unprotected Forests
Directly under the control of the government.	Looked after by the government.	Unclassified Forests.
No one is permitted to enter for the commercial grazing of cattle.	Locals are permitted to gather forest products and graze cattle without causing any significant harm.	No restriction on cutting trees or grazing cattle.
This category includes 53% of the nation’s total forest area (TFA).	Occupy about 29% of the TFA.	Occupy 18% of the TFA.

2. Classification of forest type based on the Constitution

State Forest	Commercial Forest	Private Forest
Include nearly all of the nation’s significant forested areas and are completely controlled by the state or Central government.	Nearly all significant forest areas in the nation are owned and managed by local organisations (municipal corporations, village panchayats, district boards, etc.) and are completely under state or federal control.	Under private ownership.
almost 94% of the TFA Coverage.	Cover 5% of the TFA.	slightly more than 1% of the Cover in TFA.

3. Classification of forest type based on Merchantability

Merchantable	Non- Merchantable
Forests that are accessible.	Forests that are situated at high mountainous peaks; are non-accessible.
Cover 82% of the TFA.	Cover 18% of the TFA.

4. Classification of forest type based on Composition

Coniferous Forest	Broad-Leaf Forest
Temperate Forests	Tropical and subtropical monsoon forests.
Found in the middle and upper elevations of the eastern Middle Himalayas and N-E Indian states like Arunachal Pradesh.	Found in the plateaus, plains and mountainous areas of the country.
Cover 6.50% of the TFA of the country.	Cover about 94% of the TFA of the country.

5. Classification of forest type based on Average Rainfall

Type of forest	Climate	Found in	Speciality of trees
Tropical Moist Evergreen Forest	Warm and humid areas Annual precipitation of over 200 cm or more Mean annual temperature above 22°C. The dry season is distinctly short.	Southern India The Western Ghats, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, North-eastern region.	Trees reach great heights up to 60 m or above. These forests appear green all year round Rosewood, Mahogany, Aini, Ebony, Jackfruit, Betelnut Palm, Junmango and Hallock
Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forest	Annual precipitation of over 150 cm	Found in the less rainy parts of the regions where moist evergreen forests are found The Western Ghats, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Eastern Himalayas.	Such forests have a mixture of moist evergreen and moist deciduous trees. White cedar, Hillock, Kail
Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest	Prolonged hot and dry season and a cold winter	Shivalik Hills and foothills of the Himalayas up to a height of 1000 metres in the north. Andra Pradesh, Karnataka coast in the south	Hard-leaved evergreen trees with fragrant flowers, along with a few deciduous trees Trees have a varnished look Pomegranate, olive and oleander
Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest (Monsoon Forest)	This type of forest has an annual precipitation of between  100-200 cm.	north-eastern state foothills of the Himalayas eastern slopes of the Western Ghats Odisha	Tall trees with broad, branched trunks, some taller trees shed their leaves in the dry season.  Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amla, semul, kusum sandalwood
Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest	Covers vast areas of the country, where rainfall ranges between 70 -100 cm On the wetter margins, it has a transition to the moist deciduous, while on the drier margins to thorn forests.	This type of forest sees throughout the northern part of the country except in the northeast. Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.	As the dry season begins, the trees shed their leaves completely and the forest appears like a vast grassland with naked trees all around. Tendu, palas, Amaltas, bel, Khair, axlewood,
Thorn Forest	The forests occur in areas that receive an annual rainfall of less than 50cm.	This type is found in areas with black soil. North, West, Central, and South India. Includes semi-arid areas of southwest Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.	The trees do not grow beyond 10 metres and consist of a variety of grasses and shrubs. Spurge, caper, and cactus. The plants remain leafless for the most part of the year. Babul, Acacia, Kokko, Khair, Khajuri, Ber, Neem, Khejri, Palas.
Montane Wet Temperate Forest	This type of forest receives a minimum rainfall of 200 cm.	Northern and southern India  In the North, it is found in the region to the east of Nepal into Arunachal Pradesh, at a height of 1800–3000 metres,  In the South, it is found in parts of the Nilgiri Hills, the higher reaches of Kerala.	The forests in the northern region are denser than in the South. Eucalyptus, Rhododendrons, Champa variety of ground flora.
Montane Subtropical Forest	average rainfall is 100-200 cm temperature varies between 15°C to 22°C.	North-western Himalayas (except Ladakh and Kashmir), Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.	Chir (Pine) Oak, Jamun and Rhododendron
Himalayan Moist Forest	Found in the belt where altitude varies between 1000-2000 m.	Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand Northern hilly parts of Bengal.	Oak, chestnut, chir, sal, shrubs and nutritious grasses.
Himalayan Dry Forest	Found in Himalayan sides	J&K, Chamba, Lahaul & Kinnaur districts (Himachal Pradesh)  Sikkim.	Mainly coniferous; deodar, oak, chilgoza, maple, olive, mulberry and willow.
Alpine & Subalpine Forest	In the higher reaches, there is a transition to Alpine forests and pastures occurring at altitudes of 2,500-4,000 m.	Subalpine forests extend from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh between 2900 to 3500 metres.	In the  Western Himalayas, the vegetation consists mainly of juniper, rhododendron, willow, and black currant. In the eastern parts, red fir, black juniper, birch, and larch are the common trees.
Littoral & Swamp Forest	Some of these forests are dense and impenetrable. Only a limited number of plants are found in these evergreen forests. They have roots that consist of soft tissue so that the plant can breathe in the water.	Found along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the delta area of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra. Other areas of significance are the Mahanadi, the Godavari and the Krishna deltas.	It consists mainly of whistling pines, mangrove dates, palms, and bullet wood.
Mangroves	In India, the mangrove forests spread over 6,740 sq. km which is 7% of the world’s mangrove forests.	Sunderbans along the Ganges delta are the largest tidal forest in the world.	The forests stabilise the shoreline and protect the coastal areas from erosion.

6. Forest Types in India (As per Champion and Seth Classification)

1. Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests
   • Location: Western Ghats, Northeastern states, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
   • Climate: High rainfall (200–300 cm/year), hot and humid
   • Vegetation: Dense, multilayered with tall trees like rosewood, mahogany, and ebony
   • Features: Evergreen canopy; rich biodiversity
2. Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests
   • Location: Western Ghats, Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
   • Climate: Intermediate rainfall (150–250 cm/year)
   • Vegetation: Combination of evergreen and deciduous species like cedar and sal
   • Features: Transition between evergreen and deciduous forests
3. Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests
   • Location: Eastern India, foothills of the Himalayas, central India
   • Climate: Moderate rainfall (100–200 cm/year)
   • Vegetation: Teak, sal, and sandalwood; trees shed leaves in dry season
   • Features: Most extensive forest type in India
4. Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests
   • Location: Deccan Plateau, Gangetic plains
   • Climate: Lower rainfall (50–100 cm/year)
   • Vegetation: Babul, neem, and palash
   • Features: Open canopy; seasonal leaf shedding
5. Tropical Thorn Forests
   • Location: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab
   • Climate: Arid and semi-arid regions, rainfall <50 cm/year
   • Vegetation: Acacia, babul, and cactus
   • Features: Sparse vegetation adapted to drought
6. Montane Forests
   • Location: Himalayas, Nilgiris
   • Climate: Varied with altitude; high moisture
   • Vegetation:
     • Subtropical: Pine, oak, and deodar
     • Temperate: Rhododendron and silver fir
   • Features: Diverse vertical stratification
7. Mangrove Forests
   • Location: Sundarbans (West Bengal), Pichavaram (Tamil Nadu), Andaman and Nicobar Islands
   • Climate: Coastal regions with tidal influence
   • Vegetation: Mangrove trees like sundari, rhizophora, and avicennia
   • Features: Adapted to saline water; vital for coastal protection

Read: Mangrove Forest in India

Geographical distribution of forest types in India     

Tree Cover & Forest Cover

Note: Subscribe to the ClearIAS YouTube Channel to learn more.

Any forested region that represents a legal status of the land in the Government Records is called a Forest Area, whereas the term Forest Cover can be any non-government recognised land having forests in it.

A tree cover is defined as a region of size smaller than one hectare which is found outside the recorded forest area

Also read: Forest Management: National Working Plan Code

Degradation

A decline in Natural Forests:

• There is a 1,582 sq km decline in moderately dense or natural forests. The decline even with an increase of 2,621 sq km in open forest areas shows the degradation of forests in the country.
• The scrub area has increased by 5,320 sq km which indicates the complete degradation of forests in these areas. Very dense forests have increased by 501 sq km.

A Decline in Forest Cover in the Northeast:

• The forest cover in the northeast has shown an overall decline of 1,020 sq km.
• The Northeast states cover 98% of the total geographical area but have 23.75% of the total forest cover. This decline in this region has been attributed to the series of natural calamities that occurred here like landslides and heavy rains, as well as to anthropogenic activities such as shifting agriculture, developmental activities, and extensive deforestation.

Read:

• India state of forest report 2019
• India state of forest report 2021
• India state of forest report 2023

Article written by: Aseem Muhammed