Previous Year Question

Consider the following States.

In which of the above States do ‘Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests’ occur?

Only 1

2 and 3

1 and 3

1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: C

Detailed Solution

Tropical wet evergreen forests occur in Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, but not in Himachal Pradesh.

Conditions of tropical wet evergreen forests

These forests generally develop in regions receiving high annual rainfall, high temperatures and high humidity.
They do not experience a prolonged and clearly defined dry season.
Different trees shed their leaves at different times; therefore, the forest does not become leafless simultaneously and remains green throughout the year.
They have a multi-layered structure consisting of very tall trees, lower trees, shrubs, climbers and epiphytes.
Because of the dense canopy, only a limited amount of sunlight reaches the forest floor.

1. Arunachal Pradesh—correct

Arunachal Pradesh displays a rapid change in vegetation with increasing elevation.
Its warm and high-rainfall lower elevations support northern tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.
With increasing elevation, these are replaced by subtropical, temperate, sub-alpine and alpine vegetation.
The Namdapha region displays a vegetation sequence ranging from tropical evergreen forests to alpine vegetation.
Therefore, tropical wet evergreen forests occur in Arunachal Pradesh.

2. Himachal Pradesh—incorrect

Himachal Pradesh is situated in the Western Himalayas, and its vegetation is primarily controlled by altitude and temperature.
Its lower elevations support subtropical forests, the middle elevations contain temperate broad-leaved and coniferous forests, and higher elevations contain sub-alpine and alpine vegetation.
Deodar, chir pine, spruce, silver fir and blue pine are important trees in different altitudinal zones.
The specific tropical wet evergreen forest type mentioned in the question does not occur in Himachal Pradesh.

3. Mizoram—correct

Mizoram’s warm, humid and high-rainfall climate favours the development of tropical forests.
Tropical wet evergreen forests occur mainly in the southern and western parts of Mizoram.
Semi-evergreen forests are more common in the northern, north-western and central portions of the state.
Mizoram’s tropical evergreen forests support bamboo, cane, climbers and diverse broad-leaved tree species.

Therefore, States 1 and 3—Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram—are correct.

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