Vegetation of Haryana | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

Natural Resources: Forests

• A forest is a complicated environment primarily consisting of trees and shrubs, and is typically densely covered.
• Forests are home to various life forms like plants, mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles, as well as a significant number of microorganisms and fungi that break down dead organic material to enhance the soil.
• Forests cover about 30% of the earth's total land area, which is almost 4 billion hectares.
• The forest ecosystem is made up of two parts: the non-living (abiotic) and the living (biotic) components.
• The non-living component of the forest includes factors such as climate and soil type, while the living component encompasses plants, animals, and other life forms.
• Within the forest, plants can be categorized into trees, shrubs, climbers, grasses, and herbs.
• Different types of forests exist based on physical, geographical, climatic, and ecological factors, such as evergreen forests (composed mostly of evergreen tree species) and deciduous forests (composed mostly of deciduous tree species that shed their leaves during specific months).
• Each type of forest provides a specific habitat for a community of animals that have adapted to living there.
• The term "forest" refers to the natural vegetation of an area that has existed for thousands of years and supports diverse biodiversity, forming a complex ecosystem.
• Plantations are distinct from natural forests in that they typically consist of a single type of planted species and do not support the same level of natural biodiversity.
• Forests offer several natural services and products.
• A wide range of forest products are utilized in daily life. Furthermore, forests play a crucial role in preserving ecological balance and have a significant economic impact.

Forest Statics of Haryana

• The forest cover in the Haryana Sub-Region has been consistently increasing since 2001.
• In 2011, the total forest cover in the sub-region expanded to 456 sq. km compared to 454 sq. km in 2009, 440 sq. km in 2005, and 354 sq. km in 2001.
• Based on the distribution of forest types in 2011, Gurgaon district had the most substantial forest cover (231 sq. km), trailed by Faridabad (93 sq. km) and Rohtak (53 sq. km).
• In terms of percentage, Gurgaon district has the highest forest cover in the Haryana sub-region, which has progressively grown from 7% in 2001 to 8.4% in 2011.

Forest Types in Haryana

The forest types found in Haryana are categorized into three groups: Tropical Dry Deciduous in the north-eastern region, Tropical Moist Deciduous in the Shiwalik region, and Tropical Thorn Forests in the western region.

Tropical Deciduous Forests

• These forests are among the most extensive in India.
• They are commonly referred to as monsoon forests.
• These forests are found in areas that receive between 70-200 cm of rainfall.
• Based on water availability, these forests can be further divided into moist and dry deciduous forests.

Moist Deciduous Forests

• Moist deciduous forests are more prevalent in regions that receive rainfall between 100-200 cm.
• These forests are located in the northeastern states, particularly in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Shiwalik region.
• The primary species of these forests include teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amla, semul, kusum, and sandalwood, among others.

Dry Deciduous Forest

• Dry deciduous forests are widespread in India and are found in areas that receive rainfall between 70-100 cm.
• These forests have a transition to moist deciduous forests on the wetter margins and thorn forests on the drier margins.
• In Haryana, these forests are found in the rainier areas of the northeastern region.
• During the dry season, the trees in these forests shed their leaves completely, and the forest takes on the appearance of a vast grassland with naked trees.
• The common trees in these forests include tendu, palas, amaltas, bel, khair, and axlewood, among others.

Tropical Thorn Forests

• The tropical thorn forests are located in areas with rainfall below 50 cm, and they mainly have grasses and shrubs.
• These forests are found in the semi-arid areas of the western region of Haryana.
• In these forests, plants usually do not have leaves for most of the year, and they appear like scrub vegetation.
• The key species found in these forests are babool, ber, wild date palm, khair, neem, khejri, and palas. Tussocky grass, which grows up to 2 meters, is the undergrowth.

Haryana State’s Emblems

State Tree: Pipal, Peepul or Bo tree (Ficus religiosa)

• The Pipal tree, a tree native to India, has been declared the state tree of Haryana.
• All parts of the Pipal tree, including its roots, bark, leaves, and fruit, have useful applications.
• The Pipal tree is classified as a large tree with red flowers that bloom in February, and its fruits ripen in May/June. It is widely found in uplands and plain areas.
• Various parts of the plant, including the roots, bark, leaves, and fruit, are used for medicinal purposes. The bark is useful in treating inflammations and glandular swelling of the neck, while the root bark is used for stomatitis, ulcers, and promoting granulations. The roots are also helpful for gout, and can even be chewed to prevent gum disease. The fruit acts as a laxative, promotes digestion, and checks vomiting, while ripe fruits are effective for foul taste, thirst, and heart disease. Powdered fruit is used for asthma, while the seeds have been found useful for urinary problems. The leaves are used to treat constipation.

State Flower: Lotus

• The Lotus or Water Lily is an aquatic plant with large floating green leaves and fragrant flowers that grow in shallow waters.
• There are two types of lotus based on the color of their flowers, the red lotus and the white lotus.
• The flowers of the lotus are attractive and float on the surface of the water with several petals that overlap in a symmetrical arrangement.
• Lotuses are valued for their peaceful beauty and are a pleasure to observe when their blossoms open up on the surface of a pond.

State Animal: Black Buck (Antelope)

• The Black Buck is an antelope species that is mainly found in India, with smaller populations in Pakistan and Nepal.
• Its horns are ringed and moderately spiral with three to four turns, and can grow up to 70 cm (28 inches) long.
• The term Black Buck has also been used to refer to the sable antelope species in Africa.
• Adult male Black Bucks are about 80 cm (32 inches) tall at the shoulder and weigh between 32 to 43 kg (71 to 95 lb). They have black upper parts, while their underparts and a ring around their eyes are white. Females are light brown and usually do not have horns, while males are dark brown.

State Bird: Black Francolin

• The Black Francolin is a game bird that breeds in most of north and central India, and is sometimes called the Black Partridge or Kala Teetar in Hindi. It lives near cultivated areas and scrub, often near wetlands.
• The bird prefers tall crops, grasses and bushes for shelter, and open spaces below for easy escape. It is more closely associated with water than the Grey Francolin.
• The male Black Francolin is black with a white patch on the cheek, a chestnut collar, and white spots on the flanks. The back and wings have scalloped patterns of golden brown, with tawny-buff bands and pale edges. The tail is black with narrow white bars, and the legs are reddish-brown to red.
• The female Black Francolin looks similar to the male, but is paler in color, has wider brown bars on the lower back, and lacks the white cheek patch. The chestnut collar is replaced by a nuchal patch.
• The bird's diet consists mainly of grain, grass seeds, berries, shoots, tubers, termites, ants, and insects.

Herbal Parks and Herbal Gyan Kendras in Haryana

• In each district, there are Herbal Parks and Herbal Gyan Kendras established to create awareness about the traditional Indian medicine system, preserve the gene pool, and produce high-quality seeds and seedlings for farmers.
• Farmers are being encouraged to cultivate and propagate medicinal plants outside their natural habitat to conserve biodiversity and generate income.
• The herbal parks will help in the conservation of species and serve as gene-pools for both indigenous and exotic species.
• The Haryana Forest Department's efforts have received appreciation from the public, practitioners, and policy-makers.

The State Medicinal Plants Board

• The State Medicinal Plants Board is responsible for advancing the medicinal plants sector in the state by carrying out Promotional Projects/Schemes and Contractual Farming Projects, which are sanctioned and funded by the National Medicinal Plants Board.
• The Promotional projects are intended to survey and identify medicinal plants, conserve/cultivate medicinal plants in their natural habitat or designated areas such as Herbal Parks, produce high-quality planting material in nurseries, conduct extension activities to raise awareness through Audio Visual Aids, Seminars, Training/Workshops, research the supply and demand of medicinal plants, research and develop the sector, add value and semi-process medicinal plant products, promote cooperation among growers and collectors of medicinal plants, and cultivate medicinal plants on a contractual basis on farmland. The National Medicinal Plants Board provides a 30% subsidy on the total project cost.

Haryana Community Forestry Project (HCFP)

• The Haryana Community Forestry Project (HCFP) was launched with the aim of conserving and revitalizing natural resources in 338 villages across 11 districts of Haryana, primarily through the development of forests, with the active involvement of communities, particularly women. The project was jointly funded by the Government of Haryana and the European Commission.
• This website has been created to enable the HCFP to share its experience with interested parties through various documents such as manuals, study reports, publications, and videos. Anyone who is engaged in similar work is welcome to download these materials, and hopefully, they will find useful insights to apply in their own projects.