Forests and Vegetation | APPSC State Specific Preparation Course - APPSC (Andhra Pradesh) PDF Download

Introduction

• The total notified forest area in the State is 36914.69 square kilometers, which accounts for 22.73% of the total geographical area.
• Kadapa boasts the highest notified forest area of 5041.26 square kilometers, while Krishna has the lowest notified forest area of 664.28 square kilometers.
• Regarding the ratio of notified forest area to geographical area, Vishakhapatnam District has the highest percentage at 41.50%, whereas Krishna has the lowest at 7.38%.
• The forests in the State are classified under various types such as Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest, Littoral Swamp Forest, Dry Teak Forest, and others.

Protected Area

• The State comprises 16 Protected Areas, including 13 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 3 National Parks, and one Tiger Reserve, namely NagarjunaSagar–Srisailam Tiger Reserve, the largest in India.
• Out of the total notified forest area, 8137.08 square kilometers are included in the Protected Area network.

Community Forest Management

• There are 4,419 VanaSamrakshanaSamities (VSSs) or Joint Forest Protection Committees (JFPCs) in the State overseeing an area of 8426.11 square kilometers of notified forests, which amounts to 22.8% of the forest area, under Community Forest Management.

Forest Cover

• Based on the interpretation of IRS P6 LISS-III 2012 data, the forest cover in the State is 23399.95 square kilometers, representing 15.24% of the geographical area.
• The forest canopy cover is distributed as 651.25 square kilometers of Very Dense Forest, 11810.20 square kilometers of Moderately Dense Forest, and 10938.50 square kilometers of Open Forest.
• The State also includes 9241.79 square kilometers of Scrub, 3900.52 square kilometers of Non-Forest land, and 372.51 square kilometers of Water Bodies.

Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests

• These forests are a mix of moist deciduous forests with evergreen elements.
• They are found in small pockets in valleys near perennial streams and hills at around 800 meters altitude.
• Key locations: Visakhapatnam district, Borra blocks of Vijayanagaram district, Tekkali, and Pathapatnam of Srikakulam district.

Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests

• These forests thrive in regions with rainfall above 1015 mm at an altitude of 610 meters.
• They can be categorized into:
  • Northern tropical moist deciduous forests (sal forests): Found in Srikakulam district with Shorea robusta as the dominant species.
  • South Indian tropical moist deciduous forests: Located in various regions including Gudem, Rampa agency, parts of West Godavari district, Kurnool district, and Chittoor district.
  • Southern tropical moist deciduous riverian forests: Found along rivers and streams in the plains with alluvial soil, forming narrow belts along the banks.

Dry Deciduous Forests

These forests have a lower amount of rainfall compared to moist deciduous forests.

• Tropical Deciduous Forests: Tropical deciduous forests in Andhra Pradesh start shedding their leaves around December. Between February and May, the forest appears sparse, but there are always some leaves present throughout the year. The flowering and fruiting processes occur before the new leaves emerge during the April-May showers. These forests are widespread across almost all districts of the state.
• Dry Savannah Forests: Dry savannah forests are found scattered throughout the state due to significant interference by living organisms. Trees in these forests are stunted and include species like Emblica officinalis, Phoenix humilis, Pterocarpus marsupium, and Terminalia chebula.
• Dry Evergreen Forests: Dry evergreen forests are located in coastal and plains areas with low rainfall (635 mm and below) at altitudes below 244 meters. They grow on poor soils with little organic matter and almost no topsoil. Examples of areas where this forest type occurs include Poolbayh, Velagada in Vijayanagaram district, Madugula range in Visakhapatnam, Tekkali, and Pathapatnam in Srikakulam.
• Tropical Evergreen Scrub Forests: These forests are found in the drier parts of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in districts like Anantapur. The main species in this type of forest include Acacia chundra, Albizia samara, Balanites aegyptiaca, and Anisochilus carnosus.
• Littoral and Tidal Swamp Mangrove Forests: Covering an area of 3,173 square kilometers, constituting 4.93% of the total forest area in the state, these forests are located in the coastal districts of Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Prakasam, Guntur, and Nellore. They are situated near the estuaries of the Krishna and Godavari rivers.