Gujarat: Vegetation

Forest and Wildlife in Gujarat

• Gujarat has only 11.04% of its geographical area designated as forest, which is significantly below the national average. The combined forest and tree cover amounts to 11.74% of the state's total area, with 7.48% classified as forest cover and 4.26% as tree cover outside forests (TOF). 
• The state's unique features include diverse climatic and geomorphologic conditions, such as the longest coastline in the country, the saline deserts of the Rann, grasslands, and wetlands. These factors contribute to the rich biodiversity of flora and fauna in Gujarat. Notably, the state is home to the last remaining populations of the Asiatic lion and the wild ass. 
• The Forests & Environment Department of Gujarat is responsible for formulating policies for the conservation of forests, wildlife protection, and environmental preservation. Gujarat has four national parks, 23 sanctuaries, and one conservation reserve.

Distribution of Forests in Gujarat

• The hills of Gujarat, which receive more rainfall than the low-lying plains, are where most of the state's forests are located. However, the hills of Kutch are an exception, as they receive little rainfall. 
• Gujarat has just under 2 million hectares of land under forest cover. The southern part of the state is rich in deciduous vegetation, including teak. In contrast, the Kutch region is dominated by thorny forests, featuring species such as Acacia Arabica, Acacia Leucophloea, Zizyphus Mauratiana, and Capparis Ophylla.

Flora and Fauna in Gujarat

• Gujarat's diverse climatic conditions support a wide variety of flora, with more than 400 species recorded. The state hosts one of the largest dry deciduous forests in western India, which includes trees like teak, Boswellia serrata, Anogeissus latifolia, and Diospyros. 
• Due to the arid climate, Gujarat also has a significant presence of xerophytic vegetation, including species such as Acacia arabica, Acacia leucophloea, Capparis ophylla, and Zizyphus mauratiana.

Forest Cover by District

• The Dangs district has the largest area under forest cover in Gujarat. The state is the only place outside Africa where Asiatic lions are found in their natural habitat, primarily in the Gir Forest National Park located in the southwest of the state. Besides lions, leopards are also found across the large plains of Saurashtra and the mountains of South Gujarat. 
• Other notable national parks include Vansda National Park, Blackbuck National Park in Velavadar, and the Narara Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch, Jamnagar. Wildlife sanctuaries in the state include the Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Porbandar Bird Sanctuary, Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, Kutch Bustard Sanctuary, Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary, Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Anjal, Balaram-Ambaji, Barda, Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Khavda, Paniya, Purna, Rampura, Ratanmahal, and Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Major Mountain Ranges in Gujarat

• Gujarat is home to some of India's major mountain ranges, including the Aravalli, Sahyadri (Western Ghats), Vindhya, and Saputara ranges. Additionally, Gir hills, Barda, Jessore, and Chotila are situated in various parts of the state.

Major National parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Gujarat

Wildlife sanctuaries of Gujarat