Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Western Ghats
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Forest types in India are closely linked to climate and relief. Tropical evergreen forests, sometimes called rain forests, occur where rainfall is high and fairly well distributed throughout the year. They are dense, multi layered forests with tall trees that remain green all round the year. This question checks whether you can identify which mountain or plateau region of India is mainly associated with such tropical evergreen forests.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Tropical evergreen forests in India are mainly found in areas with more than about 200 centimetres of annual rainfall, especially on windward mountain slopes facing the sea. The Western Ghats along the Arabian Sea coast receive very heavy rainfall from the southwest monsoon, and their windward slopes support dense tropical evergreen forests. By contrast, the Eastern Ghats are lower and more broken, the Vindhyas and Aravallis lie in drier central and western regions, and the Thar fringe is semi arid. Therefore, the Western Ghats are the classic region for tropical evergreen forests in India.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the climatic requirements of tropical evergreen forests, namely high annual rainfall and humidity with no marked dry season.
Step 2: Visualise the Western Ghats running parallel to the west coast of India, intercepting the moisture laden southwest monsoon winds and causing heavy orographic rainfall.
Step 3: Note that Kerala, parts of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra along these Ghats are known for dense evergreen and semi evergreen forests.
Step 4: Consider the Eastern Ghats, which are discontinuous hills with lower heights, lying in the rain shadow of parts of the Deccan Plateau and receiving less uniform rainfall.
Step 5: Recognise that the Vindhyachal Range and Aravalli Range lie further inland and closer to drier regions, where tropical deciduous forests and scrub are more common than evergreen forests.
Step 6: Understand that the Thar Desert fringe is semi arid and completely unsuitable for typical tropical evergreen forests.
Step 7: Conclude that the Western Ghats are the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative Check:
You can verify by recalling common examples from textbooks. The Silent Valley in Kerala and many wildlife sanctuaries in the Western Ghats are famous for their evergreen rain forest type vegetation and very rich biodiversity. The Western Ghats region is also recognised as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, partly because of these evergreen forests. In contrast, when you think of the Vindhyas and Aravallis, you primarily remember scrub, thorn forests and deciduous vegetation, not rain forests, which confirms your choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Eastern Ghats do have forests but are more associated with tropical deciduous types and are not the main home of India's evergreen rain forests.
The Vindhyachal Range runs through central India where the climate is drier and seasonal, favouring deciduous forests rather than evergreen ones.
The Aravalli Range lies partly in Rajasthan and nearby states, and its environment is relatively dry compared to the Western Ghats.
The fringe of the Thar Desert is characterised by arid and semi arid vegetation and is completely unsuitable for dense tropical evergreen forests.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse evergreen with simply green looking forests and may incorrectly pick any range with forest cover. Others see the word Ghats and might mistakenly think Eastern Ghats also have rain forests like the Western Ghats. To avoid this, remember a simple rule: the Western Ghats facing the Arabian Sea are the classic rain forest region, while most interior and eastern hill ranges support mainly deciduous forests. Linking forest type to rainfall and monsoon direction is the key to getting such questions right.
Final Answer:
The region of India most widely covered by tropical evergreen forests is the Western Ghats.
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