India's forests are diverse and categorized based on ecological, geographical, and legal criteria. The country's forest cover spans various types, with tropical moist deciduous forests being the most extensive, covering 37.0% of the total forest area, followed by tropical dry deciduous forests at 28.6%.
Other significant types include tropical wet evergreen forests (8.0%), tropical semi-evergreen forests (4.1%), and subtropical pine forests (6.6%).
Forests in India are classified into several categories based on legal status and management: Reserved Forests, which are under direct government control and restrict public access for commercial use; Protected Forests, where local communities can collect forest produce and graze cattle without causing damage; and Unprotected Forests, which have no restrictions on tree cutting or grazing and occupy 18% of the total forest area.
Additionally, forests are categorized as State Forests, Commercial Forests, Private Forests, and Merchantable or Non-Merchantable forests based on ownership and accessibility.
Geographically, India hosts a wide range of forest types due to variations in climate, elevation, and topography. These include moist tropical, dry tropical, montane subtropical, montane temperate, and alpine forests.
The tropical moist deciduous forests are primarily found in states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Maharashtra.
In contrast, montane forests are located in the Himalayan regions, including moist temperate forests in the higher elevations of the Himalayas.
Notable protected areas include Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (520.8 km²), Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh (650 km²), Sundarbans in West Bengal (3,260 km²), and Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh (1,985 km²), which is the fourth largest national park in India.
The Sundarbans are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest reserves for the Bengal Tiger.
The Pichavaram Mangrove Forest in Tamil Nadu is the world’s second-largest mangrove forest.
Urban forests such as Kukrail Reserve Forest in Lucknow and Vandalur Reserve Forest in Chennai serve as green lungs for cities, with the latter housing the Madras Zoo.
The Molai Forest on Majuli Island in Assam, created by environmentalist Jadav “Molai” Payeng, is a notable example of reforestation efforts.
India’s forest types are also classified using the Champion & Seth system, which divides forests into six major groups and 200 subtypes based on climate, soil, and vegetation.
The total forest and scrub area covers 7,54,252 km², accounting for 98.26% of the total forest area, with grasslands making up the remaining 1.74%.