Why has India a rich heritage of Flora and Fauna? You may discover certain fauna and flora that happen to be exclusive to where you are when you glance at them. Regarding its extensive range of biodiversity, India is among the richest continents. This might be two or three times the amount that has still been determined.
The diversity of climates in India, the abundance of several water bodies, and the availability of minerals all contribute to India’s flora and fauna history. Our country offers a variety of environmental characteristics as plateaus, arid landscapes, coastlines, tropical islands, and hills. India’s renowned wildlife (fauna) comprises more than 500 kinds of animals, 2000 categories of avian life, around 30,000 kinds of insects, various aquatic creatures, etc.
Flora
Flora is a list of different kinds of plants found in a particular area. The term ‘flora’ also applies to a book that results in an inventory of the varieties of plants. On the other hand, it is penned as ‘Flora’ when it goes on sale as a work of writing.
India has a variety of foliage that not many nations of similar dimensions have due to its broad spectrum of temperatures varying from tropical to frigid. India has different floral areas: the Deccan Plateau, Malabar, the Andaman Delta, the Ganges Valley, the western and eastern Himalayas, and Assam.
Flora flourishes in India. In terms of variety, the records show that India is in the 10th rank worldwide and 4th in Asian countries. Around forty-six thousand plant types were identified and categorized by the Botanical Census, covering approximately seventy percent of the territory examined presently. The noticeable canopy of vegetation has fifteen thousand varieties of plants with arteries.
The use of vegetation and its derivatives by different cultures is an area of ethnobotanical research. Plants like these were the focus of an academic inquiry by the Botanical Survey of India, which had done surveys in various indigenous districts of the nation. Over eight hundred plant kinds of ethnobotanical significance were gathered and cataloged.
Fauna
India contains about 8 percent of every kind of animal in the entire globe, even though it makes up roughly two percent of the land worldwide. The obligation of evaluating India’s flora resource is under the purview of ZSI, comprising Sixteen districts and its main office in Calcutta.
India possesses an extensive spectrum of flora total of 92,037 creatures. India offers a very diverse range of climatic and geographical environments. Approximately twice as many species are to be remaining undiscovered in the country itself.
The glorious elephants, the bison, the massive living bovine, the rhinoceros, the enormous Himalayan sheep, the barasingha, the thiamin spotted deer, and the antelope are among the animal species. The Asian tigers and lions are two of the finest cats in particular, while other feline cats can also be seen, such as the leopards, white leopards, marble cats, etc.
Several different kinds of animals are notable due to their splendor, vibrancy, elegance, and individuality. Woodlands and lakes are home to many avian species, including geese, ducks, mynahs, parakeets, pigeons, hornbills, and sunbirds.
India is ranked 12th out of all biodiverse countries worldwide, with a rating of 0.46 on its biodiversity index. India has a high biodiversity as 2o% of its area has trees and forests.
Also read: https://theqna.org/difference-between-wildlife-sanctuary-and-national-park/
The decline in flora and fauna depends on a variety of factors, including degradation of habitat owing to increased farming, excessive utilization of natural resources, contamination, the spreading of harmful substances into communities, outbreaks, landslides, droughts, and storms.
Over thirty-nine different kinds of mammals, seventy-two avian species, three vertebrate species, seventeen reptilian creatures, two aquatic species, and a variety of insects, moths, and butterflies are classified as being at risk or threatened with extinction.