Most Indian regions have one dominant forest type. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have three, standing side by side across the same island chain.
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MCQ QuestionsIndGeo0132 · A&N Forest Ecology
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Forest types found side by side in one island chain
Mangrove, evergreen, and moist deciduous forest all occur here — no other Indian region combines all three.
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FSI Type Groups: Wet Evergreen, Semi Evergreen, Moist Deciduous, Littoral & Swamp
FSI, ISFR 2019
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Share of total forest cover that is mangrove
FSI, ISFR 2019
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Share classed as very dense forest
FSI, ISFR 2019
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Where wet evergreen forest dominates
A&N Forest Dept.
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Where moist deciduous forest is almost absent, unlike the Andamans
A&N Forest Dept.
✊ Must Know
Three Forest Types, One Island Chain
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands carry mangrove, evergreen, and deciduous forest together. No other Indian region combines all three this way.
- Coastal belts carry mangrove forest, adapted to tidal, salty water along the shoreline.
- North Andaman carries lush wet evergreen forest, marked by dense climbing plants.
- Middle Andaman carries moist deciduous forest instead, a distinct zone within the same island group.
📘 Good to Know
How the Two Island Groups Differ
- Moist deciduous forest is common across the Andamans, but almost absent in the Nicobar Islands.
- Evergreen forest dominates instead in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group.
- The Forest Survey of India classifies these forests into four Type Groups: Tropical Wet Evergreen, Tropical Semi Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous, and Littoral & Swamp Forests.
- Mangroves make up roughly 9-10% of the islands' total forest cover.
Test Yourself
🌟 Great to Know
Density and Composition
- Of the islands' total forest cover, about 42% is classed as very dense forest and 34% as moderately dense.
- Common mangrove species here include Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera conjugata, and Avicennia officinalis.
- This forest mix sits within a broader physical-geography and climate context — see IndGeo0031 — Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Physical Geography) and IndGeo0121 — Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Climate.
📝 Previous Year Questions
Where India's Three Forest Types Meet
- The mix The Andaman and Nicobar Islands carry mangrove, evergreen, and deciduous forest together. No other Indian region combines all three this way.
- Zones Coastal belts carry mangroves. North Andaman carries wet evergreen forest. Middle Andaman carries moist deciduous forest.
- Answer: (d) Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- View this question on the full 2015 paper →
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