WHAT IS NATURAL VEGETATION?
The climate of a place is affected by its location, altitude, distance from the sea, and relief. Therefore, we experience regional differences in the climate of India. Jaisalmer and Bikaner in the desert of Rajasthan are very hot, while Drass and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir are freezing cold. Coastal places like Mumbai and Kolkata experience moderate climate. They are neither too hot nor too cold. Being on the coast, these places are very humid. Mawsynram in Meghalaya receives the world’s highest rainfall, while in a particular year it might not rain at all in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
Natural vegetation
We see a variety of plant life in our surroundings. How nice it is to play in a field with green grasses. There are also small plants called bushes and shrubs like cactus and flowering plants etc. Besides there are many tall trees some with many branches and leaves like neem, mango or some which stand with few leaves such as palm. The grasses, shrubs, and trees, which grow on their own without interference or help from human beings are called natural vegetation. Do you wonder how these differ from each other? Different types of natural vegetation are dependent on different climatic conditions, among which the amount of rainfall is very important. Due to varied climatic conditions, India has a wide range of natural vegetation.
Activity:
Let’s Do
On a map of India, locate the following places:
1. Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir
2. Jaisalmer and Bikaner in the desert of Rajasthan
3. Mumbai and Kolkata
4. Mawsynram in Meghalaya
5. Jaisalmer in Rajasthan
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK