Biogeographic classification of India

Frontispiece to Alfred Russel Wallace's book The Geographical Distribution of Animals

Biogeographic classification of India is the division of India according to biogeographic characteristics. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species (biology), organisms, and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. India has a rich heritage of natural diversity. India ranks fourth in Asia and tenth in the world amongst the top 17 mega-diverse countries in the world.[1] India harbours nearly 11% of the world's floral diversity comprising over 17500 documented flowering plants, 6200 endemic species, 7500 medicinal plants and 246 globally threatened species in only 2.4% of world's land area.[2] India is also home to four biodiversity hotspots—Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Eastern Himalaya, Indo-Burma region, and the Western Ghats.[3] Hence the importance of biogeographical study of India's natural heritage.

The first initiative to classify the forests of India was done by Champion in 1936 and revised by Seth in 1968.[4] This was followed by pioneering work on India's biogeography by MS Mani in 1974.[5] Numerous schemes divide India into biogeographic regions as part of global schemes based on varying parameters, e.g. the Global 200 scheme of the Worldwide Fund for Nature. In addition, ongoing research focusing on particular taxa have included biogeographic aspects particular to the taxa under study and the area under consideration.

Rogers and Panwar of the Wildlife Institute of India outlined a scheme to divide India zoogeographically in 1988 while planning a protected area network for India. Similarly the Forest Survey of India has issued an atlas of forest vegetation types in 2011 based on Champion & Seth (1968).[6] However, there is no official scheme mandated by the Government of India, as has been issued by the European Environment Agency in the case of the European Union.[7]

  1. ^ Kumar, N.K., Raghunath, T.P., Jayaraj, R.S.C., Anandalakshmi, R., Warrier, R.R., editors, "State of forest genetic resources in India: A Country report", Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Coimbatore, 2012
  2. ^ Stalin A, Nithaniyal (2016). "1. Introduction" (PDF). DNA Barcoding of Trees and Medicinal Plants Occurring in Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest of India (PhD thesis). SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Global biodiversity hotspots with special emphasis on Indian hotspots". ENVIS Centre on Floral Diversity, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  4. ^ Champion, Harry G.; Seth, S. K. (1968). A revised survey of the forest types of India. New Delhi: Manager of Publications, Government of India.
  5. ^ M. S. Mani (1974). Ecology and Biogeography in India. Monographiae Biologicae (Ed. J. Illies). Vol. 23. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. doi:10.1002/iroh.3510610524.
  6. ^ Atlas Forest Type of India. Dehradun (India): Forest Survey of India. 2011.
  7. ^ Environment Directorate General (7 August 2019). "The Habitats Directive". European Commission. Retrieved 18 May 2020.