Classification of Littoral and Swamp Forests
Littoral and Swamp Forests come in different types, like Beach Forests, Tidal Forests, and Freshwater Swamps. Let’s look at each in detail:
Beach Forests
These forests line the shores and river deltas. The rainfall varies depending on the place, ranging from 75 cm to 500 cm. The soil here is sandy and has lots of lime and salts but lacks nitrogen and other important minerals. Common species in these forests include Manilkara littoralis, Thespesia, Spinifex littoreus, and Casuarina equisetifolia.
Tidal Forests
Also known as mangrove forests, these grow in spots like river estuaries, swampy island edges, and along beaches. They’re found in salt marshes, tidal creeks, and estuaries, with soil made up of silt, silt-loam, silt-clay, and sand. Many birds call these forests home. Tidal forests have four main types:
- Tree mangrove forests are on both east and west sea shores.
- Low mangrove trees grow on soft tidal mud near estuaries that are flooded by salt water.
- Saltwater forests are beyond tree mangrove forests in big river deltas flooded by tidal water.
- Brackish water forests are near river deltas where the forest floor floods at least once a day.
Freshwater Swamps
These thrive in low-lying areas where rain or river water gathers for a long time. Here you can find plants like Salix tetrasperma, Acer, Putranjiva, Holoptelia, Cephalanthus, Barringtonia, Olea, Phoebe, Ficus, Murraya, Adhatoda, Canna, and various grasses. In India, mangrove forests cover 6.740 square kilometers, which is about 7% of the world’s mangrove forests. They’re well developed in places like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the West Bengal Sunderbans. Other important spots include the Mahanadi, Godavari, and Krishna deltas. However, these forests are also facing encroachment and need protection.
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Littoral and Swamp Forests| Class 11 Geography Notes
Class 11 Notes Littoral and Swamp Forests: Littoral forests and Swamp forests, also known as wetland forests, are abundant in India. These forests are mainly located in various places such as the reservoirs of the Deccan Plateau, the salty coasts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and the Gulf of Kutch, the deltas along the eastern coast, the lakes and rivers of Kashmir and Ladakh, and the swamps in Northeast India. They form an important part of India’s natural vegetation. In this article, we will learn in detail about Littoral and Swamp Forests.
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Littoral and Swamp Forests| Class 11 Geography Notes