Consider the following States of India in terms of percentage of forest area in relation to the total area of the State : 1. Karnataka 2. Odisha 3. Kerala 4. Andhra Pradesh Which one of the following is the correct descending order ?
- (a)1-2-4-3
- (b)3-1-2-4
- (c)3-2-1-4
- (d)2-3-1-4
Correct — C, the order Kerala, Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh. Measured as forest cover expressed as a share of the state's own geographical area, these four fall into four clearly separated bands. Kerala is the outlier — more than half its area carries forest cover, a consequence of the Western Ghats running the length of the state. Odisha comes next at about a third, helped by the Eastern Ghats and the Chhotanagpur fringe. Karnataka is around a fifth, with its forest concentrated in the Malnad belt while the Deccan interior is dry farmland. Andhra Pradesh, reorganised in 2014 into a largely coastal and Rayalaseema state, is the lowest of the four. The figures reported in the India State of Forest Report 2019 make the spacing plain — Kerala 54.42 per cent, Odisha 33.15, Karnataka 20.11 and Andhra Pradesh 17.88 — and the ranking is the same in the neighbouring editions, so 3-2-1-4 is the descending order.
- (a)1-2-4-3 — This puts Kerala last, which is the single worst placement available. Kerala's share is roughly two and a half times Karnataka's, so it cannot be at the bottom of any descending list.
- (b)3-1-2-4 — It opens correctly with Kerala but then swaps Karnataka ahead of Odisha. Odisha's share is about a third of the state against Karnataka's fifth, so Odisha must come second.
- (d)2-3-1-4 — It puts Odisha ahead of Kerala. Odisha does have far more forest by absolute area, but the question asks for the share of each state's own territory, and on that measure Kerala is well ahead.
The Forest Survey of India assesses forest cover from satellite imagery every two years and publishes it as the India State of Forest Report. Forest cover is defined as all land of one hectare or more with a tree canopy density of at least ten per cent, whatever its legal status. It is reported both as absolute area in square kilometres and as a percentage of each state's geographical area, and the two lists look completely different: Madhya Pradesh leads on area while small hill states such as Mizoram lead on percentage.
The single most useful habit for ordering questions of this kind is to attach a rough figure to each state rather than trying to recall a ranked list — Kerala around a half, Odisha about a third, Karnataka about a fifth, Andhra Pradesh a little under a fifth. That also survives the small year-to-year revisions, which is important because the exact percentages shift with every report. One honest caveat about the wording: the stem says 'percentage of forest area', but only the satellite-assessed forest cover produces this option set. On recorded forest area — the legally notified figure — Odisha would come ahead of Kerala and no offered option would fit, so the stem has to be read as asking about forest cover.
- Forest cover is measured from satellite imagery as land of at least one hectare with a canopy density of ten per cent or more.
- In the India State of Forest Report 2019 the four states stood at Kerala 54.42 per cent, Odisha 33.15, Karnataka 20.11 and Andhra Pradesh 17.88.
- Kerala's high share reflects the Western Ghats running the length of the state.
- Ranking by percentage of state area gives a very different list from ranking by absolute forest area.
- The India State of Forest Report is published every two years by the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun.
- Ranking by absolute forest area when the question asks for percentage of state area, or the other way round.
- Assuming a large state must have a high percentage; the two measures often point in opposite directions.
- Quoting percentages from one report edition as if they were fixed; they are revised every two years.
Forest data is asked as an ordering item like this one, as which state has the largest cover by area, or as which report edition said what.
Consider the following States: 1. Chhattisgarh 2. Madhya Pradesh 3. Maharashtra 4. Odisha With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?
- (a) 2-3-1-4
- (b) 2-3-4-1
- (c) 3-2-4-1
- (d) 3-2-1-4
Answer(c) 3-2-4-1
The identical exercise on four different states two years later, and a reminder to read whether the order asked for is ascending or descending.
Arrange the following states in decreasing order of their total area under forest cover : 1. Jharkhand 2. Chhattisgarh 3. Arunachal Pradesh 4. Madhya Pradesh Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- (a) 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
- (b) 4 – 2 – 3 – 1
- (c) 3 – 4 – 1 – 2
- (d) 2 – 1 – 3 – 4
Answer(a) 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
The same ordering drill on the other measure — absolute forest area rather than share of state territory.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which one of the following states has the highest percentage of its geographical area under forest cover?
- (a)Kerala
- (b)Mizoram
- (c)Odisha
- (d)Madhya Pradesh
Answer(b) Mizoram — the leader on percentage, while Madhya Pradesh leads on absolute forest area.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Forest cover, as assessed by the Forest Survey of India, refers to all land of at least one hectare with a tree canopy density of
- (a)5 per cent or more
- (b)10 per cent or more
- (c)25 per cent or more
- (d)40 per cent or more
Answer(b) 10 per cent or more — irrespective of the land's legal status or ownership.