Which one of the following States has the maximum area under teak forest in India?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — D, Madhya Pradesh. Teak (Tectona grandis) is a tropical deciduous hardwood of central and peninsular India, and Madhya Pradesh — which also has the largest recorded forest cover by area of any Indian State — carries the largest area under teak. Teak dominates the State's tropical dry and moist deciduous forests, especially in the Satpura, Nimar and southern tracts, alongside sal in the wetter east.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Jharkhand's forests are dominated by sal (Shorea robusta), not teak; it is not the leading teak State.  (b) Andhra Pradesh does have teak in its deciduous forests, but its teak area is well below that of Madhya Pradesh.  (c) Uttarakhand's hill forests are sal, pine, oak and deodar; teak is a lowland tropical species and is not a major tree there.

Concept: Teak (Tectona grandis) grows in India's tropical moist and dry deciduous forests, roughly where annual rainfall is 100-200 cm, and is one of the country's most valued timbers. Central India — above all Madhya Pradesh — is the core of the teak belt; MP also leads all States in total forest cover by area, so it naturally holds the largest teak area.

State PCS 2020 Q27 — Geography PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q27 — Geography PYQ with Answer