
Mongabay series: The Indian Forest Story
India is the second-most populous country in the world, and one of the most biodiverse. The constant juxtaposition of people and forests has resulted in a 'conservation versus development' narrative, which needs to change. The fact that a forest is much more than a stand of trees needs to be communicated, to people and policymakers alike. The positive impacts of forests are diverse and far-reaching, a testimony to the interconnectedness of the environment we live in. India’s size and geographical location makes the country’s forests unique. The country straddles the tropical and temperate latitudes, resulting in the rich biodiversity of the tropical evergreen and deciduous forests, and the temperate forests of the northern latitudes. Home to the world's tallest mountains - the Himalayas - rising above the snowline, the temperate forests turn into tundra and Alpine meadows. The Himalayas stretch into the northeastern part of the country, from where other mountain ranges turn perpendicular and run right down into the Irrawaddy delta and beyond in Myanmar and Thailand. Ensconced between these ranges, the forests of the northeast pack their tropical character in the temperate latitudes. As if to compensate, in the tropical latitudes of peninsular south India, the higher ridges of the Western Ghats rise to become temperate sky islands. Thus the shola forest plus grassland ecosystem of the upper Western Ghats plateaus add as much to the India’s forest matrix as the tropical rainforests in the lower-level valleys. Stretching over the Deccan Plateau, the dry and moist-deciduous teak and sal forests of the central plateau and the Eastern Ghats complement the mosaic of forest types in the country. In the southern reaches of the Eastern Ghats it is the dry evergreen forests that hold sway. The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, Gujarat coast, Tamil Nadu coast and peri-urban Mumbai complete India’s forest mosaic. Through this series, Mongabay-India will strengthen the nuance and depth of the discussions around forests — in maintaining ecological security for ecosystems, livelihood security for communities, climate resilience and for the provision of ecosystem services.


[Commentary] What students and citizens can do about forest fires in Kodaikanal

Celebrating tiger numbers in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, while tribal residents await their rights

[Analysis] Developers should pay a higher Net Present Value for cutting forests

Two tiger reserves, two different stories of resettlement

Chhattisgarh forest fires continue while forest staff remain on strike

[Analysis] Indian forests around the size of Nagaland, thinned down in two years

[Obituary] M.K. Prasad: A relentless green activist

The state of India’s forests: Losing forests, gaining plantations

[Video Explainer] What is the significance of the Biological Diversity Amendment Bill and why did it face opposition?

Study draws attention to political reforms for the success of forest carbon finance

[Book Review] Good information, data and people’s support is needed for conservation

Forest official who complained about legal violations in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands loses duties

Bioresource access and benefit-sharing: How far have we come in India?

Bird festival puts spotlight on the biodiversity of Gujarat’s Dang forests

Conservation is serious business at this private nature reserve in Uttarakhand

The evolving story of India’s forests

[Explainer] What is a forest?

Climate change, land-use change may enhance plant species loss in the Eastern Ghats

All forest fires may not be bad fires
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter

Environment And Health
- Industrial water pollution threatens residents in Haryana’s Kundli area
- [Photos] Maharashtra’s female farm workforce struggles in the shadows of floods
- Sewing their way to a sustainable menstruation
- Continued fluoride contamination of groundwater is a glaring public health issue in central India

India's Iconic Landscapes
- North India’s hills are feeling the heat too, but differently
- [Commentary] Is expansion of aquaculture in the Indian Sundarbans an ecological threat or a pathway to sustainable development?
- One year of Similipal forest fire: The hits and misses
- Grasses spur mangroves to grow in an erosion-riddled Sundarbans patch

Beyond Protected Areas
- West Africa’s illegal online bird trade finds most buyers in South Asia
- Habitat changes may be causing sarus cranes to form breeding trios
- New gharial hatchlings in Nepal a hopeful sign for the critically endangered reptile
- Plastic, glass and other waste materials found in elephant dung in Uttarakhand

Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Farmers fear low fruit production as Kashmir records decline in precipitation
- Scientists sequence chickpea genome which could inform crop improvement efforts
- [Video Explainer] What is the significance of the Biological Diversity Amendment Bill and why did it face opposition?
- Tackling agrobiodiversity loss in Odisha’s Similipal protected area

Just Transitions
- Unaccounted deaths lay bare the dark side of sand mining
- In the midst of coal shortage reports, a coal mine extension is approved in pristine Hasdeo forests
- As India looks to shift to renewables, Jharkhand’s coal mine workers fear loss of jobs and social security
- Are power lines turning Kutch into a bird graveyard from a bird paradise?
