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Why has India a rich heritage of flora and fauna? - Contemporary India
Why has India a rich heritage of flora and fauna?
India has a rich heritage of flora and fauna due to the following factors:
Varied Relief Features: India has diverse landforms including mountains, plateaus, plains, and deserts. Each landform supports different types of vegetation and animal life.
Diverse Soil Types: Different types of soils, such as alluvial, black, red, and sandy soils, provide the base for different types of plants, which in turn support different animal species.
Varying Temperature: The wide range of temperatures—from the tropical heat of the south to the alpine cold of the Himalayas—allows a vast variety of species to thrive.
Photoperiod (Sunlight): Due to its latitudinal position, India receives abundant sunlight for long durations, which helps in the rapid growth of diverse vegetation.
Precipitation (Rainfall): India receives varying amounts of rainfall, from over 400 cm in the Northeast to less than 10 cm in the Thar Desert. This creates different ecosystems like tropical rainforests and thorn forests.
Geographical Location: India's location at the junction of different bio-geographic realms (Indo-Malayan, Palearctic, and Afro-tropical) contributes to its biological diversity.