Into the Forests of Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh along with being the heart of India is also the land of vast lush green forests. Now, whether you are a future IFS aspirant, or are just curious about these forests, this brief overview will help you get a glimpse at the woodlands of central India.  

  

1) Over 30% of the total land mass of Madhya Pradesh is covered in forests,     besides producing natural resources of various classifications these forests are also a home for many wildlife species. It is mostly known for having Tiger, Leopard, Gaur, Chital, Sambar, and Chinkara.

2) The eastern, central and southern parts of the state are more densely vegetated, whereas the northern and western parts are lacking foliage.

3)the state was first to initiate making public friendly forestry with 15228 Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs), which guards and manages around 70% of the total forest stretch.

4)Tendu Leaf, Sal Seed, and Kullu Gum are some of the main trading produce of the forests. Other important produce includes Aonla, Harra, Lac, Achar, and Mahua. 

5) collection and selling of the product (other than teak and sal) grown in the forests account for more than 150 crores per year.

6)Jabalpur, Seoni, Balaghat, Panna, Sehore, Dewas, Hoshangabad, Harda, Betul, Sagar, Chhindwara and Mandla districts are the principle teak producers of the state. Teak is the prime specialty of the state, famous in the whole country for its color and texture, it is the ideal kind of wood for making furniture. 

7) The forests are classified into 9 natural regions and 11 agro-climatic zones. Madhya Pradesh consists of 18 different types of forests, tropical moist, tropical dry, tropical thorn, and subtropical broadleaved hill forests being some among the others.

8) The nine wonderful national parks of M.P.  comprises-

  Bandhavgarh National Park

 Kanha National Park

 Satpura National Park

Sanjay National Park

 Madhav National Park

 Van Vihar National Park

Mandla Plant Fossils National Park

 Panna National Park

and Pench National Park

 9) Along with the various National Parks, the state also has 16 forest territorial circles and 25 sanctuaries.  Bagdara Wildlife Sanctuary, Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary are some major wildlife Sanctuaries among 22 others. 

10) The state of Madhya Pradesh is the chief generator of herbs needed for the medicine industries situated all over the country. M.P. alone supplies 40% of the total national herbs demand. There are 11 agro-climatic zones in the state which makes it suitable for growing herbs like Ashwagandha, Baheda, Sarpagandha, Safed Musli, Khus, Satawar and numerous more.

These were just a few facts about the vast wilds of Madhya Pradesh. If you wish to explore more, you can visit https://mpforest.gov.in/index.html  (check this)