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Flora And
Fauna
Forests constitute about 12.8% of the total geographical area of the state.
The Himalayan region and the terai and bhabhar area in the
Gangetic plain have most of the forests. The Vindhyan forests consists
mostly of scrub. The districts of Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Ballia have no forest
land while 31 other district have less forest area.
Near the snow line there are forests of rhododendrons and betula
(bhojpatra). Below them are forests of silver fir, spruce, deodar, chir
and oak. On the foothills and in the terai bhabhar area grow the valuable sal
and gigantic haldu. Along river courses the Shisham grows in abundance. The Vindhyan forests have
dhak, teak, mahua, salai, chironji and tendu. The hill forests also have a large
variety of medicinal herbs.
Sal,
chir, deodar and sain yield building timber and railway sleepers. Chir
also yield resin, the chief source of resin and turpentine. Sisso is mostly used
for furniture while Khair yields Kattha which is taken with betel leaves or pan.
Semal and gutel are used as matchwood and Kanju in the plywood industry. Babul
provides the principal tanning material of the state. Some of the grasses such
as baib and bamboo are raw material for the paper industry. Tendu leaves are
used in making bidis and cane is used in baskets and furniture.
According to an authoritative computation, there are species of woody plants,
including trees, shrubs and woody climbers. Species of grasses have been
collected from the Gangetic plain. Herbs include medicinal plants like rauwolfia
serpentina, Viala serpens, podophyllum, hexandrum and ephecra gerardiana.
Corresponding to its variegated topography and climate, the state has a
wealth of animal life. Its avifauna is among the richest in the country. Widespread
in the jungles of Uttar Pradesh except in the higher reaches of the Himalayas,
are found the tiger, leopard, wild bear, sloth bear, chital, sambhar, jackal,
porcupine, jungle cat, hare, squirrel, monitor, lizard and fox. The most common
birds include the crow, pigeon, dove, jungle fowl, black partridge, house
sparrow, peafowl, blue jay, parakeet, kite, myna, quail, bulbul, kingfisher and
woodpecker.
Certain species are found in special habitats. The elephant is confined to
the terai and the foothills. The gond and para also found in this region. The chinkara
and the sand grouse prefer a dry climate and have their habitat in the
Vindhyan forests. The musk deer and the
brown bear is found in the higher Himalayas. Among the game birds resident in the state are the snipe, comb duck,
grey duck, cotton teal and whistling teal.
Several species of wildlife have become extinct in Uttar
Pradesh. Among them
are the lion from the Gangetic plain and the rhinoceros from the terai. The fate
of many species is uncertain the black buck, serow, musk deer, swamp deer,
bustard, pink-headed duck, chir and mural pheasants and four horned antelope.
Although a determined enforcement of laws against poaching and hunting has
yielded some results, the wildlife population today is alarmingly low.
Alligators and crocodiles were killed ruthlessly for their skin.
To preserve its
wild life the state has established one National Park; famed Corbett National
Park and 12 game sanctuaries.
The Corbett National Park is situated partly in Ramnagar and partly in the
Kalagarh forest division. It is one of the showpieces of the state.
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