Prelims 2014 · archive
EasyIf you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there?
- 1.Oak
- 2.Rhododendron
- 3.Sandalwood
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Oak and rhododendron grow naturally in the Himalayas. Oak is a leading tree of the wet temperate forests, and rhododendron occurs higher up at 3,000–4,000 m. Sandalwood is a peninsular tree concentrated in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, not a natural Himalayan plant. Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only.
- ✓ 1. Evergreen broad-leaved trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant in the Himalayan wet temperate forests.
- ✓ 2. In the Himalayas, rhododendrons occur alongside silver fir, juniper, pine and birch between 3,000 and 4,000 m.
- ✗ 3. Sandalwood (Santalum album) is a tree of peninsular India, with more than 90% of its area in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is not part of the natural Himalayan vegetation.
Remember · Himalayan vegetation changes with altitude: oak and chestnut in the wet temperate belt, then silver fir, juniper, birch and rhododendron at 3,000–4,000 m. Sandalwood belongs to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 5 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 5 “evergreen broad leaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant.”
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 5 “Silver firs, junipers, pines, birch and rhododendrons, etc. occur between 3,000-4,000 m.”
- ICFRE – Institute of Wood Science and Technology: Sandalwood Information System, Introduction ↗ “It is distributed all over the country and more than 90% lies in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu covering 8300 sq kms.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2014, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·