Prelims · Geography · 9 questions

India: climate, soils & vegetation

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Prelims 2019 · Q18

Medium

Which one of the following National Parks lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Valley of Flowers National Park

The Valley of Flowers in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, is a high-altitude West Himalayan park of alpine meadows, lying wholly above the tree-dominated lower zones. The other three begin in the foothills or low valleys and climb through tropical and subtropical forests, so they are not completely temperate alpine.

✓ (d) Part of the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers World Heritage Site, it is known for meadows of endemic alpine flowers in the high West Himalaya, in the transition between the Zanskar and Great Himalaya ranges.
✗ (a) Manas in Assam lies on a gentle slope in the Himalayan foothills with alluvial grasslands and tropical forests — a lowland park.
✗ (b) Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh rises from about 200 m to 4,571 m, so it runs from tropical evergreen forest up to alpine vegetation rather than lying wholly in one zone.
✗ (c) Neora Valley in West Bengal is known for dense subtropical and temperate forest on the Eastern Himalayan slopes, not for a park lying wholly in the alpine belt.

Remember · Valley of Flowers NP (Chamoli, Uttarakhand) = wholly alpine meadows; part of the Nanda Devi–Valley of Flowers World Heritage Site (1988, extended 2005).

Sources

UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks ↗ “Nestled high in West Himalaya, India’s Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty.”
UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary ↗ “On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife”
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Tentative List: Namdapha National Park (Government of India) ↗ “The park spans a wide altitudinal range from 200 m to 4,571 m at Dapha Bum, the highest point in the park.”
Kalimpong District (Government of West Bengal): Flora and Fauna ↗ “The Neora Valley National Park (88 sq. km), on the north-eastern face of the district with its dense subtropical and impenetrable temperate forest, is a national asset.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2019 · Q33

Medium

Consider the following States:

1.Chhattisgarh
2.Madhya Pradesh
3.Maharashtra
4.Odisha

With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 3–2–4–1

Lowest to highest forest cover as a share of the State's area is Maharashtra (about 16.5%), Madhya Pradesh (about 25.1%), Odisha (about 33.2%) and Chhattisgarh (about 41.1%). This gives the order 3–2–4–1.

✓ 3. Maharashtra has the smallest share: 50,777.56 sq km of forest cover, 16.50% of its area (ISFR 2019).
✓ 2. Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in absolute area (77,482.49 sq km) but only 25.14% of its area, because the State is so large.
✓ 4. Odisha has 51,618.51 sq km of forest cover, which is 33.15% of its area.
✓ 1. Chhattisgarh has the highest share of the four: 55,610.57 sq km, or 41.14% of its area.

Remember · Forest cover share of state area: Maharashtra 16.5% < Madhya Pradesh 25.1% < Odisha 33.2% < Chhattisgarh 41.1%. Madhya Pradesh is first in area but not in percentage.