Which of the following statements is are correct about the vegetation distribution on the Himalayas ...........

Agriculture and Rural Development (Phase-I/II) Soil and Water Conservation

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Which of the following statements is/are correct about the vegetation distribution on the Himalayas?

1. The southern slopes of the Himalayas have thicker vegetation, as compared to the northern slopes.

2. Tropical Evergreen Forests are not found in the Himalayas.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1 only

2 only

Both 1 and 2

Neither 1 nor 2

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Explanation:

Explanation:
• Tropical Evergreen Forests are found in the lower reaches of the Northeastern Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

They are found in warm and humid areas, with an annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean annual temperature above 22°C.
Tropical Evergreen Forests are well stratified, with layers closer to the ground and are covered with shrubs and creepers, with short structured trees followed by tall variety of trees.
In these forests, trees reach great heights, up to 60 m or above.
There is no definite time for the trees to shed their leaves, flowering and fruition. As such, these forests appear green all the year round. Species found in these forests include rosewood, Mahogany, aini, ebony, etc.
The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which change in with the altitude. Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the Himalayas.
It is succeeded by the wet temperate type of forests, between an altitude of 1,000-2,000 m. In the higher hill ranges of north-eastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttarakhand, evergreen broad leaf trees, such as oak and chestnut, are predominant.
Between 1,500-1,750 m, pine forests are also well-developed in this zone, with chir pine as a very useful commercial tree.
Deodar, a highly valued endemic species, grows mainly in the western part of the Himalayan range. Deodar is a durable wood, mainly used in the construction activity.
Similarly, the chinar and the walnut, which sustain the famous Kashmir handicrafts, belong to this zone. Blue pine and spruce appear at altitudes of 2,225-3,048 m. At many places in this zone, temperate grasslands are also found.
But, in the higher reaches, there is a transition to alpine forests and pastures. Silver firs, junipers, pines, birch and rhododendrons, etc., occur between 3,000-4,000 m. However, these pastures are used extensively for transhumance, by tribes like the Gujjars, the Bakarwals, the Bhotiyas and the Gaddis.
?The southern slopes of the Himalayas carry a thicker vegetation cover, because of relatively higher precipitation than the drier northfacing slopes. At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of the tundra vegetation.