According to the Indian State of Forest Report, 2023, what is the 'Total Forest Cover' of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmi…

Question

According to the Indian State of Forest Report, 2023, what is the 'Total Forest Cover' of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as a percentage of its total geographic area?

1. A. 38.15%
2. B. 37.15%
3. C. 39.15% (Correct answer)
4. D. 36.15%

Correct Answer

Option C — 39.15%

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 39.15%.

Key Points

• According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, the total forest cover of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is 39.15% of its geographical area.
• Forest cover is defined as all land of one hectare or more with a tree canopy density of 10% or above, irrespective of ownership or legal status — so it includes orchards, plantations and trees outside recorded forest areas.

Additional Information

• How forest cover is classified by canopy density:
  • Very Dense Forest (VDF) — canopy density of 70% and above.
  • Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) — 40% to 70%.
  • Open Forest (OF) — 10% to 40%.
  • Scrub — below 10%, and counted separately from forest cover.
• The India State of Forest Report is published every two years by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The ISFR 2023 was released in December 2024.
• National picture from ISFR 2023: India's total forest and tree cover is about 25.17% of the geographical area, of which forest cover alone is roughly 21.76%. The National Forest Policy, 1988, sets a target of 33% for the country as a whole and two-thirds for hill and mountainous regions.
• States with the largest forest cover by area: Madhya Pradesh, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. By percentage of geographical area, the leaders are Lakshadweep, Mizoram and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• Principal forest types of Jammu & Kashmir, ascending with altitude: tropical thorn and scrub in the Jammu plains, subtropical chir pine, temperate deodar, fir and spruce, sub-alpine birch, and finally alpine meadows above the tree line.