Q. 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?

  • 2-3-1-4
  • 2-3-4-1
  • 3-2-4-1
  • 3-2-1-4

Answer: (c) 3-2-4-1

Notes:

  • As per the report published by the Forest Survey of India the percentage of forested area in ascending order is:
    • Chhattisgarh (41.09%),
    • Odisha (32.98%),
    • Madhya Pradesh (25.11%),
    • Maharashtra (16.47%).
Forest Survey of India 2021
  • The Total Forest and Tree cover is 24.62% of the geographical area of the country.
    • The Total Forest cover is 7,13,789 sq km which is 21.71% of the geographical area of the country.
    • The Tree cover is 2.91% of the geographical area of the country.
  • As compared to ISFR 2019 the current assessment shows an increase of:
    • 0.28% of forest and tree cover put together, at the national level.
    • Forest Cover: 0.22%
    • Tree Cover: 0.76%
  • Change in Recorded forest Area/Green Wash (RFA/GW) as compared to previous assessment of 2019.
    • Forest Cover within the RFA/GW: A slight increase of 31 sq km.
    • Forest Cover outside the RFA/GW: There is an increase of 1,509 sq km.
  • The top five states in terms of increase in forest cover:
    • Andhra Pradesh>Telangana>Odisha>Karnataka>Jharkhand.
  • Forest cover in the hill districts is 40.17% of the total geographical area of these districts. A decrease of 902 sq km (0.32%) in 140 hill districts of the country.
  • The total forest cover in the tribal districts is 37.53% of the geographical area of these districts.
    • The current assessment shows a decrease of 655 sq km of forest cover inside the RFA/GW in the tribal districts and an increase of 600 sq km outside.
  • Total forest cover in the North-Eastern region is 64.66% of its geographical area. The current assessment shows a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 1,020 sq km (0.60%) in the region.
  • Mangrove cover: The Mangrove cover in the country has increased by 0.34% as compared to the previous assessment.
  • Total Carbon Stock: The total carbon stock in forests is estimated as 7,204.0 million tonnes an increase of 79.4 million tonnes since 2019.
  • Forest Prone to Fire: The analysis reveals that 22.27% of the forest cover is prone to forest fire.
  • Bamboo Forests: The total bamboo bearing area of the country is estimated as 1,49,443 sq km. There is a decrease of 10,594 sq km in the bamboo bearing area as compared to the estimate of ISFR 2019.