A biogeographic zone is a large, distinct geographic region defined by unique climatic conditions, geological features, and ecosystems, which together shape the distribution of plants, animals, and other forms of life.
India is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, home to a wide range of ecosystems. To systematically classify and conserve its biodiversity, India is divided into ten biogeographic zones, which are further subdivided into 27 biogeographic provinces (also known as biotic provinces).
This article provides a comprehensive overview of these biogeographic zones of India, along with their key features, provinces, and a free downloadable PDF map.
The above classification is based on the work of Rodgers and Panwar from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), who proposed a scheme in 1986 to divide India zoogeographically while planning a protected area network for the country.
Biogeographic Zones of India and Their Provinces
Each of the 10 biogeographic zones of India is further classified into biogeographic provinces. A list of these provinces is given below:
| S. No | Biogeographic Zone | Biogeographic Provinces |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Trans-Himalaya | 1A: Ladakh Mountains 1B: Tibetan Plateau 1C: Sikkim |
| 2. | Himalaya | 2A: North West Himalaya 2B: West Himalaya 2C: Central Himalaya 2D: East Himalaya |
| 3. | Desert | 3A: Thar 3B: Kutch |
| 4. | Semi-Arid | 4A: Punjab Plains 4B: Gujarat Rajputana |
| 5. | Western Ghats | 5A: Malabar Plains 5B: Western Ghats Mountains |
| 6. | Deccan Peninsula | 6A: Central Highlands 6B: Chotanagpur 6C: Eastern Highlands 6D: Central Plateau 6E: Deccan South |
| 7. | Gangetic Plain | 7A: Upper Gangetic Plains 7B: Lower Gangetic Plains |
| 8. | North-East | 8A: Brahmaputra Valley 8B: North East Hills |
| 9. | Coasts | 9A: West Coast 9B: East Coast 9C: Lakshadweep |
| 10. | Islands | 10A: Andaman 10B: Nicobar |
Biogeographic Zones Features
Key features of each of India’s biogeographic zones are given below:
1. Trans-Himalayan Zone
- Constitutes 5.6 percent of the country’s geographical area.
- Includes Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, North Sikkim, and Lahaul and Spiti areas of Himachal Pradesh.
- Flora: Characterized by sparse alpine steppe vegetation, with grasses and small shrubs. Includes endemic plant species adapted to cold and arid conditions.
- Fauna: Home to wild sheep and goats like Ibex and Kiang (Tibetan wild ass), along with species such as the Snow Leopard and Black-necked Crane.
- Topography: The region features rugged terrain, glaciers, and high-altitude landscapes ranging from 4,500 to 6,000 meters above sea level.
2. Himalayan Zone
- Covers 6.4% of India’s area, spans the entire Himalayan range, including the northwest, west, central, and eastern regions.
- Ecosystems: Subtropical forests dominate lower elevations, while coniferous forests, alpine meadows, and glaciers define higher altitudes. Eastern regions host tropical rainforests, while western and central areas have dense alpine forests.
- Biodiversity: Home to species like bharal, ibex, Himalayan tahr, Hangul, and musk deer, alongside predators such as snow leopards, leopards, and red pandas.
3. The Indian Desert
- Spans 6.6% of India’s geographical area, covering the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, and parts of Haryana and Punjab.
- Experiences hot, dry summers and cold winters, with annual rainfall below 70 cm.
- Features xerophytic vegetation, including thorny trees, cacti, and succulents adapted to arid conditions.
- Hosts species like the Indian wild ass, Indian wolf, desert fox, and blackbuck. Birds include the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard.
4. The Semi-Arid Zone
- Spans 16.6% of the country’s geographical area, acting as a transition zone between desert and denser forests consisting largely of thorn forests and savannahs.
- Characterized by shrublands, grasslands, and dry deciduous forests, which are ecologically vital.
- Hosts species such as the Asiatic Lion in Gir Forest, along with wolves, blackbuck, chinkara, nilgai, four-horned antelope, and the Great Indian Bustard.
5. Western Ghats
- Covers 4% of India’s geographical area and runs along the western coast of peninsular India, from the Tapti River in the north to Kanyakumari in the south.
- Supports tropical evergreen forests that are home to approximately 15,000 species of higher plants, of which around 4,000 are endemic.
- Hosts a variety of endemic and endangered species such as the Nilgiri Langur, Lion-tailed Macaque, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Tahr, and Malabar Grey Hornbill.
- The mountains rise to an average altitude of 900 to 1500 meters above sea level, with diverse topography creating varied habitats.
- The region experiences heavy rainfall, often exceeding 200 cm annually, which supports its lush evergreen forests.
6. The Deccan Peninsula
- This is the largest zone covering as much as 42% of the country.
- Situated in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats, it spans central and southern India, including parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
- Semi-arid with deciduous forests, thorn forests, and scrublands, transitioning to moist-deciduous and semi-evergreen in certain regions.
- Hosts key species like Chital, Sambar, Nilgai, Chousingha, elephants, and wild buffalo, with teak and sal as prominent flora.
7. The Gangetic Plain
- One of India’s most fertile regions and spans about 10.8% of the country’s geographical area.
- It stretches from the Yamuna River in the west across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal to the Brahmaputra River basin in Assam.
- Rich alluvial soils support extensive agriculture. Sal forests dominate near the Himalayas, while mixed dry deciduous forests are found in the plains.
- Supports many large and charismatic mammals such as One-horned Rhinoceros, Asian Elephant and Wild Water Buffalo. Other characteristic fauna include Swamp Deer, Hog Deer and Hispid Hare.
8. North-East
- Covers 5.2% of India’s total geographical area
- Includes the plains and non-Himalayan hill ranges of north-eastern India spanning a range of lowland and montane vegetation types.
- A biodiversity hotspot with tropical rainforests, bamboo forests, and grasslands.
- High levels of endemism and diverse ethnic cultures.
- Features iconic species such as the Indian rhinoceros, wild buffalo, Asian elephant, swamp deer, hog deer, pygmy hog, and hispid hare.
- Acts as an essential flyway for waterfowl and other migratory birds.
9. Coasts
- Constitutes 2.5 percent of the geographical area and covers beaches, mangroves, mud flats, coral reefs and marine angiosperm pastures.
- Sundarbans shared with Bangladesh is the largest contiguous mangrove area in the world.
- The Lakshadweep Islands having a biodiversity-rich reef lagoon system are also included in this zone.
- The East Coast features broad plains and river deltas (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri), while the West Coast is narrower, except around the Gulf of Cambay and Gulf of Kutch.
- Dominated by mangroves, coconut trees, and rubber plantations.
- Home to Dugongs, Humpback Dolphins, varied turtles (notably Batagur baska in the Sundarbans), and other marine species.
- Fertile soils support agriculture, with rice and coconut being key crops.
10. Islands
- The smallest biogeographical zone, covering only 0.3% of the country’s total area.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have some of India’s finest tropical evergreen moist forests and show a high degree of endemism in flora and fauna.
- Rich in corals and marine ecosystems and hosts unique species adapted to island life.
- Home to species like the Narcondam hornbill, saltwater crocodile, dugongs, dolphins, and marine turtles.
