Thorn Forests

The areas with less than 75 cm of annual rainfallare characterized by the natural vegetation of thorny trees and bushes. Climate of this part is mainly dry with occasional wet period, so it does not support dense vegetation.

They are mainly found in North-Western India, interiorparts of the PeninsularIndia including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Vegetation of these forests is widely distributed in the form of small trees and bushes with deep roots. The stems are succulent to conserve water. Leaves are mostly thick and small to minimize evaporation. Acacia, euphorbias, babul, cacti, khair, date and palms are common variety of trees in this type of vegetation.