Geographical Features & Forest Area
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Jammu and Kashmir has a geographic area of 101387 Sq. Kms. It lies between Latitude 32°17’ and 37°05’ North and longitude 72°31’ and 80°20’ East. The State is divided into three geographic regions viz. Ladakh, Kashmir Valley and Jammu. The higher regions are covered by Pir Panjal, Karakoram and inner Himalayan ranges of mountains. The important river systems of the State are the Chenab, the Tawi and the Jhelum.
Features |
Unit |
Geographical area |
101387 * Sq.Km |
Forest area |
20230 Sq.Km |
(* Excluding 120849 Sq. Km area under illegal occupation of Pakistan and China) |
|
%age of forest area to geographical area. |
|
(a) Jammu region |
45.89 % |
(b) Kashmir region |
50.97 % |
© Ladakh region |
0.06 % |
Total J&K State: |
19.95 % |
Per capita land area |
1.05 Ha |
Per capita forest area |
0.20 Ha |
Districts |
22 Nos. |
Villages |
|
a) Inhabited |
6417 Nos. |
b) Un-Inhabited |
235 Nos. |
Towns/Cantonments of J&K State |
75 ** Nos. |
Municipalities |
3 Nos. |
| Literacy | 55.52 % |
** Including two cantonments Areas of Jammu and Srinagar (Source: - Forest Digest-2005 & Digest of Statistics(DES) |
|
Forests of the state are spread over three broad geo-climatic zones covering Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions of the State. Vegetation and climate can broadly be categorized into sub-tropical, temperate and alpine zones with wide diversity of fauna and flora. More than 50% of the plant species used in British pharmacopoeia are reported to grow in Jammu and Kashmir. Literature indicates that 572 plant species belonging to 109 different families have medicinal value.
The recorded Forest area is 20230 Sq. Kms. which constitutes 19.95 % of geographical area of the State. Forests are largely distributed in Kashmir Valley and Jammu regions. Leh and Kargil are devoid of Forest Vegetation as the region is cold desert.
There are five forest types occurring in the State Viz. Subtropical Dry Evergreen, Himalayan Moist Temperate, Himalayan Dry Temperate, Subtropical Pine and Sub-alpine and alpine Forests.
Region |
District |
Geographical |
Population |
Density per Sq,Km |
Forest |
% Age |
a) Kashmir |
1. Srinagar |
2228 |
12,02,447 |
540 |
380 |
17.06 |
2. Budgam |
1371 |
6,29,309 |
459 |
477 |
34.79 |
|
3.Anantnag |
3984 |
11,72,434 |
294 |
2068 |
51.91 |
|
4.Pulwama |
1398 |
7,52,607 |
467 |
810 |
57.94 |
|
5.Baramulla |
4588 |
11,69,780 |
255 |
2690 |
58.63 |
|
6.Kupwara |
2379 |
6,50,393 |
273 |
1703 |
71.58 |
|
Sub-total |
15948 |
54,76,970 |
|
8128 |
50.97 |
|
b) Jammu |
1. Doda |
11691 |
6,91,929 |
59 |
5555 |
47.52 |
2. Udhampur |
4550 |
7,43,509 |
163 |
2343 |
51.49 |
|
3. Kathua |
2651 |
5,50,084 |
207 |
991 |
37.38 |
|
4. Poonch |
1674 |
3,72,613 |
223 |
951 |
56.81 |
|
5. Rajouri |
2630 |
4,83284 |
184 |
1267 |
48.17 |
|
6. Jammu |
3097 |
15,88,772 |
513 |
959 |
30.97 |
|
Sub-total |
26293 |
44,30,191 |
- |
12066 |
45.89 |
|
c) Ladakh |
1. Leh |
45110 |
1,17,232 |
3 |
29 |
0.06 |
2. Kargil |
14036 |
1,19,307 |
8 |
7 |
0.05 |
|
Sub-total |
59146 |
2,36,539 |
|
36 |
0.06 |
|
|
Total |
101387 |
1,01,43,700 |
|
20230 |
19.95 |
FOREST COVER OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR
The forest cover of the state as per State of Forest Report 2003 issued by Forest Survey of India is 24214 sq kms which is 110 sq km less than the 2001 assessment. As per the report 1351 sq km of dense forests has degraded to either open forest, scrub or non-forest.
Forest Cover Change Matrix
Area in Sq. Km
2001 |
2003 Assessment |
Total |
||||
Dense |
Open |
Scrub |
Non- |
|||
Dense Forests |
9790 |
1789 |
33 |
236 |
11848 |
|
Open Forests |
550 |
8093 |
388 |
358 |
9389 |
|
Scrub |
22 |
266 |
2475 |
324 |
3087 |
|
Non-Forest |
135 |
622 |
51 |
197104 |
197912 |
|
Total 2003 |
10497 |
10770 |
2947 |
198022 |
222236** |
|
Net Change |
-1351* |
1381 |
-140 |
110 |
|
|
| Source – State of Forest Report 2003 | ||||||
The decrease in dense forest cover is due to two reasons i.e. real changes as well as interpretational changes. The real decrease in dense forest cover is due to loss in forest area. Interpretational changes between subsequent assessments are due to reflectance of agricultural/ horticultural crops, which give reflectance similar to that of forest cover.
** Includes 120848 Sq.Km Area outside LOC
Forest cover as per satellite data interpretation
Area in Sq. Km
S.No |
Forest cover Class |
Forest Cover inside LOC |
Forest Cover outside LOC |
Total of 3 class |
1 |
Very Dense |
1557 |
545 |
2102 |
2 |
Moderately dense |
6326 |
2069 |
8395 |
3 |
Open forest |
7712 |
3058 |
10770 |
4 |
Total Forest |
15595 |
5672 |
21267 |
Source – State of Forest Report 2003.
