Coniferous Forests in India: Location, Trees and Uses

Coniferous forest in India grows mainly on the Himalayas, between about 1,500 m and 4,000 m above sea level. Its trees, such as chir pine, deodar, blue pine, spruce and silver fir, carry needle-shaped leaves and bear seeds in cones. These forests supply valuable softwood timber and protect steep mountain slopes.

Conifer belts are one part of India’s wider pattern of forests. Our guide to the types of forests in India sets out all five NCERT forest groups. This page zooms in on the cone-bearing trees: what they are, where they grow, and why they matter to people.

What is a coniferous forest?

A conifer is a tree that produces its seeds inside hard, woody cones. National Geographic describes conifers as trees with needles instead of broad leaves. Pine, spruce, fir and deodar are all conifers. A forest in which such trees dominate is a coniferous forest.

Most conifers keep their needles through winter. For this reason, National Geographic notes, they are also called evergreens. The larch is an exception. It is a conifer that sheds its needles each year, so it is deciduous.

Not every conifer forest looks alike. Some stands are tall and closely packed. Others, such as many chir pine forests on the lower slopes, are far more open and let plenty of light reach the ground.

What are coniferous forests also known as?

Across the world, the largest coniferous forests lie in the cold north. National Geographic calls this belt the boreal forest, also known as taiga. NCERT’s new Class 9 book labels it “Coniferous Forest (Boreal Forest)” on its world map of biomes. It describes the taiga biome as coniferous forest made up mainly of pines, spruces and larches.

India has no boreal forest, because it lies far south of the subarctic. Its conifers grow where height, not latitude, makes the climate cold. So Indian books call them Himalayan coniferous forests, temperate coniferous forests or simply part of the montane forests. Students sometimes write “taiga” for Himalayan pines, which is a common slip.

Where are coniferous forests found in India?

Temperature falls as you climb a mountain. So NCERT describes a series of Himalayan vegetation belts, from tropical forest at the foot to tundra at the top. Conifers fill the middle and upper belts. In short, NCERT places chir pine at 1,500-1,750 m and blue pine and spruce at 2,225-3,048 m. Silver fir, junipers and pines grow at 3,000-4,000 m, below the alpine pastures. Deodar grows mainly in the western Himalayas. Our page on montane forests of India walks through every altitude belt, including the broadleaved forests that grow among the conifers.

Which states have the most coniferous forest?

The Forest Survey records the main tree crop on sample plots inside each state’s recorded forest area (RFA), the land listed as forest in government records. A crop is noted when one species or group covers more than 25% of the plot. The table shows conifer crops from ISFR 2023 Table 8.28, as a share of each state’s RFA. All figures are as printed in that table, including the matching shares for some crops in Uttarakhand and Manipur.

Two patterns stand out. The western Himalayas, from Jammu and Kashmir to Uttarakhand, hold the richest conifer belts. In the wetter north-east, broadleaved and bamboo forests dominate, and conifers appear in smaller patches. For the plants of one western Himalayan region in detail, see the flora of Jammu and Kashmir.

Which trees grow in coniferous forests of India?

The Indian conifer belt has a handful of key trees. The scientific names below are those used in ISFR 2023 tables.

Chir pine forms open, sunny forests on lower slopes. Deodar is a tall cedar of the western ranges. Blue pine has soft, drooping needles and grows higher up. Spruce and silver fir form dark, dense stands close to the alpine zone.

How are conifers adapted to cold climates?

Conifers survive where winters are long and summers are short. National Geographic lists three adaptations of their needles:

• Little sap. The needles contain very little sap, which helps prevent freezing.
• Dark colour. It helps the needles absorb as much sunlight as possible.
• Year-round leaves. Because the needles stay on, the tree can make food as soon as conditions allow.

These traits suit the cold, high Himalayan slopes as much as the far north. Our comparison of deciduous and coniferous forests shows how a needle-leaved tree differs from a tree that sheds its broad leaves.

Where are conifers found in the world?

The biggest coniferous forest on Earth is the taiga. National Geographic places it in the subarctic, just south of the Arctic Circle. It lies between the tundra to the north and temperate forests to the south. Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia all have taigas. The largest stretches about 5,800 km across Russia, from the Pacific Ocean to the Ural Mountains.

Conifers also grow in middle latitudes, in cool, wet coastal areas and on mountains. These are temperate coniferous forests. The Himalayan conifer belt is closer to this kind than to the taiga. Read more in our pages on the taiga or boreal forest and the temperate coniferous forest.

What are the uses of coniferous forests?

Coniferous forests serve people and nature in several ways.

1. Timber for building. NCERT calls deodar a durable wood used mainly in construction. Conifer timber is soft, straight-grained and easy to work, so it suits beams, doors and furniture.
2. Commercial wood. NCERT names chir pine a very useful commercial tree. Growing stock, the volume of standing wood, shows its weight: chir pine alone is 4.43% of the total in recorded forests (ISFR 2023).
3. Railways in colonial times. NCERT records that the British replaced oak forests in Garhwal and Kumaon with chir pine, which was needed to lay railway lines.
4. Paper and packaging. National Geographic notes that taiga trees are cut for lumber, paper and cardboard. Softwood fibres are widely used for paper.
5. Resin. An FAO report from 1995 says India has long tapped natural and planted chir pine for resin in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The resin is processed into turpentine and rosin.
6. Carbon storage. National Geographic says boreal forests play a significant role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Mountain conifer forests store carbon in the same way.
7. Soil and water protection. Tree roots bind soil on steep slopes, slowing landslides and keeping streams clear.
8. Pastures and livelihoods. The alpine pastures above the conifer belt are used for transhumance, the seasonal movement of herds. NCERT names the Gujjars, Bakarwals, Bhotiyas and Gaddis.

These forests also shelter mountain animals and birds. Our guide to the wildlife of Jammu and Kashmir introduces many of them.

How does the Forest Survey of India count coniferous forests?

The FSI follows the Champion and Seth (1968) system of 16 forest type groups, and none of them is simply called “coniferous”. Conifers fall mainly in the Subtropical Pine group, which covers 18,108 km² in ISFR 2023. They also grow in the Himalayan moist temperate, Himalayan dry temperate and sub-alpine groups, mixed with broadleaved trees. The montane forests page covers these groups in more detail.

What threats do coniferous forests face?

Fire is the biggest danger in pine forests. ISFR 2023, citing the National Disaster Management Authority, lists the western Himalayas as one of four main fire clusters in India. It links these fires in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to pine forests and to transhumance pastoralists.

Colonial forestry left a lasting mark. Replacing oak with chir pine changed the make-up of many Kumaon and Garhwal forests. Across the world, National Geographic warns that clearcutting and climate change threaten taiga forests. It also notes that non-native bark beetles can kill large areas of spruce.