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Q23 (IAS/2014) Geography › Indian Physical Geography › Natural vegetation zones Official Key

If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there? 1. Oak 2. Rhododendron 3. Sandalwood Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is option A (1 and 2 only).

Oak trees are predominant in the higher hill ranges of northeastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttaranchal, found as evergreen broad leaf trees between 1,000-2,000 m altitude[1]. The eastern Himalayas have greater variety of oaks and rhododendron because of higher rainfall and relatively warmer conditions than the Western Himalayas[3]. In the Western Himalayas, rhododendron is found as part of sub-alpine vegetation, and rhododendron of many species covers the hills in the eastern parts[4].

However, Sandalwood (Santalum album) is found in tropical moist deciduous forests[5], not in the Himalayan region. Sandalwood is typically associated with peninsular India and the monsoon forest belt. Therefore, while oak and rhododendron are naturally growing plants of the Himalayas, sandalwood is not found there.

Sources
  1. [1] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation > Montane Forests > p. 45
  2. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Himalayas and east and south east Asia > p. 8
  3. [3] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Himalayas and east and south east Asia > p. 8
  4. [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 10: Indian Forest > r0.r.14. Sub alpine forest > p. 163
  5. [5] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Table 5.5 > p. 15
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Q. If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there? 1. Oak 2. Rhododendron …
At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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This is a classic 'Biogeographic Mismatch' question. UPSC tests if you can distinguish between 'Forest Type' (e.g., Deciduous) and 'Regional Species' (e.g., Sal vs. Sandalwood). While both are deciduous, Sandalwood is iconic to the Peninsula, while Oak/Rhododendron are iconic to the Montane ecosystem. The trap lies in assuming all deciduous trees grow in all deciduous zones.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Are oak trees (genus Quercus) native to the Himalayan region?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation > Montane Forests > p. 45
Presence: 5/5
“The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which change in with the altitude. Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is succeeded by the wet temperate type of forests between an altitude of 1,000-2,000 m. In the higher hill ranges of northeastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttaranchal, evergreen broad leaf trees such as oak and chestnut are predominant. Between 1,500-1,750 m, pine forests are also well-developed in this zone, with Chir Pine as a very useful commercial tree. Deodar, a highly valued endemic species grows mainly in the western part of the Himalayan range.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states oak as a predominant evergreen broad-leaved tree in higher hill ranges of the Himalayas.
  • Places oak within the wet temperate altitudinal zone of the Himalayas, indicating native occurrence by altitude.
Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Himalayas and east and south east Asia > p. 8
Presence: 5/5
“Te eastern Himalayas have greater variety of oaks, rhododendron because of higher rainfall and relatively warmer conditions than that of the Western Himalayas. Surrounding more than two million square km of tropical Asia, the Eastern Himalayan Hotspot is still revealing biological treasures. A wide diversity of ecosystems is found in this hotspot including mixed wet evergreen, dry-evergreen, deciduous and montane forests. Tere are also tracts of shrub-lands and woodlands on limestone outcrops and in some coastal areas, scattered heath forests. It is also characterised by swamps, mangroves and seasonally inundated”
Why this source?
  • Describes the eastern Himalayas as having a greater variety of oaks due to higher rainfall and warmer conditions.
  • Frames oaks as a notable component of eastern Himalayan flora, implying native diversity and abundance.
Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > 2. The North-Western Himalayan Region > p. 3
Presence: 5/5
“The Western Himalayan Floristic region stretches over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. This region records relatively less rainfall and temperatures. The effect of altitude is quite visible on the vegetation of Western Himalayas. Here again, one finds the sub-tropical (upto 1525 m), temperate (1525 m to 3650 m) and Alpine vegetation from 3650 m to 4575 m. In the sub-montane region the main vegetation is sal, semul, and savanna type. Among the temperate vegetation are chir (pine), oak, deodar, alder, birch, and conifers. At higher altitudes, trees are replaced by alpine pastures and trees like juniper, silver fir, birch, and larch are seen.”
Why this source?
  • Lists oak among the temperate vegetation of the Western Himalayan floristic region.
  • Shows oak occurring alongside other native temperate trees (deodar, alder, birch), supporting nativity in the Himalayas.
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