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Flora and Fauna of MP
About 6 min · Madhya Pradesh General Knowledge · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 434 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Madhya Pradesh, often called the "Heart of India," is one of the most biodiversity-rich states in the country. With approximately 30.7% of its geographical area recorded as forest area (actual forest cover is about 25%), MP ranks first among Indian states in total forest area. This extensive green cover supports an extraordinary variety of wildlife, making the state a crucial hub for conservation efforts and wildlife tourism.
Key ideas
- Forest Cover Statistics: MP has about 77,493 sq km of forest cover (ISFR 2021), constituting roughly 25.14% of the state's geographical area. The state leads in teak and sal production.
- Five Major Forest Types: Tropical Moist Deciduous (eastern districts), Tropical Dry Deciduous (most widespread), Tropical Thorn (western arid regions), Subtropical Broadleaved Hill (Pachmarhi area), and Mixed forests.
- State Symbols: Barasingha (state animal), Dudhraj/Paradise Flycatcher (state bird), White Lily (state flower), and Banyan Tree (state tree) represent MP's natural heritage.
- Tiger State: MP holds the largest tiger population in India (785 tigers as per 2022 census), earning it the title "Tiger State of India."
- Endemic Species: The hard-ground barasingha survived in the wild only in Kanha National Park until 2015, when reintroduction from Kanha to Satpura Tiger Reserve began. This makes MP critical for the species' survival.
Watch out for
- Confusing Tiger as State Animal → While MP has the highest tiger population, the state animal is Barasingha, not Tiger. Tiger is the national animal of India.
- Mixing up Dudhraj with other birds → Students confuse Dudhraj (Paradise Flycatcher) with Doel or other white birds. Remember: Dudhraj has distinctive long white tail streamers in males and is named "Dudhraj" (milk king) for its milky white plumage.
- Wrong forest type classification → Assuming all MP forests are same type. Remember: Western MP has thorn forests (arid), Central MP has dry deciduous (teak-dominated), Eastern MP has moist deciduous (sal-dominated).
Quick reference
- State Symbols Mnemonic: "BDBW" — Barasingha (Animal), Dudhraj (Bird), Banyan (Tree), White Lily (Flower)
- MP = Tiger State of India (785 tigers, rank 1 in 2022 census)
- Hard-ground Barasingha = natural population only in Kanha National Park (reintroduced to Satpura since 2015)
- Forest Cover: ~25% of MP area (recorded forest area ~30.7%); Teak = Western/Central MP; Sal = Eastern MP
- 11 National Parks + 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries + 6 Tiger Reserves in MP
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. What is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh?
2. Which of the following is the state bird of Madhya Pradesh?
3. Approximately what percentage of Madhya Pradesh's geographical area is covered by forests?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 17 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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