Vegetation


The biogeographic classification:

Biogeografic Classification:- The National Park is located in Biotic province 6B in the Biogeographic zonation, done by Wild life Institute of India. The classification is:-
                   Biogeographic Kingdom :  Paleotropical
                   Sub – kingdom               :  Indomalayan                                                                                                     Biogeographic zone       :  6 –Deccan peninsula
                   Biotic province                : 6 – B – Central Deccan.

Forest types, cover and food for wild animals.:-
            The forests of the Navegaon National Park belong to “5A/C3 – Southern tropical dry             deciduous forests “type as per revised classification by Champion and Seth. Main           feature of the forest is presence of Garari (Cleistanthus collinus) in the middle storey in    most of the parts. Following main sub types are found in the P.A.

1. Mixed forests: -
           Most of the forest is of this sub type with mixed forests, rarely semi-evergreen and more or less leafless in dry season. Grasses and thorny species occur over all rock formations in the region.  Bamboos are often present on   slopes. Good quality forests are found in pockets on deep moist soils in valleys and along  nalla banks, lower hill slopes with deep alluvium deposits. The quality is poor on shallow and steep slopes.

           The density of the crop is between 0.4 and 0.6. The crop is generally young to middle aged with few natural trees in the over wood. Predominant species are Saja, Bija, Dhaora , Garari, Lendia, Aowla, Achar, Mahuwa, Bhirra, Salai, Mowai, Surya, Teak, Tendu etc. Shrubs and herbs like Wrightia tinctoria, Holarrhaena antidysentrica, Woodfordia fruticosa, Helicteris isora, Ixora parviflora are seen. Common climbers Combretum decandrum, Zizyphus oenoplia, Calicopteris floribunda, Butea superba, Bauhinia vahlii etc. are found. Grasses like Themeda quadrivalvis, Ischima laxum, Apluda vaia, Ergostis tennella and Cynodon dactylon, Imperata cylindrica are seen over the area. Vetivera, zeyzanoides, Heteropogon contortus, Schema nervosum are found in wet areas.

2. Teak forests:
           These occur on hill slopes in few small patches. Other species found in this type are Saja, Dhaora, and Bija. Lendia, Mahuwa and Bamboos (Dendrocalamus strictus) etc. Katang Bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) is noticed in a small patch near Bodrai.  
            
3.  Greater part of the mixed forest has been worked in the past under one or other coppice systems.  The quality of the forests varies from III to IV b.  The density of these forests varies from 0.5 to 0.7 except in under stocked        patches.  The existence of saja – bija, mahuwa, achar as reserves or standards in the past has more or less helped in their continuation.  The coppice regeneration of garari and lendia has been profuse.  The regeneration of lendia, dhaora, bhirra, surya, tinsa and khair has been more or less adequate. The under stocked areas are slowly getting invaded by species like rohan, palas, ghoti.

4. Ferns and epiphytes:-
            Numbers of ferns are identified along the streams and in the vicinity of springs and seepages. Insectivorous plants such as Drosera species and bladderwarts have also been identified in the area.  Number of epiphytes is also identified in the area.


5. Grasses :-
           A vide variety of grasses from the ground cover in most of the area. Some of the common grasses are Heteropogon contortus, Apluda mutica, Themeda qudrivalvis, Cynodon dactylon etc. The grass growth is profuse under slightly open crop and in open patches.

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