- India is one of the twelve mega biodiversity countries of the world.
- With about 47,000 plant species India occupies tenth place in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity.
- There are about 15,000 flowering plants in India which account for 6 percent in the world’s total number of flowering plants.
- The country has many non-flowering plants such as ferns, algae and fungi. India also has approximately 90,000 species of animals as well as a rich variety of fish in its fresh and marine waters.
- Natural vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without human aid and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time. This is termed as a virgin vegetation.
- The term flora is used to denote plants of a particular region or period.
- The term fauna is used to denote species of animals.
This huge diversity in flora and fauna kingdom is due to the following factors.
- Land
- Soil
- Temperature