Kerala- the emerald of Indian subcontinent
Kerala is endowed with a veritable treasure house of natural ever green tropical forests. The Western Ghats of Kerala represent one of the world's 18 Hotspots of bio-diversity and is considered to be a repository of rare and endangered flora and fauna. The hilly slops of Western Ghats and lush green forests provide the perfect locale for wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala. There are a number of wildlife reserves in Kerala that are home to thousands of species of birds and animals. The national parks in Kerala are a major tourist attraction and all the sanctuaries are a must visit locations in the god’s own country.
Forests of Kerala
The recorded forest area is 11,244.664 Sq.kms. The percentage of forest cover in Kerala is 28.98. Although this is higher than the national average of 19.5 percent, Kerala cannot afford to be complacent in the preservation of forest wealth. The forests yield industrial raw materials such as bamboo, wood pulp, charcoal, gums and resins as well as ivory and rare timbers such as teak and rosewood. The area covered by the two national parks, 12 wild life sanctuaries and one biosphere coming under the category of protected areas in Kerala comes to 2.32 lakh hectares. This is 25 percent of the total area under forests and 6 percent of the total area of the state.
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