Climate and Forest. 335 



of the Himalaya mountains, with snow and ice in 

 winter, and moderate heat in summer. 



In keeping with this great diversity of climate, both 

 as to temperature and humidity, there is a great 

 variation in the character and development of the 

 forest cover, and at least six types can be recognized, 

 namely the evergreen forest, found along the West 

 coast, in Burma, Andaman Islands, and the sub-Him- 

 alaya zone, which is composed of broadleaved species 

 with a dense undergrowth of small trees and tangled 

 lianas (vines), but few shrubs, as is characteristic of 

 most tropical forest; the deciduous forest, mainly in 

 the interior of Central India, with Sal, Teak and Iron- 

 wood as characteristic trees; the arid region forest, 

 found in the Punjab, in Raiputana, and in Sindh, of 

 varying composition, from the open shrub forests of 

 the latter province, composed of acacias, tamarisk and 

 mesquite, to the denser, more diversified, dry, low tree 

 forest of the former; the alpine coniferous forest of the 

 Himalayas and of the mountains of Afghanistan, 

 Belutchistan, and Burma, composed of pine, deodar, 

 juniper, with oak, walnut, boxwood, approaching our 

 own forest types. In addition, there may be segregated 

 the coast forest, of small extent, composed of trees 

 which, like the mangrove, will bear salt water; the 

 overflow forest along rivers; and river forests in the 

 desert regions, of which latter large areas exist. 



The natural differences in the forest cover are 

 emphasized by the action of man, who for many cen- 

 turies has waged war against the forest, clearing it 

 permanently or temporarily for agricultural purposes, 

 or else merely burning it over to improve grazing 



