Madhya Pradesh, often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh was originally the largest state in India until November 1, 2000 when the state of Chhattisgarh was carved out. It borders the states Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra,Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Sal
Mixed forests
Bamboo
Khair - Khair (Acacia catechu)
NWFP
Medicinal plants - Medicinal trees and plants of various kinds are found in abundance in the forests of Madhya Pradesh. Important ones are: Aegle marmelos, Azadirachta indica, Bixa orellana, Butea monosperma, Asparagus racemosus, Argemone mexicana, Buchanania cochinchinensis, Aloe barbadensis, Acorus calamus, Cassia tora, Curculigo orchioides, Curcuma longa, Embelia ribes, Clitoria ternatea, Mangifera indica, Cassia fistula, Evolvulus alsinoides, Commiphora mukul, Helicteres isora, Holorrhaena antidysenterica, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Woodfordia fruticosa,. Dioscorea spp, Plumbago zeylaniea, Terminalia bellirica, Tamarindus indica, Mucuna pruriens, Pongamia pinnata, Terminalia bellirica, Psoralea corylifolia, Phyllanthus embilica, Ocimum americanum, Rauvolfia serpentina, Tinospora cardifolio, Withania somnifera, Swertia chirayita, Tribulus terrestres, Chlorophytum tuberosum, Cyprus rotundus.
The total growing stock (volume of timber / wood) is 50,000,000 m3 valued worth Rs 2.5 lakh Crores.
Madhya Pradesh is home to 11 national parks, including Bandhavgarh National Park, Kanha National Park, Satpura National Park, Sanjay National Park, Madhav National Park, Van Vihar National Park, Mandla Plant Fossils National Park, Panna National Park, Pench National Park, Kuno National Park and dinosaur fossil National Park Madhya Pradesh.
There are also a number of natural preserves, including Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve, Patalkot, Bagh Caves, Bhedaghat, Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, Ken Gharial Sanctuary, Ghatigaon Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Narwar, National Chambal Sanctuary, Kukdeshwar, Narsinghgarh, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Panpatha, Shikarganj, and Tamia.
There are 11 National Parks and 24 Sanctuaries spread over an area of 94,3489 km2 constituting 12.27% of the total forest area and 3.52% of the geographical area of the state.
| Name of National Park | Area | Location | Established | Fauna | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 940 km2 | 1955 | Tiger, panther, gaur, chital, sambar, nilgai, chinkara, barking deer, swamp deer, (barasingha), wild boar and a variety of upland birds. | |||
| 437 km2 | 1968 | Tiger, panther, gaur, chital, sambar, nilgai, chinkara, barking deer, wild boar and a variety of upland birds. | |||
| Madhav National Park | 354 km2 | 1959 | Panther, chital, sambar, nilgai, chinkara, blackbuck, chausingha, wild boar, crocodiles in lake, and a variety of upland birds. | ||
| Sanjay National Park | 467 km2 | 1981 | Tiger, panther, sambar, chital, gaur, etc. | ||
| 4.45 km2 | 1983 | Tiger, panther, lion, bear, hyena, etc. | |||
| 543 km2 | 1981 | Tiger, chital, chinkara, sambar and sloth bear. | |||
| 524 km2 | 1981 | Tiger, leopard, sambar, chital, bherki, nilgai, four-horned antelope, chinkara, bison (gour), wild boar, wild dog, bear, blackbuck, fox, porcupine, flying squirrel, mouse deer, Indian giant squirrel, etc. | |||
| 293 km2 | Seoni, Chhindwara | 1975 | Tiger, panther, bison, chital, sambhar, nilgai, chinkara, barking deer, chowsingha, wild boar and a variety of upland birds. | ||
| Ghughua Fossil National Park | 0.27 km2 | Dindori | 1983 | Plant fossils | |
| Dinosaur Fossils National Park | 0.89 km2 | Dhar | 2011 | ||
| Kuno National Park | 748.76 km2 | Sheopur | 2018 |
Kuno National Park [1]
There are 30 Wildlife sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh. They are the following:[2]
Madhya Pradesh has a subtropical climate. Like most of north India, it has a hot dry summer (April–June) followed by monsoon rains (July–September) and a cool and relatively dry winter. The average rainfall is about 1,370 mm (53.9 in). It decreases from east to west. The south-eastern districts have the heaviest rainfall, some places receiving as much as 2,150 mm (84.6 in), while the western and north-western districts receive 1,000 mm (39.4 in) or less.
See main article: Tribals in Madhya Pradesh. The tribal population is an integral part of the biodiversity of the forests since ages. A large number of ethnic aboriginal tribes are there who live in and around forests in Madhya Pradesh. The main tribal groups are: