Forests : Gujarat has a total forest area of 19112.54 sq. km. The
forests are unevenly distributed all over the state. The major forests are found along the
eastern border of the state and the hilly portion of Saurashtra. The
districts of Dang, Valsad, Surat and Junagadh are under deep forests cover.
There are four major types of forests found in Gujarat based on
environmental adjustments and the general morphological character. These are :
- Tropical moist deciduous forest
- Tropical dry feciduous forest
- Northern Tropical Thorn Forest
- Littoral and Swamp Forest
The south and south-eastern parts of the state support the growth of tropical deciduous forests which include teak, shorea robusta and other valuable trees.
Northern tropical thorn forests are found in district Banaskantha,
Rajkot, and parts of Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and Kutch. It supports the growth of Acacia and thorn bushes.
Rivers : There
are three major groups of rivers flowing through the state in different
directions. The major rivers of central and northern Gujarat include
Narmada,
Sabarmati, and Mahi. Rivers flowing through the Saurashtra region are
Mithi, Khari, Bhadar, Shetrunji and Bhogavo. Rivers in the southern part
of the state include Narmada, Tapi, Purna, Ambika, Auranga and
Damanganga. Kutch has many rivers but most of them are small and dry up
during summer. While Khari meets the desert, Magh and Tara empty their
waters in the Gulf of Cambay.