The 'Shola forests' are high-altitude stunted tropical montane forests found exclusively in which geographic region of India?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Shola forests are a unique ecological habitat consisting of patches of stunted tropical montane evergreen forest separated by rolling mountain grasslands, found exclusively in the high-altitude valleys of the Southern Western Ghats in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The Himalayan region features temperate coniferous and alpine vegetation rather than this specific southern montane complex. Shola ecosystems play a vital role in regulating headwater streams and hydrological cycles in southern hill ranges.