📜 Key Forest & Wildlife Laws

• Indian Forest Act, 1927 — classifies forests as Reserved, Protected, Village forests
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — protects wildlife; establishes national parks and sanctuaries; schedules animals
• Forest Conservation Act, 1980 — restricts diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes
• Environment Protection Act, 1986 — umbrella legislation for environmental protection
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002 — conservation of biological diversity; access and benefit sharing
• Forest Rights Act, 2006 — recognises rights of forest-dwelling communities (tribals) over forest land

🌳 Forest Cover in India (2021)

• Total forest cover: 7,13,789 sq km = 21.71% of India’s geographical area
• Largest forest cover (area): Madhya Pradesh → Arunachal Pradesh → Chhattisgarh
• Highest forest cover (%): Mizoram (84.53%) → Arunachal Pradesh → Meghalaya
• Lowest forest cover (%): Haryana → Punjab → Rajasthan
• National Forest Policy (1988) target: 33% of India’s land under forest cover

✅ Chapter 05 — Complete Revision Checklist