What is virgin vegetation? How much natural is the natural vegetation of India today?
Virgin vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without any human aid and has been left undistributed by humans for a long time. This is also known as natural vegetation. So, cultivated crops, fruits, orchards form part of vegetation, but these are not natural vegetation.
Today, natural vegetation has not been left natural anymore for the following reasons:
- Various new species of plants are raised in laboratories and they are planted to have better results.
- Clearing of the natural vegetation for the cultivation of crops leads to destruction of all virgin vegetation of a place.
Natural vegetation in India can only be seen in wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. But it forms a very small part of total vegetation, so in a way it can be said that yes natural vegetation is not natural anymore in India.