UPSC Prelims 2016
Environment & Ecology
With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rainforest areas of South India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct. Red Sanders, also known as Red Sandalwood or Pterocarpus santalinus, is indeed a tree species native to the southern Eastern Ghats mountain range of India. Statement 2 is incorrect. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rainforest areas of South India. Red Sanders is not typically found in tropical rainforests. It grows in drier semi-arid regions of the Eastern Ghats.