Odisha, one of the 28 states of India, has two basic kinds of forest: in the northeast region of the state the forest is classified as the tropical-moist-deciduous type, blanketing hills, plateaus and other high-altitude isolated areas; in the southwest the tropical-dry-deciduous variety dominate.

Features

Odisha's forests are vast. Out of the total geographical area of 155,707 km2, the State records 52,472 km2 (~33.50%) as some version of forest. The actual forest cover may be less, according to the Forest Survey of India, rosewood, sal, piasal, teak and haldi. The forests' naturally vigorous growth accounts for a tremendous wealth of biodiversity, filling many catalogues of the wild plant and animal species dwelling within.

The state has declared large parcels of land as protected areas with the purpose being to allow animals and plants who are sensitive to cohabitation with humans places of relative freedom from interference and habitat loss. These protected areas constitute 10.37% of the total forest area and 4.1% of the total geographical area of the state.

Forest flora The state is home to 3000 plant species including 120 orchid species and 63 varieties of mangrove tree which make the state second largest mangrove ecosystem in India.

A vast variety of other plants is also found in the state, as in the following:

Acorous calamus Aegiceras corniculatus Alpinia galanga - greater galingal Androgaphis paniculata Asparagus racemosus - shatavari Cathraranthus roseus Celastrus paniculatus Centella asiatica Cissus quadranggularis Clerodendrum ssp. Colchicum autumnale - autumn crocus Commiphora wightii - Mukul myrrh Croton roxburghjii Curcuma angustifolia Digitalis purpurea - common foxglove Diogenin Emetin Ephedra ssp. Erythroxylon coca - coca Excoecaria agallochi Gloriosa superba Gugulipid Hemidesmus indicus Ocimum basilicum Plumbago zeylanica Pongamia pinnata Rauvolfia serpentina - Indian snakeroot Salvadora persica seagrass Taxus brevifolia - Pacific yew Toddalia asiatica Vinblastim areteminsinine Whighina somenifera

Forest fauna The IUCN Red List has recorded a total of 473 species of bird, 86 species of mammal, 19 species of amphibian and 110 species of reptile including three crocodilian species. Out of these around 54 species are considered endangered. Home to a variety of wild animals, the state has declared considerable tracts of land as areas protected for these animals only. These protected areas constitute 10.37% of the total forest area and 4.1% of the total geographical area of the state. Not only this, the state also has the distinction of possessing three mass nesting beaches of endangered olive ridley sea turtles which makes it the largest nesting ground of the species.

The state has three mass nesting beaches of endangered olive ridley sea turtles which when combined makes it the world's largest nesting ground for this species.

Indenting Orissa's ocean coast is Chilika lagoon, a semi-saline wetland used by many species of migratory birds, and also which the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin uses as part of its range. In spite of considerable human interactivity here, the rare dolphin survives. The Orissa government is conducting various programmes to protect the species.

Other animals that call Orissa home, or part-time home, are listed below.

Land animals

Asian elephants ହାଥି Barking deer Blackbucksକୃଷ୍ଣ ସାର ମୁର୍ଗ Buffaloes Fishing cats Flying squirrels Four-horned antelopes Gaurs Green sea turtles Langurs Leopards Mongooses Monitor lizards Pangolins Porcupines Pythons Sambars Sloth bears Slow lorises Spotted deer Tigers Turtles Wild boars

Avians

Alexandrine parakeets Asiatic dowitchers Avocets Black-headed ibis Brahminy ducks Brahminy kites Collared pratincoles Coots Dalmatian pelicans Dunlins Egrets Gadwalls Geese Godwits Goliath herons Greater flamingos Grey herons Grey hornbills ~ Ocyceros Gull-billed terns ~ Gelochelidon nilotica Hill mynas ~ Gracula religiosa Indian pied hornbills ~ Anthracoceros coronatus Indian trogons ~ Harpactes fasciatus Jacanas Jungle fowls Kestrels Kingfishers Lapwings Larks Lesser flamingos Little cormorants Malabar pied hornbills Marsh harriers Moorhens Night herons Pallas's fish-eagles Pariah kites Peacocks Peafowls Peregrine falcons Pintailss Plovers Pochards Pond herons Purple herons Red jungle fowls River terns Rollers Ruffs Sandpipers Shovellers Snipes Spoonbills Spoon-billed sandpipers ~ Eurynorhynchus pygmeus Spot-billed pelicans Stilts Storks Teals Wagtails White-bellied sea eagles Wild ducks

Statistics + Statistics of Forest Cover by District in Odisha, FSI-2023 District % of Forest Area in the District Total Forest Area Very Dense Forest Modest Dense Forest Area Open Forest Area Angul 43.51 2773.94 371.48 1373.67 1028.79 Balangir 17.6 1157.28 69.07 227.59 860.62 Baleswar 10.3 392.18 22.63 132.14 237.41 Bargarh 18.54 1082.25 175.97 374.94 531.34 Baudh 42.21 1307.52 266.01 569.03 472.48 Bhadrak 2.98 74.65 0.12 9.14 65.39 Cuttack 20.81 818.29 51.98 233.51 532.8 Deogarh 50.47 1483.96 193.13 672.19 618.64 Dhenkanal 32.33 1439.27 172.6 436.89 829.78 Gajapati 57.78 2498.8 328.49 722.53 1447.78 Ganjam 29.44 2415.69 174.74 1114.2 1126.75 Jagatsinghpur 8.45 140.94 0 4.83 136.11 Jajapur 10.78 312.65 5.49 74.2 232.96 Jharsuguda 15.8 328.89 2.75 169.72 156.42 Kalahandi 30.01 2376.91 368.1 713.87 1294.94 Kandhamal 67.35 5402.03 653.03 2598.55 2150.45 Kendrapara 12.45 329.18 81.55 86.53 161.1 Kendujhar 38.41 3189.08 290.04 1412.3 1486.74 Khordha 18.86 530.4 22.19 188.73 319.48 Koraput 23.79 2095.29 52.23 549.61 1493.45 Malkangiri 39.92 2311.5 159.66 707.4 1444.44 Mayurbhanj 39.34 4098.74 1329.22 1743.49 1026.03 Nabarangpur 22.24 1176.53 154.08 424.95 597.5 Nayagarh 45.43 1767.13 191.33 981.82 593.98 Nuapada 36.04 1388.25 106.25 536.46 745.54 Puri 8.19 285.03 0 53.63 231.4 Rayagada 46.46 3286.25 385.49 1185.77 1714.99 Sambalpur 49.88 3320.29 536.47 1724.59 1059.23 Subarnapur 17.23 402.77 43.08 195.52 164.17 Sundargarh 43.74 4247.87 1017.24 1847.75 1382.88 Total 33.67 52433.56 7224.42 21065.55 24143.59

See also Geography of Odisha

References