Indomalaya ecozone, hosts significant biodiversity; it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian, and 6.0% of flowering plant species. Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, also exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic. India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and Northeast India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Genetics plain. Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded the Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.

Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, to which India originally belonged. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms. Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoo geographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya. As a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians. Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Bed dome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species. These include the Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.

Types of Forests :

Evergreen Forests (Tropical) : These are found in the area where rainfall ranges between 200-300 cm, e. g. Western Ghats and sub-Himalayan regions. These are coniferous forests with trees having neddle-shaped leaves and provide Teak, Rosewood, Ebony and Bamboo.

Decidious Forests (Monsoon) : These are found in the area where rainfall ranges between 150 - 200 em, e.g. parts of Deccan Plateau stretching over Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. They provide fine timber such as Teak, Sal and Sandalwood.

Dry Forests : These are found in the deserts of Rajasthan and south of Punjab where rainfall ranges between 75-100 ems.

Hill Forests : These are found in southern India and the Himalayan regions and provide timber like Oak, Deodar, Pines and Chi.

Tidal Forests (Mangrove) : These are found in coastal plains which are generally submerged, particularly on river deltas on the east coast, (the Ganga, the Mahanadi and the Godavari). The forests on the Genetics delta in Bengal are called Sunderbans after the Sundari trees found in these forests.