India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of biodiversity due to its vast geographical extent, varied climate, and complex physiography. Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of life forms, including genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. India occupies only about 2.4 percent of the world’s land area, yet it harbours nearly 8 percent of the world’s recorded species, making it a mega-diverse country from an environmental geography perspective. The high level of biodiversity in India is largely a result of its diverse physical environments. The country ranges from the snow-covered Himalayan mountains in the north to the tropical rainforests of the Western Ghats and Northeast, and from the arid Thar Desert in the west to the extensive coastal and marine ecosystems along the eastern and western coasts. These varied landscapes support a wide range