Temperate forests of South India, known as 'Sholas' are found in which of the following hills? 1. Anaimalai 2. Nilgiris 3. Palani Select the answer using the code given below:

The correct answer is D, 1, 2 and 3. The temperate forests called Sholas grow in the higher reaches of all three ranges named, the Nilgiris, the Anaimalai and the Palani hills. In the Western Ghats of the far south, temperatures fall with height, so above roughly 1,500 metres the tropical forests give way to stunted evergreen woods of a temperate kind. These patches are called Sholas. They grow in sheltered valleys and folds of the hills, surrounded by rolling montane grassland, and the mix of forest and grass works like a sponge that feeds many rivers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. NCERT's Class 11 geography text names exactly these three ranges for the Shola forests. Option A is wrong because it leaves out the Nilgiris and the Palani hills, where Sholas are equally well known. Option B is wrong because it drops the Palani hills, where Kodaikanal stands among Shola patches. Option C is wrong because it omits the Anaimalai hills, home to the highest peak of the south, Anamudi. Exam tip: Sholas = Nilgiris + Anaimalai + Palani; they are temperate forests in a tropical region.