The forest area of Karnataka encloses an area of 38720 km². The common species of flora include Lagerstromia Lanceolata, Adina cordifolia and Careya arborea, Dalbergia Latifolia, Terminalia paniculata, T. Tomentosa and vitex altissima. The tree species found here are Iphigenia mysorensis, Derris indica, Barringtonia racemosa, Cassia fistula, Prosopsis julifora, Dipterocarpus indicus, Caryota urens and Dillenia pentagyna and Zizyhus Mauritania. Eucalyptus trees are found in abundance in the Western Ghats.

In the forests there are 25% of elephant population and 10% of tiger population. The fauna includes mammals such as the tiger, leopard, elephant, slender loris, gaur, wild pig, pangolin, the Malabar giant squirrel mouse deer, bonnet macaque, common langur and barking deer. The bird species found here are ruby throated bulbul, Indian Shama, Malabar whistling thrush, orange Headed Trush, paradise flycatcher, the great Indian Hornbill, cormorants, darter, white ibis, great stone plover, cliff swallow, spoonbills, lesser whistling teal, Open billed storks, pained storks, Thickknee, stony plover, pied and common kingfisher, Paradise flycatcher, racket-tailed drongo and bluethroated barbet.

The important national parks found here are: Anshi National Park, Bandipur National Park, Bannerghatta National Park, Kudremukh National Park and Nagar Hole National Park. The wild life sanctuaries here are: Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Adichunchanagiri Peacock Sanctuary, Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary etc.