CHAPTER-5 NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE

OTES OF THE LESSON

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. Define Natural vegetation.

Natural vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without any human
aid and has been left undisturbed for a long time. It is also termed as Virgin vegetation.

2. Differentiate between endemic and exotic species.

Endemic species Exotic species

The virgin vegetation which is purely Indian i The species which have come from outside
known as endemic or indigenous species. India are termed as exotic species.
Eg: Banyan Tree, Paddy Eg: Tomato, Chilly
3. What is a bio-reserve?

It is a multipurpose protected area where different plant and animal species are protected in its
natural surroundings. The main area preserves flora and fauna and the surrounding zone is
utilized for research and experiments.

4. What is a National Park?

An area of land owned and protected by the government to conserve biodiversity.

5. How do human beings adversely influence the ecology of a region?

(a) They utilize the vegetation and wildlife.

(b) The greed of human beings leads to over utilization of these resources.

(c) They cut the trees and kill the animals, creating ecological imbalance. As a result, some
of the plants and animals have reached the verge of extinction.

6. What are the major threats to flora and fauna?

The major threats to nature are:

(a) Hunting by greedy hunters.

(b) Pollution due to chemical and industrial waste and acid deposits.

(c) Introduction of alien species.

(d) Reckless cutting of forests to bring land under cultivation.

 (e) Inhabitation and overgrazing are also responsible for the imbalance.

7. What is a migratory bird? Give two examples.

Migratory bird is a bird that travels from one place to another at regular times often over long
distances in search of food, nesting locations and for breeding.

Eg. Siberian Crane and flamingo.

8. Why are forests important to us?

OR
What is the significance of forests?
OR
What is the role of forests?
(a) Forests are renewable resources and they play a significant role in enhancing the quality
of the environment.

(b) They modify local climate.

(c) They control soil erosion.

(d) They regulate stream flow.

(e) They support a variety of industries.

(f) They provide livelihood for many communities.

(g) They offer panoramic or scenic view for recreation.

(h) It controls wind force, temperature and causes rainfall.

(i) It provides humus for the soil and shelter for wildlife.

9. Differentiate between moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests.

Moist deciduous Dry deciduous

1. Rainfall: 100-200cm 1. Rainfall: 70-100cm

2. Areas: Found in Northeastern states, 2. Areas: Parts of Peninsular plateau, plains of

foothills of Himalayas, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Chhattisgarh, and eastern slopes of
Western Ghats.
3. Flora: Teak, Sal, Bamboo, Sandalwood, 3. Flora: Teak, Sal, Peepal, and Neem
and Shisham.

1O. What are the factors responsible for the distribution of plants and animals in India?

1) RELIEF:

(a) Land- The nature of land influences the type of vegetation. The fertile level land is
devoted to agriculture. The undulating rough terrains are areas where grasslands and woodlands
develop and give shelter to a variety of wildlife.

(b) Soil- Soil also varies over space. Several types of soil provide basis for different type of
vegetation. The sandy soils of the desert support cactus and thorny bushes, while wet, marshy,
deltaic soils support mangrove and deltaic vegetation. The hill slopes with some depth of soil
have conical trees.

2) CLIMATE:

(a) Temperature- The character and extent of vegetation are determined by temperature
along with humidity in the air, precipitation, and soil. On the slopes of the Himalayas and the
hills of the Peninsula, above the height of 915m, the fall in temperature affects the type of
vegetation and its growth, and it changes from tropical to subtropical temperate and alpine
vegetation.

(b) Photoperiod- The variation in the duration of sunlight at various places is due to
differences in latitude, altitude, season, and duration of the day. Due to longer duration of
sunlight, trees grow faster in summer.

(c) Precipitation- In India, the entire rainfall is brought in by the south-west monsoon
(June-Sep) and retreating north-east monsoons. Areas of heavy rainfall have more dense
vegetation as compared to other areas of less rainfall.

11. Why is the conservation of flora and fauna essential?

(1) Flora- Crops are selected from a bio-diverse environment that is from the reserve of edible
plants. We also selected and experimented many medicinal plants.

(2) Fauna-(a) Animals were selected from a large stock provided by nature as milch animals.
They also provide us draught power, transportation, meat, eggs etc.

(b) Fish provide nutritive food.

(c) Insects help in pollination of crops, fruits and trees and exert biological control on such
insects that are harmful.

Every species has a role to play in the ecosystem. Hence, its conservation is essential.

12. Mention the steps taken by government of the India to protect flora and fauna.

To protect the flora and fauna of the country, the government has taken many steps.

(i) Fourteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect flora and fauna. Four
out of these, the Sunderbans in the West Bengal, Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand, the Gulf of
Mannar in Tamil Nadu and the Nilgiris (Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu) have been
included in the world network of Biosphere reserves.

(ii) Financial and technical assistance has been provided to many Botanical Gardens by the
government since 1992.

(iii) Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard, and many other eco-
developmental projects have been introduced.

(iv) 103 National Parks, 535 Wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological gardens are set up to take care
of Natural heritage.

13. Distinguish between tropical evergreen and deciduous forests.

TROPICAL EVERGREEN TROPICAL DECIDUOUS

1. Rainfall- more than 200cm 1.Rainfall- 70-200 cm

2. Location- They are found in Western 2. Location- found in the north eastern states,
Ghats, islands of Andaman and Nicobar along the foothills of Himalayas, Jharkhand,
Islands, Lakshadweep, upper parts of West Odisha, Eastern slopes of Western Ghats,
Assam, Tamil Nadu Coast. Chhattisgarh, plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
3. Characteristics- 3. Characteristics-
(a) They are called evergreen, because (a) They are called deciduous because they
there is no definite time for trees to shed shed their leaves during the dry summer season.
their leaves. Therefore, these forests (b) These forests are commercially important
appear green throughout the year. because the same types of species are found in a
(b) Trees reach great heights of up to particular region.
60m and above.
4. Flora- Ebony, Mahogany, Rubber, and 4. Flora- Teak, Sal, Neem, and Bamboo.
Rosewood.
5. Fauna- One-horned rhinoceros, lemur, 5. Fauna- Lion, Tiger, Deer, Elephants etc.
elephants, deer etc.

14. CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF VEGETATION.

FOREST TYPE CLIMATIC AREAS TREES ANIMALS FEATURES

CONDITION
1.Tropical *More than * Western Mahogany, Elephants, *It has
Evergreen 200cm Ghats rubber, monkey, vegetation of
rainfall * rosewood, lemur, all kinds of
* Warm and Lakshadweep ebony rhino, bat, scrubs,
humid *Andaman sloth, creepers,
throughout and Nicobar scorpions, giving it a
the year. Islands. snails, and multi-layered
* Short dry * Upper parts birds structure.
season of Assam and * No definite
Coastal time to shed
Tamil Nadu their leaves,
thus
appearing
green
throughout
the year.
* Trees reach
heights over
60m.
2.Tropical
Deciduous
Forest.

a) Moist Rainfall: North eastern Teak, Sal, Lion, *Also called

Deciduous 100-200cm states, Sandalwood, Tiger, Pig, Monsoon
foothills of Shisham, deer, Forest.
Himalayas, Arjun elephant, *Most
Jharkhand, variety of widespread
West Bengal, birds, forest of
Odisha, lizards, India.
Chhattisgarh snakes, and *Large parts
insects. of these
forests have
b) Dry Rainfall: 70- Rainier parts Teak, Sal, been cleared
Deciduous 100cm of peninsular Peepal, for cultivation
plateau, Neem and grazing.
plains of
 Bihar, Uttar
Pradesh

3.Tropical thorn Rainfall- less North Acacias, Rat, mice, *Scattered

forest and than 70cm. western part Palms, rabbit, trees with
Scrubs of India, Euphorbias, wolf, lion, long roots that
semi-arid Cactus tiger, wild penetrate deep
parts of cats, horse, into the soil
Gujarat, camel. for water.
Rajasthan, *Succulent
Chhattisgarh, stems to
Madhya conserve
Pradesh, water.
Haryana *Thick, small
leaves to
minimize
evaporation.
* Found in
arid regions.
4.Montane Temperature Mountainous *Oak Kashmir *Wet
forests decreases regions of the ( temperate Stag, temperate
with southern evergreen spotted evergreen
increasing slopes of broad-leaved deer, wild forests are
altitude. Himalayas, trees) sheep, found
high jackal, between
altitudinal * Pine, rabbit, 1000-2000m.
regions of spruce, cedar Tibetan *Between
southern and silver fir, antelope, 1500 and
eastern India (coniferous) yak, snow 3000m,
leopard, coniferous
*Silver fir, squirrel, trees are
juniper, sheep, and found.
shrubs, goat with Temperate
birches ( thick hair grasslands are
Alpine found at
Vegetation) higher
altitudes.
*Mosses, *Above
lichen 3600m, alpine
(tundra vegetation is
vegetation) found.
*Near the
 snowline,
alpine
grasslands are
found.

* Grasslands
are used
intensively for
grazing by
nomadic
tribes like
Gujjars and
Bakerwals. At
higher
altitudes,
mosses and
lichens are
found.
5.Mangrove Influenced by Deltas of Sundari, Royal *Dense
forest tides Ganga, Palm, Bengal mangroves
Mahanadi, Coconut, Tiger, are common
Godavari, Keora, and tiger, varieties with
Krishna, and Agar turtles, roots of the
Kaveri crocodiles, plants
gharials, submerged
snakes under water.
*In Ganga-
Brahmaputra
delta, Sundari
trees provide
durable hard
timber.
*The most
famous
animal of this
forest is
Royal Bengal
Tiger.