JKBOSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions chapter – 2 Forest and Wild life Resources

JKBOSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions chapter – 2 Forest and Wild life Resources

JKBOSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions chapter – 2 Forest and Wild life Resources

Jammu & Kashmir State Board JKBOSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions

INTRODUCTION TO THE CHAPTER

• Natural vegetation and wildlife are found in the Biosphere. Its distribution over the Earth varies due to various factors and is termed as Biodiversity. In terms of biodiversity, India is one of the world’s richest countries.
• Over 90,000 species of fauna (wildlife) and 47,000 species of flora (vegetation) are found in India.
• An extensive, continuous area of land dominated by trees, often with great biodiversity is called forest. Forests cover about 637,293 sq km in India.
• Deforestation is a big hindrance in increasing the forest cover in India. According to reports, the forest cover has increased over the past few years, but it is sad to note that this increase is a result of plantation initiatives undertaken by various agencies. It is not a result of decrease in deforestation.
• Endangered species are those species whose numbers are so small that they are at a risk of extinvtion.
• Vulnerable Species are species whose number is so small that they can move into the endangered species list.
• Species which are no longer in existence are known as extinct species.
• Endemic species are those species of plants or animals which are found in only some specific areas or regions.
• The protection and preservation of wildlife and vegetation is called conservation. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972.
• The tiger population in India has decreased from 55,000 to 1,827.
• In an initiative to protect the tiger population, the government has set us various tiger reserves all over the country. There are 39 tiger reserves India.
• The famous Chipko Movement has successfully resisted deforestation in the Himalayas.
• Forests play an important role in the ecological system of the biosphere.
• Out of the total number of species in the world, which is around estimated to be 1.6 million, India has approximately 8 per cent.
• 15. Out of the 47,000 plant species found in the world, about 15,000 flowering species are found only in India. These are endemic species.
• Among India’s larger species of animals, 79 types of mammals, 44 types of birds, 15 types of reptiles and 3 types of amphibians are on the threatened list.
• Out of the total forest cover in India, dense forests constitute about 12.30 per cent, open forests are 8.75 per cent and mangrove forests are 0.14 per cent.
• IUCN means International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
• The following are the different categories of existing plants and animals: Normal species, Endangered species, Vulnerable species, Rare species, Endemic species and Extinct species.
• In India, Cheetah was declared as an extinct species in 1952.
• Narmada Sagar Project has 40,000 hectare of inundated (covered with water) forests.
• The Himalayan yew which is a medicinal plant is found only in India. It is an anticancer drug.

IMPORTANT TERMS

• Afforestation. Plantation of more trees.
• Biosphere Reserve. Large but open protected areas for the protection of plants and animals in their natural habitats.
• Coniferous. Cone bearing trees and shrubs like pine.
• Deciduous Plants. Plants which shed their leaves in a particular season.
• Deforestation. Cutting of forest/cutting down of trees in a forest often permanently.
• Ecosystems. The flora and fauna together with their physical environment.
• Evergreen Plant. Plant which do not shed their leaves in any particular season.
• Fauna. Animals of a particular region listed by species.
• Flora. Plants of a particular region listed by species.
• Habitat. A place that provides a particular set of environmental conditions for habitation by an organisms, plants or animals.
• Poaching. Illegal hunting of animals or birds.
• Protected Forests. Forests which are protected from further depletion.
• Reserved Forests. Most valuable forest as far as the conservation of forests and wildlife resources are concerned.
• Sacred Groves. A natural tract of forests or trees held sacred by certain communities.
• Sanctuary. A place where protection is given to certain wild animals and plants from habitat destruction or hunting.

Q. 1. Multiple Choice Questions 

•  Biodiversity is our living wealth.
• It has ecological, economic and scientific importance.
• Species of many kinds develop a life support system from each other.
• These affect the climate and ecosystem.
• It produces crops diversity.
• It is an integral part of human culture.

• Expansion of railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific forestry is the major cause of depletion of fauna and flora.
• Large-scale development projects have contributed to the loss of forests, like on river Narmada (Sardar Sarovar Project).
• Mining is another factor of deforestation. It has disturbed the natural habitat.

• In the Sariska Tiger Reserve situated in Rajasthan, villagers resist mining, by giving example of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• 1,200 hectares of forest area has been declared as the Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri, by the villagers of Alwar district, Rajasthan. They follow their own code of conduct. They restrict hunting and protect the wildlife from outside encroachments.
• An age old tribal belief is Nature worship. It believes in protection of all natural creations. This type of beliefs have preserved many virgin forests in their pristine form called sacred groves.
• Certain societies preserve a particular tree, which they have been preserving from time immemorial. We consider, peepal and banyan trees as sacred.
• Indian society comprises of diverse cultures, each having their own set of traditional ways of preserving nature and its creations.
• In and around the Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of Nilgai, Black bucks (Chinkara) and peacocks are protected from hunting.

• The Chipko Movement, started in the Himalayas has avoided deforestation.
• Afforestation has also helped in the conservation of forests.
• Innovative methods of ecological farming are in use now-a-days.
• Farmers and citizen groups like Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have helped in traditional conservation.
• Joint Forest Management (JFM) involves the local communities in the conservation of forests.
• Timber Forests are protected.
• Many developmental activities are eco-friendly.

Fill in the blanks :

True/False :

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Avoiding the indiscriminate cutting of forests.
2. Creating public awareness about sustainable development through mass-media.
3. Reducing the overuse of chemicals, pesticides, fertilisers and germicides.
4. Keeping our environment pollution free.

1. Chipko Movement. Sunderlal Bahuguna started the struggle against deforestation in the Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand), in 1973. This movement is still very popular among the people.
2. Beej Bachao Andolan (BBA). This is on account of the spread of awareness among the farmers. Most of the cultivated plants originate from wild plants. The Beej Bachao Andolan began in the Tehri district of Uttar Pradesh (now in Uttarakhand) to preserve the original genes of the cultivated plants that still survive in the wild herbs.

1. Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires are factors which have led to the decline of India’s biodiversity.
2. Environmental destruction, inequitable consumption of resources and differential sharing of responsibility for the environmental well being.
3. Over population is often cited as the cause of decline of biodiversity.

1. Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
2. Expansion of mining activities.
3. Faulty agricultural practices in tribal area, i.e., jhumming or shifting cultivation.gov
4. Construction of multipurpose projects has led to the clearance of the forests.

1. Conservation of the ecological diversity and our life support systems – water, air and soil.
2. It also preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for the growth and breeding of better species.
3. We need to preserve forests since it is the primary producer on which all other living beings depend.

1. JFM was started in Odisha in 1988. It is a good example for involving the local communities in the management and restoration of the degraded forests.
2. It depends upon to the formation or local village institution to take up protection activity on degraded forest and land managed by the forest department.
3. The local village institutions improved the forests according to the guidelines of the J.F.M. The members of the community are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produces.

1. A national park is a closed area on a large scale.
2. It is home to many ecosystem and habitats of animals.
3. Grazing and hunting is strictly prohibited.

1. It is similar to a national park.
2. It is mainly dedicated to protect wildlife.
3. Hunting is strictly prohibited in a wildlife sanctuary.

1. These biosphere reserves conserve wildlife, fauna and flora in the area.
2. They preserve the rare species of animals.
3. These areas preserve the natural beauty of the environment.

1. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve at the tri-junction of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
2. Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Uttarakhand.

1. Setting up of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Zoological Gardens.
2. ‘Project Tiger’ was started in 1973 to protect the dwindling tiger population.
3. Bio-reserves such as the Nilgiris have been set up to protect wildlife.

1. Forests help in rainfall by capturing moisture from the air.
2. Forests prevent soil erosion and floods.
3. Forests increase the fertility of soil and helps maintain the ecological balance.
4. Forests provide food and shelter to wildlife.
5. They check the advancement of deserts.

1. The indiscriminate cutting of forests has disturbed the ecological balance.
2. It has resulted in soil erosion.
3. It has affected the climate of areas.
4. It has also caused floods in many areas. Cutting of forests along the Shiwaliks has resulted in soil erosion, by the Chos in Punjab.

1. Maintains ecological balance
2. Preservation of environment
3. Conservation of natural heritage
4. Check soil erosion
5. Check advancement of deserts
6. Afforestation and social forestry
7. Generate awareness among people.

1. Colonial policies reserved many forests for logging and building roads, particularly rail roads. They used wild animals like elephants to transport heavy timber from forests.
2. It promoted monoculture or single tree forests, like sal. These tall trees were used for laying railway tracks.
3. Such policies did not actually care for the conservation of forests and the livelihoods of local communities.

1. The forest area is less than the area recommended internationally, i.e., 33% of the total geographical area.
2. It helps to combat global warming.
3. It prevents soil erosion and helps in maintaining the ecological balance.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Agricultural expansion in the post-independence era has led to the deterioration of forests.
2. Development projects, for example, 5,000 sq km of forest land were cleared for river valley projects alone. The Narmada Sagar Project will inundate 40,000 hectares of forest land.
3. Mining threatens the environment. The ecosystem of Bhutan and that of Duars (high altitude ecosystem of trees occurring in a rocky belt) is considerably threatened by mining.
4. Migration routes of wild animals and fish have been blocked by dams, factory sites and other installations, besides disturbing the habitat.
5. Inequitable use of resource by the rich and poor, both at the national and international levels, has caused ecological damage.

1. Social forestry includes massive afforestation programme of planting trees in wastelands, marshes, badlands, road sides and along the banks of canals and rivers.
2. The National Environment Awareness Campaign is celebrated every year to create awareness and disseminate information.
3. Biosphere reserves, national parks, etc. are also important methods of conservation.
4. Legislative laws, both at the national and the international levels, prohibit the felling of trees. They help in controlling pollution of water and air, which cause great damage to trees. The National Forest Policy was formulated to restore the ecological balance, check soil erosion, control sand dunes, increase forest cover, increase productivity and the utilisation of forest produce.
5. Van Mahotsava is also celebrated to create awareness for the preservation of plants and trees.

1. The programme emphasised on the protection of endangered species by banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats and restricted trade in wildlife.
2. The central and the state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries for the preservation and protection of wildlife. There is a network of 103 National Parks, 531 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 18 Biosphere Reserves in India.
3. There are also projects for the protection of specific animals that are threatened such as Tiger, Asiatic lion, etc., that are legally protected against poaching.

1. The Bishnoi Movement. The Bishnois of Rajasthan started the conservation movement for the protection of plants and animals during the Islamic rule. Their leader, Sambaji, who was a great sage, exhorted the members of the community to adopt certain principles of conservation for the protection of plants and animals.
2. Narmada Bachao Andolan. Medha Patkar started this movement for the rehabilitation of the people affected by the construction of Narmada dam. Apart from the active participation of local people and tribals, she received active support from many quarters. Arundhati Roy was also a leading member of this movement.
3. Silent Valley, Kerala. It was a movement to save the Silent Valley in Kerala against a dam on river Periyar. The Silent Valley is a dense evergreen forest region with many rare species of flora and fauna.
4. Sacred Groves. Virgin or pristine forests are often considered the abode of gods and goddesses by communities all over India. The Mundas and Santhals of the Chhotanagpur region worship Mahua trees like the Bishnois of Rajasthan. They have created groves known as the sacred groves for this purpose. Some other tribes like those of Bihar and Odisha worship Tamarind (Tamarindus indica).
5. Beej Bachao Andolan. This is on account of the spread of awareness among the farmers. Most cultivated plants are descended from wild plants. The Beej Bachao Andolan began in Tehri in Uttar Pradesh to preserve the original genes of the cultivated plants that still survive in wild herbs. Similar is the case with the Navdanya Project. Under this project, the farmers prefer to shun the synthetic chemicals for bio-manures.
6. Joint Forest Management (J.F.M.). It has been started by the government involving local communities and has been in existence since 1998. In Odisha, the first project was formulated through involving local village communities and institutions. The Forest Department in Odisha showed great interest in dealing with diverse elements.
7. Chipko Movement. Sunderlal Bahuguna started the struggle against deforestation in Chamoli district in Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand) in 1973. It helped in the conservation of forest and checking deforestation. It is still popular among the people.

1. Normal species. These are those species whose population numbers are considered to be optimum for their survival. Examples are cattle, sal, pine, rodents, etc.
2. Endangered species. Endangered species are those species whose numbers are so small that they are at a risk of extinction. The examples of such species are blackbuck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion-tailed macaque, etc.
3. Vulnerable species. Vulnerable Species are species whose number is so small that they can move into the endangered species list. The examples of such species are blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.
4. Rare species. Species which have a very small population and can move into the category of endangered or vulnerable species. The examples of such species are the Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc.
5. Endemic species. Endemic species are those species of plants or animals which are found in only some specific areas or regions. Examples of such species are the Nicobar pigeon, Andaman teal, Andaman wild pig, etc.
6. Extinct species. Species which are no longer in existence are known as extinct species. Such species may be extinct from a local area, region, country, continent or the whole earth. The examples of such species are the pink-headed duck, Asiatic cheetah, etc.

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