CBSE Class 10 Social Science Forest and Wild Life Resources Worksheet

Forest and Wildlife

We share this planet with millions of other living beings. They include micro-organisms such as bacteria to different large organisms such as banyan trees, elephants and blue whales. Our habitat has immense biodiversity. All living organisms including humans form a complex web of ecological system. We depend on this ecological system completely for our existence.
For example, the plants, animals and microorganisms recreate the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that produces our food without which we cannot survive. Forests play a key role in the ecological system as these are also the primary producers on which all other living beings depend.

BIODIVERSITY OR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

- The variety of flora and fauna in a given geographical area is called biodiversity of that area.

FLORA AND FAUNA IN INDIA

- India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity, and has nearly 7.5% of the total number of species in the world . The boundaries of India encompass a wide range of ecozones, high mountains, highlands, tropical and temperate forests, swamplands, plains, grasslands, areas surrounding rivers, as well as island archipelago.
- India has 4 biodiversity hotspots: the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, the Indo- Burma region and the Sundaland (includes Nicobar group of Islands). These hotspots have numerous endemic species.
- India is ranked ninth in the world in terms of higher plant species richness. At the ecosystem level, India is also well-endowed, with ten
distinct biogeographical zones.
- India is an important center of diversity of a great many domesticated species, including various cereals, millets, legumes, vegetables, temperate and tropical fruits, fibre crops, medicinal and aromatic plants.

Flora and Fauna in India

Fauna                          More than 81,000 species
Flora                            More than 47,000 species
Indigenous
flowering plants           About 15,000 species
Endangered wild
flora                              About 10%
Endangered
mammals                     About 20%

Classification Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

- Normal Species : If the population level of species is within normal range for their survival, it is called normal species, e.g. cattle, pine, sal, rodents, etc.
- Endangered Species : Species which are in danger of extinction are called endangered species, e.g. black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion tailed macaque, sangai (brow antlered deer in Manipur), etc.
- Vulnerable Species : If the population of a species has declined to such a level that it is likely to become endangered; it is called vulnerable species, e.g. Blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.
- Rare Species : If the population of a species is so small that it can become vulnerable or endangered, it is called rare species, e.g. Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, Desert, fox, Hornbill, etc.
- Endemic Species : A species which is found only in a particular geographical area is called an endemic species, e.g. Andaman teal,Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, Mithun in Arunachal Pradesh, etc.
- Extinct Species : A species which no longer exists is called an extinct species. A species may be extinct from a local area, region, country, continent or the entire earth. Examples: Asiatic cheetah, Pink head duck, etc.
- Forest in India : Ideally for a healthy ecosystem we should have forest cover on 33% of our total land area. But as of now it has been much less than the ideal figure.

VANISHING FORESTS

ASIATIC CHEETAH: WHERE DID THEY GO?

- The fastest land mammal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubantus), is extinct. A unoque member of the cat family it could move at the speed of 112 km./hr. The cheetah’s distinguishing marks are the long tear drop shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner of its eyes to its mouth. Before the 20th century, cheetahs were widely distributed throughout Africa and Asia. Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct due to a decline of available habitat and prey. The species was declared extinct in India as early as 1952.

Causes of Depletion of Flora and Fauna

- Agricultural Expansion : According to the Forest Survey of India, over 262,000 sq km of forest area was converted into agricultural land in India between 1951 and 1980. Moreover, a substantial part of the tribal belts has been deforested or degraded by shifting cultivation.

- Enrichment Plantation : Enrichment plantation was done to promote a few favoured species in many parts of India. This practice involves plantation of a single commercially valuable species. This leads to elimination of other species.

- Development Projects : Large scale development projects have also contributed significantly to the loss of forests. Over 5,000 sq km of forest was cleared for river valley projects since 1951.

- Mining: Mining has also caused large scale depletion of flora and fauna in many areas. For example; the ongoing dolomite mining is seriously threatening the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.

- Unequal Access to Resources: Social inequality is another major factor to depletion of flora and fauna. The rich people consume much more than the poor and thus cause a higher degree of environmental damage.

THE HIMALAYAN YEW IN TROUBLE

- The Himalayan Yew (Taxus wallachiana) is a medicinal plant found in various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh. A chemical compound called ‘taxol’ is extracted from the bark, needles, twigs and roots of this tree, and it has been successfully used to treat some cancers – the drug is now the biggest selling anti-cancer drug in the world.

The species is under great threat due to overexploitation.
In the last one decade, thousands of yew trees have dried up in various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.

Social Effect of Resource Depletion

- In many societies, it is the women who are responsible for collection of fuel, fodder, water and other basic subsistence needs. Depletion of these resources means women need to work harder to collect those resources. At some places, women have to walk more than 10 km to collect firewood. This causes serious health problems for women.

- Deforestation induced flood and draught result in economic misery for the poor.

- Deforestation also leads to loss of cultural diversity. The marginalized people who had been traditionally dependent on forest for sustenance are now forced to look for other sources of livelihood. In order to do so, they are uprooted from their traditional habitat and culture.

CONSERVATION OF FOREST AND WILDLIFE IN INDIA

The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 ff In the 1960s and 1970s, the conservationists demanded some rules to protect the wildlife. Conceding to their demand, the government enacted the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Under this act, an all India list of protected species was published. Hunting was banned to protect the remaining population of some endangered species. Trade in wildlife was restricted and the habitats of wildlife were given legal protection. Many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries were established by various state governments and the central government. Several projects were announced for protecting specific animals, e.g. Project Tiger.

Benefits of Conservation

- Conservation helps in preserving ecological diversity and our life support systems; water, air and soil.
- It preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals.

Government's Categorization of Forests
- Reserved Forests : More than half of the total forest land has been declared reserved forests.
These are considered as the most valuable from conservation perspective.
- Protected Forests : Almost one-third of the total forest area is protected forest. The protected forests are protected from any further depletion.
- Unclassed Forests : Forests which do not come under either of the above two categories are called unclassed forests.

New Trends In Conservation Policy

-Increase Biodiversity: The new trend in conservation policy is the focus on biodiversity rather than on a few of its components. So, instead of just focusing on bigger mammals; like tiger and lion, even insects are finding a place in conservation planning. New notifications were issued under Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986. As per them; several hundred butterflies, moths, beetles and one dragonfly have been added to the list of protected species. Six species of plants were added to the list in 1991.

Community and Conservation

- Many local communities have recognized that conservation can secure their long-term livelihood. At many places, such communities are coordinating with government officials in conservation efforts.

- At Sariska Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan), villagers have fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act.

- In many villages, people are protecting habitats and are explicitly rejecting government involvement. For example; the inhabitants of five villages in Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav ‘Soncuri’. They have declared their own set of rules and regulation to protect the wildlife.

- Nature worship is an age old custom in the Hindu religion and in many tribes. Sacred groves in forests are the result of this tradition.Such spots in forests are untouched by human intervention.

- The Mundas and the Santhals of Chhota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus cadmba) trees. Similarly, the tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarinudus indica) and mango (Mangifera indica); as part of wedding rituals.

- Monkeys are considered the representatives of the Hindu God, Hanuman. At most of the places people do not harm monkeys or langurs because of this belief. In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, chinkara, nilgai and peacocks are protected by the community and nobody harms them.

- The Chipko Movement is a good example of community participation in conservation programme.

- Farmers and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown that adequate levels of diversified crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals are possible and economically viable.

- The Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme is another example of involvement of local communities in forest management. This programme has been in practice in Odisha since 1988. Under this programme, the local villagers form some institutions and manage the conservation activities. In lieu of that, they get the right to take and utilize some forest resources.

PROJECT TIGER

- Project Tiger was launched in 1973; to protect tigers from becoming extinct.
- At the turn of the 20th century, the tiger population was around 55,000 which dwindled to 1,827 by 1973.
- Threats to Tiger Population: Poaching for trade, shrinking habitat, depletion of base prey species, growing human population, etc.

Success Rate
Year     Tiger Population
1985      4,002
1989      4,334
1993     3,600

- Current Status: 27 tiger reserves covering 37,761 sq km.
- Important Tiger Reserves : Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand), Sunderban National Park (West Bengal), Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh), Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam) and Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala).

TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION OF FORESTS AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES

- In India, much of its forest and wildlife resources are either owned or managed by the government through the Forest Department or other government departments. These are classified under the following categories.

- Reserved Forests : More than half of the total forest land in India has been declared reserved forests. These are regarded as the most valuable from the point of view of conservation of forest and wildlife resources. ff Protected Forests : One-third of the total forest area is protected forest, as declared by the Forest Department. This forest land are protected from any further depletion.

- Unclassed Forests : These are other forests and wastelands belonging to both the government and private individuals and communities.

• The Reserved and protected forests are also referred to as permanent forest estates maintained for the purpose of producing timber and other forest produce, and for protective reasons. Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, constituting 75 per cent of its total forest area.
• Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Maharashtra have large percentages of reserved forests of its total forest area whereas Bihar, Haryana, Punjab,Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan have a bulk of it under protected forests.
• All Northeastern states and parts of Gujarat have a very high percentage of their forests as unclassed forests managed by local communities.

COMMUNITY AND CONSERVATION

- In India, forests are also home to many traditional communities. The local communities very often work hard to conserve these habitats along with government officials. They understand that only this will secure their own long-term livelihood.

• In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers have fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act. At many places, villagers themselves are protecting habitats and explicitly rejecting government involvement.
• The inhabitants of five villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’, declaring their own set of rules and regulations which do not allow hunting, and are protecting the wildlife against any outside encroachments.

Sacred groves - a wealth of diverse and rare species

- Worship of nature is an age old tribal belief based on the premise that all creations of nature have to be protected. Such beliefs have preserved several virgin forests in original form called Sacred Groves (the forests of God and Goddesses).
- These patches of forest or parts of large forests have been left untouched by the local people and any interference with them is banned. Certain societies revere a particular tree which they have preserved from time immemorial.

• The Mundas and the Santhal of Chota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus cadamba) trees.
• Tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and mango (Mangifera indica) trees during weddings.
• To many of us, peepal and banyan trees are sacred.

- The famous Chipko movement in the Himalayas has successfully resisted deforestation in several areas. It has also shown that community afforestation with indigenous species can be enormously successful. Farmers and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have also shown that adequate levels of diversified crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals are possible and economically viable.

MCQ Questions for Class 10 Social Science Forest and Wildlife Resources