Geography
Class-9
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
A. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below:
- In which of the following state is the Simlipal bio-reserve located?
- Punjab
- Delhi
- Odisha
- West Bengal
Ans. Odisha
2. Which one of the following bio-reserves of India is not included in the world network of bio-reserve?
- Manas
- Gulf of Mannar
- Nilgiri
- Panna
Ans. Panna
3. Which one of the following states has the maximum area under forest cover?
- Rajasthan
- Madhya Pradesh
- Assam
- West Bengal
Ans. Madhya Pradesh
4. __________ are found in the forests of Madhya Pradesh, the Sundarbans of West Bengal and the Himalayan region.
- Elephant
- Deer
- Tigers
- Lion
Ans. Tigers
5. What is the percentage of forest cover in India according to India State of Forest Report 2011?
- 17.05 %
- 38.20 %
- 21.05 %
- 11.16 %
Ans. 21.05 %
6. To which one of the following types of vegetation does the Cinchona belong to?
- Tundra
- Himalayan
- Tidal
- Tropical Evergreen
Ans. Tropical Evergreen
7. Rubber trees are found in the areas of rainfall more than-
- 100 cm
- 70 cm
- 50 cm
- less than 50 cm
Ans. 100 cm
8. Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in which of the following year in India?
- 1972
- 1967
- 1870
- 1876
Ans. 1972
9. The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the –
- Mukundra Hills in Rajasthan
- Gir forest in Gujarat
- Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand
- Govind Pashu Vihar in Uttarakhand
Ans. Gir forest in Gujarat
10. One-horned rhinoceroses live in swampy and marshy lands of –
- Assam and West Bengal
- UP and Bihar
- Tamil Nadu and Kerala
- Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
Ans. Assam and West Bengal
B. Answer the following questions.
1. Define the term Natural Vegetation.
Ans. Natural vegetation refers to a plant community, which has grown naturally without human aid and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time.
2. Name the union territory having minimum area under forest cover and why is it so?
Ans. Lakshadweep is the union territory having minimum forest cover. Since Lakshadweep consists only of coral islands, they have no proper soil for growing of forests except for coconut trees.
3. Differentiate between flora and fauna.
Ans. The term flora is used to denote plants of a particular region or period. Similarly, the species of animals are referred to as fauna.
4. India’s natural vegetation has undergone many changes. Give reasons.
Ans. India’s natural vegetation has undergone many changes due to several factors, such as the growing demand for cultivated land, development of industries and mining, urbanisation and over-grazing of pastures.
5. Explain the factors which are responsible for the distribution of plants and animals.
Ans. The following factors are responsible for the distribution of plants and animals:
RELIEF
Land- The nature of land influences the type of vegetation. The fertile level is generally devoted to agriculture. The undulating and rough terrains are areas where grassland and woodlands develop and give shelter to a variety of wildlife.
Soil – Different types of soils provide basis for different types of vegetation. The sandy soils of the desert support cactus and thorny bushes, while wet, marshy, deltaic soils support mangroves and deltaic vegetation. The hill slopes with some depth of soil have conical trees.
CLIMATE
Temperature – Temperature affects the types of vegetation and its growth. Due to differences in temperature over the earth, we find a variety of trees changing from tropical to subtropical temperate and alpine vegetation.
Photoperiod (Sunlight) – The variation in duration of sunlight at different 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.
Precipitation – Areas of heavy rainfall have more dense vegetation as compared to areas of less rainfall. For example- the western slopes of the Western Ghats receive more rain and are covered with thick forests as compared to the eastern slopes.
6. Why are forests important for human beings?Forests are renewable resources and play a major role in enhancing the quality of environment.
Ans. They modify local climate, control soil erosion, regulate stream flow.
- They support a variety of industries.
- They provide livelihood for many communities and offer panoramic or scenic view for recreation.
- They control wind force and temperature and cause rains.
- They provide humus to the soil and shelter to the wildlife.
7. Name the different types of vegetation found in India.
Ans. The following major types of vegetation may be identified in our country.
- Tropical Evergreen Forests
- Tropical Deciduous Forests
- Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
- Montane Forests
- Mangrove Forests
8. Discuss Tropical Evergreen Forests under the following headings.
a) Location b) Main Characteristics c) Important trees d) Common animals
Ans. a) Location – These forests are restricted to heavy rainfall areas of the Western Ghats and the island groups of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar, upper parts of Assam and Tamil Nadu coast.
b) Characteristics- They are at their best in areas having more than 200 cm of rainfall with a short dry season.
The trees reach great heights up to 60 metres or even above. Since the region is warm and wet throughout the year, it has a luxuriant vegetation of all kinds — trees, shrubs and creepers giving it a multilayered structure.
There is no definite time for trees to shed their leaves. As such, these forests appear green all the year round.
c) Important trees- Some of the commercially important trees of this forest are ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber and cinchona.
d) Common animals- The common animals found in these forests are elephant, monkey, lemur and deer. One horned rhinoceroses are found in the jungles of Assam and West Bengal. Besides these animals, plenty of birds, bats, sloth, scorpions and snails are also found in these jungles.
9. What are the main features of Tropical Deciduous Forests? Name the important trees and animals found there.
Ans. These are the most widespread forests of India.
- They are also called the monsoon forests and spread over the region receiving rainfall between 200 cm and 70 cm.
- Trees of this forest type shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry summer.
- On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous.
- Bamboos, sal, shisham, teak, peepal and neem are important trees.
- The common animals found are lion, tiger, pig, deer and elephant. A huge variety of birds, lizards, snakes and tortoises are also found here.
10. Distinguish between Moist and Dry Tropical Deciduous Forests.
Moist deciduous forests
- Moist deciduous is found in areas receiving rainfall between 200 and 100 cm.
- These forests exist, therefore, mostly in the eastern part of the country — northeastern states, along the foothills of the Himalayas, Jharkhand, West Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
- Teak is the most dominant species of this forest. Bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun and mulberry are other commercially important species.
Dry deciduous forests
- The dry deciduous forests are found in areas having rainfall between 100 cm and 70 cm.
- These forests are found in the rainier parts of the peninsular plateau and the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
- There are open stretches, in which teak, sal, peepal and neem grow.
11. List three main characteristics of Thorn Forests and Scrubs.
- In regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall, the natural vegetation consists of thorny trees and bushes.
- Trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get moisture.
- The stems are succulent to conserve water. Leaves are mostly thick and small to minimise evaporation. These forests give way to thorn forests and scrubs in arid areas.
12. In which part of India the Thorn Forests and Scrubs are found? Mention the trees and animals found there.
- This type of vegetation is found in the north-western part of the country, including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
- Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plant species.
- In these forests, the common animals are rats, mice, rabbits, fox, wolf, tiger, lion, wild ass, horses and camels.
13. Explain the main characteristics of the forests found in the mountainous areas.
In mountainous areas, the decrease in temperature with increasing altitude leads to the corresponding change in natural vegetation. As such, there is a succession of natural vegetation belts in the same order as we see from the tropical to the tundra region.
- The wet temperate type of forests is found between a height of 1000 and 2000 metres.
- Evergreen broad-leaf trees, such as oaks and chestnuts predominate. Between 1500 and 3000 metres, temperate forests containing coniferous trees, like pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce and cedar, are found.
- These forests cover mostly the southern slopes of the Himalayas, places having high altitude in southern and north-east India.
- At higher elevations, temperate grasslands are common. At high altitudes, generally, more than 3,600 metres above the sea level, temperate forests and grasslands give way to the Alpine vegetation.
- At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra vegetation.
14. Describe the vegetation and the wildlife found in the Ganga and Brahmaputra delta.
- The Mangrove tidal forests are found in the areas of coasts influenced by tides. Mud and silt get accumulated on such coasts.
- Dense mangroves are the common varieties with roots of the plants submerged under water.
- The deltas of the Ganga, the Mahanadi, the Krishna, the Godavari and the Kaveri are covered by such vegetation.
- In the Ganga – Brahmaputra delta, sundari trees are found, which provide durable hard timber. Palm, coconut, keora, agar, etc., also grow in some parts of the delta.
- Royal Bengal Tiger is the famous animal in these forests. Turtles, crocodiles, gharials and snakes are also found in these forests.
15. How many national parks, biosphere reserves and, Wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological gardens are set up to take care of natural heritage? Why have these been established by the government?
- 103 National Parks, Eighteen biosphere reserves and 535 Wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological gardens have been set up to take care of natural heritage.
- These have been established by the government to protect the flora and fauna of the country.
16. Mention any three steps taken by the government to protect the flora and fauna of the country.
- Many national parks, biosphere reserves and Wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological gardens are set up to take care of natural heritage.
- Financial and technical assistance is provided to many botanical gardens by the government since 1992. a) Kachchh b) Cold Desert c) Seshachalam d) Panna
- Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard and many other eco-developmental projects have been introduced.