CLASS: VI
CHAPTER 8
INDIA: CLIMATE, VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE
1. Mention the main characteristics of hot weather season.
Ans. The main characteristics of hot weather season are as follows-
- In the hot weather season sun rays more or less directly fall in this region.
- Temperature becomes very high.
- Hot and dry winds called loo, blow during the day.
2. State the characteristics of cold weather season.
Ans. The main characteristics of cold weather season are as follows-
- During the winter season, cool, dry winds blow from north to the south.
- The sun rays do not fall directly in the region.
- As a result, the temperatures are quite low in northern India.
3. What happens if monsoons are weak, or even worse i.e. failed to occur one year?
Ans.
- Crop will be affected.
- The level of the water in a well will go-down.
- Summer will be longer.
4. What are the factors that affect the climate of a place?
Ans. The climate of a place is affected by its location, altitude, distance from the sea, and relief.
5. What are the features of Thorny Bushes?
Ans. The features of Thorny Bushes are as follows-
- This type of vegetation is found in dry areas of the country.
- The leaves are in the form of spines to reduce the loss of water.
- Cactus, khair, babool, keekar are important trees.
- They are found in the states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Eastern slopes of Western Ghats and Gujarat.
6. State the characteristics of rainy season/ south west monsoon season.
Ans. The main characteristics of rainy season/ south west monsoon season are as follows-
- This season is marked by the onset and advance of monsoon.
- The winds blow from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal towards the land.
- They carry moisture with them. When these winds strike the mountain barriers, rainfall occurs.
7. State the characteristics of autumn season/ retreating monsoon season.
Ans. The main characteristics of autumn season/ retreating monsoon season are as follows-
- Winds move back from the mainland to the Bay of Bengal.
- This is the season of the retreating monsoons.
- The southern parts of India, particularly Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh receive rainfall in this season.
8. What are the main characteristics of Mountain Vegetation?
Ans. The main characteristics of Mountain Vegetation are as follows-
- A wide range of species is found in the mountains according to the variation in height. With increase in height, the temperature falls.
- At a height between 1500 metres and 2500 metres most of the trees are conical in shape. These trees are called coniferous trees.
- Chir, Pine and Deodar are important trees of these forests.
9. Mention three features of mangrove forests.
Ans. The three features of mangrove forests are given below.
- These forests can survive in saline water.
- They are found mainly in Sunderbans in West Bengal and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Sundari is a well-known species of trees in mangrove forests after which Sunderbans have been named.
10. How can we conserve wildlife?
Ans. To conserve the wildlife-
- We can refuse to buy things made from parts of the bodies of animals such as their bones, horns, fur, skins, and feathers.
- We can create awareness to conserve the habitats of the animal kingdom.
- Every year we observe wildlife week in the first week of October.
11. How have human activities created disturbance in the environment?
- Natural vegetation has been destroyed to a large extent because of the reckless cutting of trees for agriculture, mining etc.
- Due to cutting of forests and hunting, several species of wildlife of India are declining rapidly.
- Many species have already become extinct.
12. List different ways to conserve forests.
Ans. We can conserve the forests in the following ways-
- We should plant more trees and protect the existing ones.
- We should make people aware of the importance of trees.
- We can have special programmes like Van Mahotsav to involve more people in making our earth green.
5 MARK QUESTIONS
1. What are the main characteristics of Tropical Rainforests?
Ans. The main characteristics of Tropical Rainforests are as follows.
- Tropical Rain Forests occur in the areas which receive heavy rainfall.
- They are so dense that sunlight doesn’t reach the ground.
- Many species of trees are found in these forests, which shed their leaves at different times of the year. As a result, they always appear green and are called evergreen forests.
- Important trees found in these forests are mahogany, ebony and rosewood.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, parts of North-Eastern states and a narrow strip of the Western slope of the Western Ghats are home of these forests.
2. Describe the main features of Tropical Deciduous forests.
Ans. In a large part of our country we have Tropical Deciduous forests.
- These forests are also called monsoon forests.
- They are less dense.
- They shed their leaves at a particular time of the year.
- Important trees of these forests are sal, teak, peepal, neem and shisham.
- They are found in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and in parts of Maharashtra.
3. Why are forests necessary?
Ans. Forests are very useful for us in the following ways-
- Plants release oxygen that we breathe.
- They also absorb carbon dioxide.
- The roots of the plants bind the soil; thus, they control soil erosion.
- Forests provide us with timber for furniture, fuel wood, fodder, medicinal plants and herbs, lac, honey, gum, etc.
- Forests are the natural habitat of wild life.
4. Explain the regional variations in climate with the help of examples.
Ans. we experience regional differences in the climate of India. For example-
- Jaisalmer and Bikaner in the desert of Rajasthan are very hot, while Drass and Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir are freezing cold.
- Coastal places like Mumbai and Kolkata experience moderate climate. They are neither too hot nor too cold. Being on the coast, these places are very humid.
- Mawsynram in Meghalaya receives the world’s highest rainfall, while in a particular year it might not rain at all in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
5. What are the factors that influence the vegetation of a place? How many types of natural vegetation are there?
Ans. Different types of natural vegetation are dependent on different climatic conditions, among which the amount of rainfall and temperature are very important.
Vegetation of India can be divided into five types –
- Tropical evergreen forest
- Tropical deciduous forest
- Thorny bushes
- Mountain vegetation and
- Mangrove forests