Chapter 2 – Forest and Wildlife resources
Fill in the
blanks:1] Over 81,000 species of fauna and 47,000 species of flora are found in India.
2] Of the estimated 47,000 plant species, about 15,000 flowering species indigenous to India.
3] Endangered Species are species which are in danger of extinction.
4] Endemic Species are species which are only found in some particular areas usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers.
5] The world’s fastest land mammal, the cheetah can move at the speed of 112 km. /hr.
6] Since 1951, over 5,000 sq km of forest was cleared for river valley projects.
7] The Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal is seriously threatened by the dolomite mining.
8] The Himalayan Yew a medicinal plant found in various parts of Himachal 9Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh is used to treat cancer.
9] The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats.
10] “Project Tiger”, one of the well publicized wildlife campaigns in the world, was launched in the year 1973.
11] There are 27 tiger reserves in India covering an area of 37,761 sq km.
12] More than half of the total forest land has been declared reserved forests.
13] 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.
14] Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, constituting 75 per cent of its total forest area.
15] The Mundas and the Santhal of Chhota Nagpur region worship mahua and kadamba trees.
16] The tribals of Orissa and Bihar worship the tamarind and mango trees during weddings.
17] The state of Orissa passed the first resolution for joint forest management.
Questions & Answers
Q.1. what is biodiversity?
Ans:
Biodiversity or Biological Diversity is immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated species, diverse in form and function but closely integrated in a system through multiple networks of interdependencies.
Q.2. India has vast flora and fauna yet many are on the verge of extinction. Explain.
Ans:
- India is one of the world’s
richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity, and
has nearly 8 per cent of the total number of species in the world.
- Over 81,000 species of fauna
and 47,000 species of flora are found in India.
- Of the estimated 47,000
plant species, about 15,000 flowering species are endemic (indigenous) to
India.
- Some estimates suggest that at
least 10 per cent of India’s recorded wild flora and 20 per cent of its
mammals are on the threatened list.
- Among the larger animals in
India, 79 species of mammals, 44 of birds, 15 of reptiles, and 3 of
amphibians are threatened
- Nearly 1,500 plant
species are considered endangered Flowering plants and vertebrate animals
have recently become extinct at a rate estimated to be 50 to 100 times the
average expected natural rate.
Q.3. Define:
1] Normal species: Species whose population levels are considered to be normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine, rodents, etc.
2] Endangered species: These are species which are in danger of extinction. The survival of such species is difficult if the negative factors that have led to a decline in their population continue to operate. The examples of such species are black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, and lion tailed macaque, sangai (brow anter deer in Manipur), etc.
3] Vulnerable species: These are species whose population has declined to levels from where it is likely to move into the endangered category in the near future if the negative factors continue to operate. The examples of such species are blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.
4] Rare species: Species with small population may move into the endangered or vulnerable category if the negative factors affecting them continue to operate. The examples of such species are the Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc.
5] Endemic species: These are species which are only found in some particular areas usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers. Examples of such species are the Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, mithun in Arunchal Pradesh.
6] Extinct species: These are species which are not found after searches of known or likely areas where they may occur. A species may be extinct from a local area, region, country, continent or the entire earth. Examples of such species are the Asiatic cheetah, pink head duck.
Q.4. the forest cover in India has been declining. Explain.
Ans:
The greatest damage inflicted on Indian forests was during the colonial period due to the expansion of the railways, AGRICULTURE and commercial and scientific forestry and mining activities. Even after Independence, agricultural expansion continues to be one of the major causes of depletion of forest resources. Between 1951 and 1980, according to the Forest Survey of India, over 26,200 sq. km. of forest area was converted into agricultural land all over India. Substantial parts of the tribal belts, especially in the northeastern and central India, have been deforested or degraded by shifting cultivation (jhum), a type of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
Large-scale development projects have also contributed significantly to the loss of forests. Since 1951, over 5,000 sq km of forest was cleared for river valley projects. Mining is another important factor behind deforestation. The Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal is seriously threatened by the ongoing dolomite mining.
Q.5. the Himalayan Yew a medicinal plant is on the verge of extinction. Explain.
Ans:
The Himalayan Yew 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 over-exploitation. In the last one decade, thousands of yew trees have dried up in various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Q.6. Give reasons for decline in India’s biodiversity.
Ans:
Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires are factors, which have led to the decline in India’s biodiversity. Other important causes of environmental destruction are unequal access, inequitable consumption of resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.
Q.7. why is it imperative to adapt to sound forest and wildlife conservation strategies?
Ans:
In many societies, women bear the major responsibility of collection of fuel, fodder, water and other basic subsistence needs. As these resources are depleted, the drudgery of women increases and sometimes they have to walk for more than 10 km to collect these resources. This causes serious health problems for women and negligence of home and children because of the increased hours of work, which often has serious social implications. The indirect impact of degradation such as severe drought or deforestation-induced floods, etc. also hits the poor the hardest. Poverty in these cases is a direct outcome of environmental destruction. Therefore forest and wildlife are vital to the quality of life and environment in the subcontinent. It is imperative to adapt to sound forest and wildlife conservation strategies.
Q.8. Describe the steps taken by the government to protect the species from becoming extinct.
Ans:
The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats. The thrust of the programme was towards protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species by banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats, and restricting trade in wildlife. Subsequently, central and many state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries about which you have already studied. The central government also announced several projects for protecting specific animals, which were gravely threatened, including the tiger and other animals have been given full or partial legal protection against hunting and trade throughout India.
Q.9. write a note on Project Tiger.
Ans:
Tiger is one of the key wildlife species in the faunal web. In 1973, the authorities realized that the tiger population had dwindled to 1,827 from an estimated 55,000 at the turn of the century. The major threats to tiger population are numerous, such as poaching for trade, shrinking habitat, depletion of prey base species, growing human population, etc. The trade of tiger skins and the use of their bones in traditional medicines, especially in the Asian countries left the tiger population on the verge of extinction. Since India and Nepal provide habitat to about two-thirds of the surviving tiger population in the world, these two nations became prime targets for poaching and illegal trading. “Project Tiger”, one of the well publicized wildlife campaigns in the world, was launched in 1973. There are 27 tiger reserves in India covering an area of 37,761 sq km.
Q.10. Name some tiger reserves in India.
Ans:
Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal, Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal, Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan, Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam and Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala are some of the tiger reserves of India.
Q.11. write a note on type of forests in India.
Ans
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.
(i) Reserved Forests: More than half of the total forest land has been declared reserved forests. Reserved forests are regarded as the most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources are concerned.
(ii) Protected Forests: Almost one-third of the total forest area is protected forest, as declared by the Forest Department. These forest lands are protected from any further depletion.
(iii) Unclassed Forests: These are other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities.
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.
Q.12. Communities in India has taken the initiative to protect the natural habitats. Explain.
Ans:
In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers have fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act. In many areas, 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.
The Mundas and the Santhal of Chhota Nagpur region worship mahua and kadamba trees, and the tribals of Orissa and Bihar worship the tamarind and mango trees during weddings. To many of us, peepal and banyan trees are considered sacred
SUMIT BHADRA
1 comment:
It's really helpful thanx 😊
Post a Comment