Chapter - 2, Forest and Wildlife Resources, Geography, Social Science, Class 10
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The document discusses the alarming decline in forest and wildlife resources globally, with 45% of the Earth's original forest cover lost over 8000 years, primarily due to human activities. In India, around 20% of recorded wild flora and 10% of mammals face extinction, driven by factors like agriculture, deforestation, and urban development. It highlights conservation efforts by local communities, demonstrating the interconnectedness of biodiversity and human livelihoods.
Chapter - 2, Forest and Wildlife Resources, Geography, Social Science, Class 10
- 1. CHAPTER - 2 FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES By Shivam Parmar (Entrepreneur) Email for more PPTs at a very reasonable price. Email: parmarshivam105@gmail.com
- 2. INTRODUCTION • In the last 8000 years about 45 percent of the Earth’s original forest cover has disappeared, cleared mostly during the past century. Forest biodiversity is being lost due to the rapid deforestation, fragmentation, and degradation of all forest types.
- 3. • The most important factors associated with forest and biological diversity decline are human- induced causes: conversion to agricultural land, overgrazing, unmitigated shifting cultivation, unsustainable forest management, introduction of invasive alien plant and animal species, infrastructure development (road building, hydroelectrical development urban sprawl), mining and oil exploitation, forest fires caused by humans, pollution and climate change.
- 4. BIODIVERSITY (A) (i) 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 network of interdependencies. India have nearly 8% of total species of the world (around 1.6million).
- 5. (ii) From a microorganism to a blue whale and from a small grass to the largest tree there is immense biodiversity in the world. (iii) Ecological system or a system of mutual interdependence and interrelationship between various components like plants, animals and their physical environment affects the human life to a great extent. (iv) Forests play a very important role in this regard as they are the primary producers on which all other living beings depend.
- 6. (B) Flora in India (Plants) : (i) Total Species :Around 47000 (Discovered so far) 10th the world and 4th in Asia. (ii) Flowering Species : 15000 endemic (indigenous) to India (6% of world). (iii) Non flowering Species : Large variety including ferns, Algae & fungi.
- 7. (C) Fauna in India (Animal life) : (i) Total species : 89000 (Discovered so far) (ii) Birds : 1200 Species (13% of the world) (iii) Fishes : 2500 Species ( 12% of the world) (iv) 5% to 8% of worlds Amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
- 8. (D) Wild life on threatened list : (i) Some estimates suggest that at least 10 per cent of India’s recorded wild flora and 20 percent of its mammals are on the threatened list. (ii) Many of these would now be categorised as ‘critical’ that is on the verge of extinction like the cheetah, pink-headed duck, mountain quail, forest spotted owlet, and plants like madhuca insignis (a wild variety of mahua) and hubbardia heptaneuron, (a species of grass). In fact, no one can say how many species may have already been lost.
- 9. (iii) Among the larger animals in India, 79 species of mammals. 44 of birds, 15 of reptiles and 3 of amphibians are threatened. (iv) Nearly 1,500 Plant species are considered endangered. (v) Flowering plants and vertebrated animals have recently become extinct at a rate estimated to be 50 to 100 times the average expected natural rate.
- 10. (E) Vanishing Forests : • The dimensions of deforestation in India are staggering. The forest cover in the country is estimated at 637,293 sq km, which is 19.39 percent of the total geographical area. (dense forest 11.48 per cent; open forest 7.76 per cent; and mangrove 0.15 per cent).
- 11. According to the state of Forest Report (1999), the dense forest cover has increased by 10,098 sq km since 1997. However, this apparent increase in the forest cover is due to plantation by different agencies. The state of Forest Report does not differentiate between natural forests and plantations. Therefore, these reports fail to deliver accurate information about actual loss of natural forests.
- 12. CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES (IUCN) (A) (i) Normal Species : Species whose population levels are considered to be normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine, rodents etc.
- 13. (ii) 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, lion tailed macaque, sangai (brow anter deer in Manipur), etc.
- 14. (iii) 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.
- 15. 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 Asia buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc. (iv) Rare Species :
- 16. (v) 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 Arunachal Pradesh.
- 17. (vi) 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.
- 18. (B) Asiatic Cheetah : Where did they go ? • The world’s fastest land mammal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubantus), is a unique and specialised member of the cat family and can move at the speed of 112 km/hr. • Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct due to a decline of available habitat and prey. The species was declared extinct in India long back in 1952.
- 19. (C) What are the negative factors that cause fearful depletion of the flora and fauna. (i) Obtaining various forest produce and wildlife products. (ii) Damage during British rule due to expansion of railway. commercial and scientific forestry, agriculture and mining activities. (iii)Expansion of Agriculture after Independence. According to forest Survey of India 26,200 sq, km. forests have been depleted between 1951 to 1980.
- 20. (iv) Shifting cultivation (Jhum) or slash and burn agriculture. (v) Large-scale development projects have also contributed significantly to the loss of forests. Clearing of forest is still continuing with projects like the Narmada Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh, which would inundate 40,000 hectares of forest.
- 21. (D) (i) Are colonial forest policies to be blamed ? Some of our environmental activists say that the promotion of a few favoured species, in many parts of India, has been carried through the ironically- termed “enrichment plantation”’ in which a single commercially valuable species was extensively planted and other species eliminated. For instance, teak monoculture has damaged the natural forest in South India and Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) plantations in the Himalaya shavere placed the Himalayan oak (Quercius spp.) and Rhododendron forests.
- 22. (ii) 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 over exploitation. In the last one decade, thousands of yew trees have dried up in various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
- 23. (iii) Wildlife in trouble : Over half of India’s natural forests are gone, one-third of its wetlands drained out, 70 percent of its surface water bodies polluted, 40 per cent of its mangroves wiped out, and with continued hunting and trade of wild animals and commercially valuable plants, thousands of plant and animal species are heading towards extinction.
- 24. (E) The destruction of forests & wildlife is not just Biological issue : The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity. (i) Such losses have increasingly marginalized and impoverished many indigenous and other forest-dependent communities, who directly depend on various components of the forest and wildlife for food, drink, medicine, culture, spirituality, etc.
- 25. (ii) In many societies, women bear the major responsibility of collection of fuel, fodder, water and other basic subsistence needs. As these resources 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 induced floods, etc. also hits the poor the hardest. (iii) Poverty in these cases is direct outcome of environmental destruction. Therefore, forest and wildlife, are vital to the quality of life and environment in the subcontinent.
- 26. METHODS FOR CONSERVATION Project Tiger : 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.
- 27. Types and distribution of Forest and Wildlife Resources : Even if we want to conserve our vast forest and wildlife resources, it is rather difficult to manage control and regulate them. In India, much of its forest and wildlife resources are either owned or managed by the government through the Forest Department or other government department.
- 28. Community and Conservation : • Conservation strategies are not new in our country. We often ignore that in India, forests are also home to some of the traditional communities. In some areas of India, local communities are struggling to conserve these habitats along with government officials, recognising that only this will secure their own long-term livelihood.
- 29. 1. In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan villagers have fought against mining by citing the wildlife Protection Act. 2. The inhabitants of five villages in Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared 1200 hectares of forests 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.
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