SOCIAL SCIENCE
CLASS – 10
GEOGRAPHY
Forest and wildlife Resources
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 8 per cent of the total number of species in the world (estimated to be 1.6 million).
• At least 10 percent of India’s recorded wild flora and 20 per cent of its mammals are on the
threatened list.
• Many are categorized as ‘critical’, that is on the verge of extinction like the cheetah, pink-
headed duck etc.
Endemic Plants:- The virgin (plants) vegetation, which are purely Indian. They are also known as
indigenous species.
Eco-System:- All the plants and animals in an area are inter dependent and inter related to each
other in their physical environment, thus forming an ecosystem.
Classification of Species:-
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified
plants and animals in order of existence:
-The International Union for Conservation of nature and natural resources (IUCN) is the world’s
oldest and largest global environmental organization, founded in1948. it is also called the world
conservation union.
→ Normal Species: Species whose population levels are considered to be normal for their
survival, such as cattle, Sal, pine, rodents, etc.
→ Endangered Species: These are species which are in danger of extinction. For example,
black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass etc.
→ 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. For examples, blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.
→ Rare Species: Species with small population may move into the endangered or vulnerable
category if the negative factors affecting them continue to operate. For example, Himalayan
brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc.
→ Endemic Species: These are species which are only found in some particular areas usually
isolated by natural or geographical barriers. For example, Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon,
Andaman wild pig, mithun in Arunchal Pradesh.
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→ Extinct Species: These are species which are not found after searches of known or likely
areas where they may occur. For example, Asiatic cheetah, pink head duck etc.
Causes of depletion of the flora and fauna:-
• Human beings transformed nature into a resource obtaining directly and indirectly from the
forests and wildlife such as wood, barks, leaves, rubber, medicines, dyes, food, fuel, fodder,
manure, etc. which depleted our forests and wildlife.
• The various factors that cause depletion of the flora and fauna are:
→ Large-scale development projects
→ Shifting cultivation
→ Mining
→ Grazing and fuel-wood collection
→ Over-population
• Factors responsible for decline in India’s biodiversity:
→ Habitat destruction
→ Hunting
→ Poaching
→ Over-exploitation
→ Environmental pollution
→ Poisoning
→ Forest fires
Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India:-
• Conservation preserves the ecological diversity and our life support systems – water, air and
soil.
• Due to conservationist's demand, The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972,
with various provisions for protecting habitats.
→ The aim of the programme was protecting the remaining population of certain endangered
species by banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats, and restricting trade in
wildlife.
→ The central and many state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
→ The central government also announced several projects for protecting specific animals,
which were gravely threatened, including the tiger, the one-horned rhinoceros and others.
→Project Tiger was also launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the
endangered species of tiger in the country.
→Under Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986, several hundred butterflies, moths, beetles, and one
dragonfly have been added to the list of protected species.
→In 1991, for the first time plants were also added to the list, starting with six species.
Classification of Forests:-
(a) Reserved Forest : They are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and
wildlife resources are concerned Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra have large areas of reserved forests.
(b) Protected Forest : Almost one-third of total forest area is protected forest. This forest land is
protected from any further depletion. Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and
Rajasthan have a bulk of it under protected forests.
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(c) Unclassed Forests : There are other forests and wastelands belonging both government and
private individuals and communities. All north eastern states and parts of Gujarat have high
percentage of their forests as unclassed forests.
A number of factors are responsible for the depletion of flora and fauna. Some of them are
agricultural expansion, enrichment plantation, development project, mining etc.
The Himalayan Yew :- The Himalayan Yew (Taxus wallachiana) is a medicinal plant found in
various parts of Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Usage :- 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.
Disadvantages :-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.
Community and Conservation:-
• The forests are also home to some of the traditional communities.
-Local communities are struggling to conserve these habitats along with government officials, to
secure their long-term livelihood.
The Project Tiger was started throughout the world in 1973. The Government of India also took an
active part in the Tiger Project to save this important species.
→About 27 Tiger Reserves in India were erected to save this endangered animal. -Important
Tiger Reserves such as 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 were established.
→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.
→Joint forest management (JFM) programme introduced in 1988 in the state of Odisha shown
good example for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded
forests.
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