JAC Board Class 10th Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources
JAC Class 10th Geography Forest and Wildlife Resources Textbook Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which of these statements is not a valid reason for the depletion of flora and fauna?
(a) Agricultural expansion.
(b) Large scale developmental projects.
(c) Grazing and fuel wood collection.
(d) Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
Answer:
(c) Grazing and fuel wood collection.
(ii) Which of the following conservation strategies do not directly involve community participation?
(a) Joint Forest Management
(b) Chipko Movement
(c) Beej Bachao Andolan
(d) Demarcation ofWildlife Sanctuaries
Answer:
(d) Demarcation ofWildlife Sanctuaries
Question 2.
Match the following animals with their category of existence.
| Animals/Plants | Category of existence |
| Black buck | Extinct |
| Asiatic elephant | Rare |
| Andaman wild pig | Endangered |
| Himalayan brown bear | Vulnerable |
| Pink head duck | Endemic |
Answer:
| Animals/Plants | Category of existence |
| Black buck | Endangered |
| Asiatic elephant | Vulnerable |
| Andaman wild pig | Endemic |
| Himalayan brown bear | Rare |
| Pink head duck | Extinct |
Question 3.
Match the following.
| Reserved | other forests and wastelands’ belonging to both government and private individuals and communities. |
| Protected forests | forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources. |
| Unclassed, forests | forest lands are protected from any further depletion. |
Answer:
| Reserved | forests are regarded as’ most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources. |
| Protected forests | forest lands are protected from any further depletion. |
| Unclassed forests | other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities. |
Question 4.
Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(a) What is biodiversity? Why is biodiversity important for human lives?
(b) How have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna? Explain.
Answer:
(a) Biodiversity is immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated species, diverse in form and function, but closely integrated in a system through multiple networks of interdependencies. Biodiversity is important for humans because human beings, with biodiversity, form a complete ecological system in which we are a part and are dependent on this system for our own existence.
(b) Following human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna:
- Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires.
- Unequal access, inequitable consumption of resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.
- Grazing and fuel-wood collection.
- Use valuable forest products, minerals and other resources that meet the demands of the rapidly expanding industrial-urban economy.
- Large-scale development projects.
- Mining is another important factor behind deforestation. The Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal is seriously threatened by the ongoing dolomite mining. It has disturbed the natural habitat of many species and blocked the migration route of several others, including the great Indian elephant.
- The major threat to tiger population by 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.
Question 5.
Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(a) Describe how communities have conserved and protected forests and wildlife in India?
(b) Write a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.
Answer:
(a) Role of Community (local people) in Conserving Forest and Wildlife:
Community or local people are very helpful in conserving biodiversity i.e. plants and animals. Many communities live in the forest. Forest is home of many traditional people. In Rajasthan, local people came forward to stop mining activities to protect Sariska Tiger Reserve.
People of five villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared 1200 hectares of land as ‘Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri’ in which hunting is not allowed. In Jharkhand, Munda tribe worship Mahua and Kadamba trees and they protect them.
Famous Chipko Movement in Himalayas was started by local community only. Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have produced crops without the use of synthetic chemicals. Joint Forest Management [JFM] started in Odisha is good method of involving local community in management and restoration of degraded forest.
(b) According to the state of forest report (2015), the dense forest cover has increased by 3,775 sq km since 2013.
(i) This apparent increase in the forest cover is due to conservation measures, management interventions and plantation, etc., by different agencies.
(ii) The Indian wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats.
(iii) An all India list of protected species ‘ was also published. The thrust of the
programme was towards protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species.
(iv) Central and many state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
(v) The central government announced several projects for protecting specific animals, which were gravely threatened, including the tiger, the one-horned rhinoceros, the Kashmir stag or hangul, three types of crocodiles etc.
(vi) Most recently, the Indian elephant, black buck (chinkara), the great Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow leopard, etc. have been full or partial legal protection against hunting and trade throughout India.
(vii) 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.
(viii) In Some areas of India, local communities are struggling to conserve these habitats along with government officials like Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’, Chipko movement, the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya, joint forest management (JFM) etc.