JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources

JAC Board Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources

→ We share this planet with millions of other living beings, starting from micro¬organisms and bacteria, lichens to banyan trees, elephants and blue whales. This entire habitat that we live in has immense biodiversity. We humans along with all living organisms form a complex web of ecological system in which we are only a part and very much dependent on this system for our own existence.

→ Forests plays a key role in the ecological system as these are also the primary producers on which all other living beings depend.

→ 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.

→ 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).
  • 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. Many of these would now be categorised as ‘critical’, that is on the verge of extinction like the cheetah, pink-headed duck, mountain quail, etc.

Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), we can classify as follows:
(a) Normal Species: Species whose population levels are considered to be normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine, rodents, etc.

(b) 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 antlered deer in Manipur), etc.

(c) 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.

(d) 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 hombill, etc.

(e) 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.

(f) 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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources

→ Reasons for Depletion of Biodiversity (Flora and Fauna)

  • The greatest damage inflicted on Indian forests was’ during the colonial period due to the expansion of the railways, agriculture, 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.
  • 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 dqlomite mining.
  • Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires are factors, which have led tcfthe 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. Over-population in third world countries is often cited as the cause of environmental degradation.

→ Methods or Measures to Conserve Biodiversity

  • Deforestation should be totally stopped. Instead, trees should be replanted on degraded land and on land where forest had been cleared earlier.
  • People should initiate movement against tree cutting such as ‘Chipko Movement’.
  • ‘Van Mahotsava’ and similar kind of events should be celebrated to conserve forest.
  • Mass media, e.g., TV, radio, newspapers, etc., should be used for creating awareness.
  • Govt, should pass and implement strict laws like Indian Wildlife Protection Act – 1972 against illegal cutting of trees, hunting and poaching.
  • Various projects like Project Tiger, Project Rhino, etc., should be started.
  • More National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserve should be identified.
  • There should be frequent survey and census to count population of different species found in the forest.

→ Short Note on Project Tiger:
Tiger is one of the most important species among fauna. It was estimated that population of tigers has decreased rapidly in the last one hundred years. Major reasons identified behind depletion of tiger were hunting and poaching, deforestation, depletion of prey etc. Project Tiger was started in 1973 to protect the tigers from extinction. There are 50 tiger reserves in India. Project Tiger has successfully improved the condition.

→ Types of Forests in India
(a) 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.
(b) Protected Forests: These forests are protected from further depletion. About one-third forests comes under protected forests.
(c) Unclassed Forests: These forests belong to government, private individuals and communities.

→ Distribution of Forest in India

  • Only 24.16% land is under forest in India. Distribution of forest in India is not uniform.
  • Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under pennanent forests with 75% of its total forest area. The other states like Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Maharashtra have large percentage of reserved forests.
  • States like Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and Rajasthan have large areas of protected forests.
  • All the north-eastern states and parts of Gujarat have large percentages of unclassed forests which are managed – by local communities.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources

→ 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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources 

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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources 

(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/PlantsCategory of existence
Black buckExtinct
Asiatic elephantRare
Andaman wild pigEndangered
Himalayan brown bearVulnerable
Pink head duckEndemic

Answer:

Animals/PlantsCategory of existence
Black buckEndangered
Asiatic elephantVulnerable
Andaman wild pigEndemic
Himalayan brown bearRare
Pink head duckExtinct

Question 3.
Match the following.

Reservedother forests and wastelands’ belonging to both government and private individuals and communities.
Protected forestsforests are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources.
Unclassed, forestsforest lands are protected from any further depletion.

Answer:

Reservedforests are regarded as’ most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources.
Protected forestsforest lands are protected from any further depletion.
Unclassed forestsother 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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources 

(b) Following human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna:

  1. Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires.
  2. Unequal access, inequitable consumption of resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.
  3. Grazing and fuel-wood collection.
  4. Use valuable forest products, minerals and other resources that meet the demands of the rapidly expanding industrial-urban economy.
  5. Large-scale development projects.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources 

(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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources 

JAC Board Class 10th Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Buxa Tiger Reserve is seriously threatened by the mining of?
(a) Iron
(b) Coal
(c) Bauxite
(d) Dolomite
Answer:
(d) Dolomite

Question 2.
Which of the following plays a key role in the ecological system?
(a) Rocks
(b) Roads
(c) Forests
(d) None of these
Answer:
(c) Forests

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 3.
Which one among the following are not a part of the complex web of ecological system?
(a) Plants
(b) Animals
(c) Computers
(d) Humans
Answer:
(c) Computers

Question 4.
Biodiversity is very important for which of the following creatures?
(a) Plants
(b) Earthworms
(c) Humans
(d) Aliens
Answer:
(c) Humans

Question 5.
What percentage of India’s wild flora and mammals are on the threatened list?
(a) 10 percent of recorded wild flora and 20 percent of mammals
(b) 20 percent of recorded wild flora and 10 percent of mammals
(c) 10 percent of cultivated species of flora and 20 percent animals
(d) None of the above.
Answer:
(a) 10 percent of recorded wild flora and 20 percent of mammals

Question 6.
Which of the following birds do not fall in the category of ‘critical’ species?
(a) Pink-headed duck
(b) Peacock
(c) Mountain quail
(d) Forest-spotted owl
Answer:
(b) Peacock

Question 7.
Which of the following is a species of grass categorised as a ‘critical’ species among the threatened list of flora and fauna?
(a) Taxus
(b) Tamarindus indica
(c) Hubbardia heptaneuron
(d) Mangifera indica
Answer:
(c) Hubbardia heptaneuron

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 8.
Determining the different categories of existing plants and animal species are based on which of the following agencies?
(a) The State Forest Department
(b) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
(c) Forest Survey of India
(d) Earth Summit
Answer:
(b) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Name any one species in India which is already extinct.
Answer:
Asiatic cheetah is already extinct in India.

Question 2.
How are various species interdependent in the ecosystem?
Answer:
The plants, animals and micro-organisms recreate the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that produces our food without which we cannot survive.

Question 3.
What is the role of forests in ecological system?
Answer:
Forests plays a key role in the ecological system as these are also the primary producers on which all other living beings depend.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 4.
Which are endangered species?
Answer:
The cheetah, pink-headed duck, mountain quail, forest spotted owlet and plants like mahua and hubbardia are all at the verge 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.

Question 5.
How is colonial period to be blamed for depletion of forest?
Answer:
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.

Question 6.
What are the main causes of environ-mental destruction?
Answer:
Important causes of environmental destruction are unequal access, inequitable consumption of resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 7.
How are animal and plant life catego-rized?
Answer:
Animal and plant life can be categorized as follows: Normal Species, Endangered Species, Vulnerable Species, Rare Species, Endemic Species, Extinct Species.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions