Chapter - 5 ( class - 9) ( Geography )
Natural Vegetation and Wild Life
a) Temperature - On the slopes of the
Himalayas and the hills of the Peninsula above the height of 915 metres, the
fall in the temperature affects the types of vegetation and its growth, and
changes it from tropical to subtropical temperate and alpine vegetation.
b) Photoperiod (
Sunlight ) - The variation in duration of
sunlight at different places is due to differences in latitude, altitude,
season and duration of the day. Due to longer duration of sunlight, trees grow
faster in summer as compared to the regions which receive less sunlight.
Q4. How are forests useful to us ?
Q6. What is an ecosystem ?
Q8. What
is biome? State the number of biomes into which land ecosystem is divided with
their names.
Ans. The following major types of
vegetation may be identified in our country .
Ans. India is also rich in its
fauna. It has approximately 90,000 animal species. The
country has about 2,000 species of birds. They constitute 13% of the world’s
total. There are 2,546 species of fish,
which account for
Q12. Write a short note on the animals found in
the Himalayas region ?
Q13. Why is there a need to conserve
flora and fauna in our country ?
Q14. Birds life in India is colourful ? Explain
Q15. Examine the factors responsible for the
endangered and extinct species of flora and fauna in India ?
Q16. Write a note on Migratory birds in India ?
Ans. To protect the flora and
fauna of the country, the government has taken many steps.
Q18. State the main features of the following :-
Natural Vegetation and Wild Life
Q1. “ India has a rich variety of
flora and fauna “. Explain .
Ans. Our country India is one of
the twelve mega bio-diversity countries of the
world. With about 47,000 plant species India occupies tenth place in the
world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. There are about 15,000 flowering
plants in India which account for 6 per cent in the world’s total number of
flowering plants. The country has many
non-flowering plants such as ferns, algae and fungi. India also has
approximately 90,000 species of animals as well as a rich variety of fish in
its fresh and marine water.
Q2. Define the following :-
1) Natural vegetation / Vergin
vegetation
2) Flora
3) Fauna
Ans.
Natural vegetation / Vergin vegetation
Natural vegetation refers to
a plant community which has grown
naturally without human aid and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long
time. This is termed as a virgin vegetation.
2)
Flora
The
term Flora is used to denote plants of a particular region or period.
Fauna
The
species of animals are referred to as Fauna.
Q3. Distinguish between flora and fauna.
Ans The major
differences between Flora and Fauna are as follows:
FLORA
1. Natural vegetation growing in an particular area is referred as flora.
2. It makes its food with help of solar energy.
3. It was the very first form of life that appeared on the earth in the chronological history of earth.
FAUNA
1. Wild life living in a particular area of the globe is termed as
Fauna.
2. They cannot make their own food so they are dependent upon the flora.
3. They developed on earth after flora because they are dependent upon flora.
Q4. Explain the various
factors responsible for huge diversity in flora and fauna kingdom in India.
Or
1) How has relief features of India
contributed to a rich variety of flora is found in the country ?
2) How has climate of India contributed to a large variety of flora and
fauna in india ?
Ans. 1) Relief
a) Land -Land affects the natural
vegetation directly and indirectly. The nature of land influences the type
of vegetation. The fertile level is
generally devoted to agriculture. The undulating and rough terrains are areas
where grassland and woodlands develop and give shelter to a variety of wild
life.
b) Soil - he soils also vary over space. Different types of soils provide
basis for different types of
vegetation. The sandy soils of the desert support cactus and
thorny bushes while wet, marshy, deltaic soils support mangroves and deltaic
vegetation. The hill slopes with some depth of soil have conical trees.
2)Climate
Ans.
Forests
play a vital role in the life of human beings by:
(i) Modifying local climate.
(ii) Controlling soil erosion.
(iii) Supporting a variety of industries.
(iv) Providing livelihood for many
communities.
(v) Controlling wind and temperature and
cause rainfall.
(vi) Providing humus to the soil and
shelter to the wild life.
Q5. “ The vegetation cover of India
in large parts is no more natural in the real sense”. Explain.
Ans. The vegetation cover of India
in large parts is no more natural in the real sense. Except in
some
inaccessible regions like the Himalayas, the hilly region of central India and
the marusthali, the vegetation of most of the areas has been modified at
some places, or replaced or degraded by human occupancy.
Ans.
All the plants and animals in an area are interdependent and interrelated to
each other in their physical environment , thus forming an ecosystem.
Q7. How do human beings influence ecology /
ecosystem of a region ?
Ans.
They utilise the vegetation and wild life.
The
greed of human beings leads to over utilisation of these resources.
They
cut the trees and kill the animals creating ecological imbalance.
As
a result some of the plants and animals have reached the verge of extinction.
Ans A large
ecosystem on the land having distinct type of vegetation and animal life is
called biome. In general, biomes are divided into the following
categories:
l y . c o m /
1. Forests: It consists of evergreen
forests, deciduous forests, and coniferous forests.
2. Grasslands: Savana grasslands.
3. Alpine/Tundra vegetation.
4. Desert vegetation.
Though the animals are also included in the biomes but they are
not counted in the classification of biomes.
Q9. Name
the major types of vegetation found in India.
(i)
Tropical Evergreen Forests
(ii)
Tropical Deciduous Forests
(iii)
Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
(iv)
Montane Forests
(v)
Mangrove Forests
Q10. Why are tropical rainforests
evergreen throughout the year ?
Ans. In tropical rainforests , there is no definite time for trees
to shed their leaves. Hence these forests appear green all the year round .
Q11. Write a short note on India’s
fauna ?
nearly
12% of the world’s stock. It also shares between 5 and 8 per cent of the world’s amphibians, reptiles and mammals India is
also rich in its fauna. It has
approximately 90,000 animal species.
The
country has about 2,000 species of birds. They constitute 13% of the world’s
total. There are 2,546 species of fish,
which account for nearly 12% of the world’s stock. It also shares between 5 and 8 per cent of
the world’s amphibians, reptiles and mammals
Ans.
The Himalayas harbour a hardy range of animals, which survive in extreme cold. Ladakh’s
freezing high altitudes are a home to yak, the shaggy horned wild ox weighing around
one tonne, the Tibetan antelope, the bharal
(blue sheep), wild sheep, and the kiang (T ibetan wild ass). Furhter more, the ibex, bear, snow-leopard
and very rare red panda are found in certain pockets.
Or
Q. Examine the
importance of flora and fauna in our country .
Ans. 1.We have selected our crops
from a biodiverse environment i.e. from
the reserve of edible
plants.
2. We also experimented and selected many
medicinal plants. The animals were selected from large stock provided by nature
as milch animal.
3.
They also provided us draught power, transportation, meat,eggs.
4.The
fish provide nutritive food. Many insects help in pollination of crops and
fruit trees and exert biological control on such insects, which are harmful.
5. Every species has a role to play in the
ecosystem. Hence, conservation is essential.
Ans.
Bird life in India is colourful.
Peacocks, pheasants, ducks, parakeets, cranes and pigeons are some of
the birds inhabiting the forests and wetlands of the country.
Ans
1. The main causes for this major threat to nature are hunting by greedy
hunters for commercial purposes.
2.
Pollution due to chemical and industrial waste, acid deposits, introduction of
alien species and reckless cutting
of the forests to bring land under cultivation and inhabitation, are also
responsible for the imbalance.
Ans.
Some of the wetlands of India are popular with migratory birds. During
winter, birds, such as Siberian Crane come in large numbers. One such place
favourable with birds is the Rann of Kachchh.
Q17. What steps have been taken by the govt. Of India
to protect flora and fauna in the country ?
(i)
Fourteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect flora
and fauna.
(ii)
Four out of these, the Sunderbans in the West Bengal, Nanda Devi in
Uttarakhand,
the
Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu and the Nilgiris (Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu)
have been included in the world network of Biosphese reserves.
(iii)
Financial and technical assistance is provided to many Botanical Gardens by the
government since 1992.
(iii)
Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard and many other eco developmental
projects
have been introduced.
(iv)
89 National Parks, 490 Wildlife sanctuaries and Zoological gardens are set up
to take care of Natural heritage.
Ans.
1) Tropical Evergreen forests
2) Tropical Decidious forest s
3) Tropical Thorn forest and scrubs
4) Montane forests
5)
Mangrove forests
Name of vegetation
|
Special features
|
Climate
|
Regions
|
Trees/ Vegetation
|
Animal life
|
||||
Tropical Evergreen
|
Forests appear to be green all the year
|
Warm and wet receives more than 200 cm of rainfall
|
Western Ghats ,The island groups of Lakshadweep , Andaman and
Nicobar ,upper parts of Assam of Tamil Nadu coast
|
Ebony, Mahogany,rosewood, rubber and cinchona
|
Elephants , monkey, deer, lemur and one horned rhinoceros, birds
, bats, scoth,scorpions and snails
|
||||
Tropical Deciduous
Moist Deciduous
|
Shed their leaves for
about six to eight weeks in drysummer
|
Receives rainfall between 100-200 cm
|
Foothills of the Himalayas , Jharkhand , west Orrisa and
Chattisgarh,and on the eastern slopes of the western ghats.
|
Teak, Bamboos,sal,shisham,sandalwood, Khair, Kusum, Arjun,
mulberry
|
Lion, tiger,pig, dear,and elephant,
birds, lizards, snakes and tortoises
|
||||
Dry Deciduous
|
Receives rainfall between 70-100 cm
|
The peninsular plateau of the plains of
Bihar and Uttar pradesh
|
Teak, Sal , peepal , Neem
|
Lion,
tiger,pig, dear,and elephant, birds, lizards, snakes and tortoises
|
|||||
The Thorn forests and Scrubs
|
Trees have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to
get moisture
|
Receives rainfall less than 70 cm
|
Gujarat , Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh
and Haryana
|
Acacias, Palms , cacti , and euphorbias
|
Rats , mice , Rabbits , fox, wolf , tiger, lion, wild ass ,
horses and camels
|
||||
Montane forests
|
Trees are evergreen , broad leaf
Wet temperature type between a height of 100 and 200 m.
Temperature forests and grasslands southern slopes of Himalayas, places
having high altitude in Northern and north eastern India. More than 3600 m
above sea -level
|
In mountainous areas
|
The decrease in temperature with the increasing altitude
|
Oaks, chestnuts, pine, fish, deodar, spruce, silver, fir
|
Kashmir, stag, dotted dear , wild sheep, Jack, rabbit
.Tibetan antelope, yak, snow leopard , squirrels, red panda,
sheep and goats with thick hairs.
|
||||
Mangrove forests
|
Roots of plants get submerged under water
|
Coastal climate, influenced by tides
Mud gets accumulated on such coasts have dense
mangroves
|
Deltas of the Ganga , the Mahanadi, the Krishna,
the Godavari and the Kaveri , Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
|
Sundari Trees, Palm , coconut , keora, agar
|
Royal Bengal Tiger , Turtles, crocodiles ,
gharials and snakes
|
||||
