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    Forest and Wildlife - Shobhit Nirwan

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    Tarun Jain
    This document provides information about forests and wildlife in India. It discusses India's biodiversity, classification of species, causes of depletion such as agricultural expansion and mining, social effects of resource depletion, conservation efforts including the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger, types of forests, and the role of communities in conservation. Key points include that India has 7.5% of the world's species, 10% of plants and 20% of mammals are threatened, and conservation programs aim to protect habitats and restrict wildlife trade.

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    Forest and Wildlife - Shobhit Nirwan

    Uploaded by

    Tarun Jain
    8K views5 pages
    This document provides information about forests and wildlife in India. It discusses India's biodiversity, classification of species, causes of depletion such as agricultural expansion and mining, social effects of resource depletion, conservation efforts including the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger, types of forests, and the role of communities in conservation. Key points include that India has 7.5% of the world's species, 10% of plants and 20% of mammals are threatened, and conservation programs aim to protect habitats and restrict wildlife trade.

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    Forest and Wildlife_Shobhit Nirwan

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    This document provides information about forests and wildlife in India. It discusses India's biodiversity, classification of species, causes of depletion such as agricultural expansion and mining, social effects of resource depletion, conservation efforts including the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger, types of forests, and the role of communities in conservation. Key points include that India has 7.5% of the world's species, 10% of plants and 20% of mammals are threatened, and conservation programs aim to protect habitats and restrict wildlife trade.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    8K views5 pages

    Forest and Wildlife - Shobhit Nirwan

    Uploaded by

    Tarun Jain
    This document provides information about forests and wildlife in India. It discusses India's biodiversity, classification of species, causes of depletion such as agricultural expansion and mining, social effects of resource depletion, conservation efforts including the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger, types of forests, and the role of communities in conservation. Key points include that India has 7.5% of the world's species, 10% of plants and 20% of mammals are threatened, and conservation programs aim to protect habitats and restrict wildlife trade.

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    of 5

    *UPDATED* For 2022-23 Boards Exam

    SHOBHIT NIRWAN's
    DESIGNED

    FOREST AND
    WILDLIFE
    NOTES
    Our earth is home for millions of living beings, starting from micro-organisms and
    bacteria, lichens to banyan trees, elephants and blue whales.
    All living beings form a complex web of ecological system and all depends on each
    other for their existence.
    Forests play a important role in this ecological system as forests are also the primary
    producers on which all other living beings depend.
    Biodiversity: The variety of flora and fauna in a given geographical area is called
    biodiversity of that area.

    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 7.5% of the total number of species in the world .
    At least 10 percent of India's recorded wild flora and 20 per cent of its mammals
    are on the threatened list.
    Many are categorised as 'critical', that is on the verge of extinction like the
    cheetah, pink headed duck etc.

    Classification of Species Based on the International Union for


    Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
    Normal Species : If the population level of species is within normal range for their
    survival, it is called normal species, e.g. cattle, pine, sal, rodents, etc.

    Endangered Species : Species which are in danger of extinction are called


    endangered species, e.g. black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, etc.

    Vulnerable Species : If the population of a species has declined to such a level that
    it is likely to become endangered; it is called vulnerable species, e.g. 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. The
    examples of such species are the 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. Examples of such species are the
    Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, mithun in Arunachal Pradesh.

    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, etc.
    Causes of Depletion of Flora and Fauna
    Agricultural Expansion: According to the Forest Survey of India, over 262,000
    sq km of forest area was converted into agricultural land in India between 1951
    and 1980. Moreover, a substantial part of the tribal belts has been deforested or
    degraded by shifting cultivation; leading to depletion.
    Enrichment Plantation : Enrichment plantation was done to promote a few
    favoured species in many parts of India. This practice involves plantation of a
    single commercially valuable species. This leads to elimination of other species.
    Large Scale Development Projects : Large scale development projects have
    also contributed significantly to the loss of forests.
    Mining: Mining has also caused large scale depletion of flora and fauna in many
    areas. For example; the ongoing dolomite mining is seriously threatening the Buxa
    Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.
    Unequal Access to Resources: Social inequality is another major factor to
    depletion of flora and fauna. The rich people consume much more than the poor
    and thus cause a higher degree of environmental damage.

    The destruction of forests and wildlife is not just a biological issue. The biological loss
    is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity as:
    Social Effect of Resource Depletion
    In many societies, it is the women who are responsible for collection of fuel,
    fodder, water and other basic subsistence needs. Depletion of these resources
    means women need to work harder to collect those resources. At some places,
    women have to walk more than 10 km to collect firewood. This causes serious
    health problems for women.
    Deforestation induced flood and draught result in economic misery for the poor.
    Deforestation also leads to loss of cultural diversity. The marginalized people who
    had been traditionally dependent on forest for sustenance are now forced to
    look for other sources of livelihood. In order to do so, they are uprooted from their
    traditional habitat and culture.

    Kuch Kaam Ki Baat (K3B) :


    ASIATIC CHEETAH: WHERE DID THEY GO?:
    The cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. It's distinguishing marks are the
    long teardrop shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner of its
    eyes to its mouth.
    It is the world's fastest land mammal.
    It is a unique and specialised member of the cat family and can move at the
    speed of 112 km./hr.
    Prior to the 20th century, cheetahs were widely distributed throughout Africa
    and Asia.
    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.
    THE HIMALAYAN YEW IN TROUBLE:
    The Himalayan Yew 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.

    Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India

    The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972


    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:
    Project Tiger was launched in 1973; to protect tigers from becoming extinct.
    At the turn of the 20th century, the tiger population was around 55,000
    which dwindled to 1,827 by 1973.
    Threats to Tiger Population: Poaching for trade, shrinking habitat, depletion
    of base prey species, growing human population, etc.
    Currently 27 tiger reserves are there.
    Instead of just focusing on bigger mammals; like tiger and lion, even insects are
    finding a place in conservation planning. New notifications were issued in which
    several hundred butterflies, moths, beetles and one dragonfly have been added
    to the list of protected species.
    Six species of plants were added to the list in 1991.

    Kuch Kaam Ki Baat (K3B) :


    TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION OF FORESTS AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
    The forests are classified under the following categories:
    Reserved Forests: These forests are regarded as the most valuable as far as the
    conservation of forest and wildlife resources are concerned. It covers half of the
    total forest land. Eg- Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala,
    Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Maharashtra have large percentages of reserved
    forests of its total forest area
    Protected Forests: This forest land are protected from any further depletion.
    Almost one-third of the total forest area is protected forest. Eg- Bihar, Haryana,
    Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan have a bulk of it under
    protected forests.
    Unclassed Forests: These are other forests and wastelands belonging to both
    government and private individuals and communities. Eg- All North-eastern states
    and parts of Gujarat have a very high percentage of their forests as unclassed
    forests managed by local communities

    Note-
    The Reserved and protected forests are also referred to as permanent forest
    estates maintained for the purpose of producing timber and other forest
    produce, and for protective reasons.
    Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, constituting 75
    per cent of its total forest area.

    Community and Conservation

    In India, forests are also home to many traditional communities. The local
    communities very often work hard to conserve these habitats along with
    government officials.
    Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers have fought against mining by citing
    the Wildlife Protection Act.
    The famous Chipko movement in the Himalayas has successfully resisted
    deforestation in several areas.
    It has also shown that community afforestation with indigenous species can be
    enormously successful.
    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.

    Kuch Kaam Ki Baat (K3B) :


    SACRED GROVES - A WEALTH OF DIVERSE AND RARE SPECIES
    Nature worship is an age old tribal belief based on the premise that all creations
    of nature have to be protected. Such beliefs have preserved several virgin forests
    in pristine form called Sacred Groves (the forests of God and Goddesses).
    These patches of forest or parts of large forests have been left untouched by the
    local people and any interference with them is banned.

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