ATHENA GLOBAL SCHOOL

GRADE: X Ch.2.Forest and

Wildlife Resources SUB:
Geography

Question bank

I. Answer the following:

1. Write four major reasons for the depletion of forest cover.
 Deforestation for agricultural purposes.
 Shifting cultivation which is still practised in substantial parts of tribal belts.
 Large-scale development of river valley projects.
 Mining activities have also resulted in deforestation. For example, the tiger reserve in West Bengal is
seriously threatened by the ongoing dolomite mining.
 Environmental pollution and forest fires have also led to depletion of forests.

2. List six factors which have led to the decline in India’s biodiversity.
 Habitat destruction
 Over-exploitation
 Environmental pollution
 Forest fires
 Hunting and Poaching
 Poisoning
3. Why do we need to conserve our biodiversity?
Answer:
Conservation of biodiversity is necessary because it:
 Preserves the ecological diversity.
 Preserves our life support systems, i.e., water, air and soil.
 Preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth and breeding of species.
 Fisheries too are heavily dependent on the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity

4. List various provisions made by “The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972” for protecting habitats.
Answer:
1. An All India list of protected species was published.
2. The thrust was on protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species by-
o banning hunting;
o giving legal protection to their habitats and
o Restricting trade in wildlife.

5. What are ‘Permanent Forest Estates’ and why? Which state has maximum forest cover falling under this category?
Write its percentage share in the total forest area of this state.
Answer:
Reserved and protected forests are referred to as the Permanent Forest Estates maintained for the purpose of
producing timber and other forest produce. Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, constituting
75% of its
total forest area.

6. How many types of forests are classified in India? Explain.

Answer:
 Reserved forests: These are forests which are permanently earmarked either to the production of timber or other forest
produce and in which right of grazing and cultivation is seldom allowed.
(ii) Protected forests: These are forests in which the right of grazing and cultivation are allowed subject to a few minor
restrictions.
(iii) Unclassed forests: These consist largely of inaccessible forests or unoccupied wastes
.
7. What are unclassed forests? Name two areas which have high percentages of their forests as unclassed forests.
Answer:
Unclassed forests are the other forests and waste lands belonging to both Government and private individuals as well
as

local communities.Two areas with high percentage of unclassed forests are: North-Eastern states and parts of Gujarat.

8. What is biodiversity? Why is biodiversity important for human lives? Give three points.
Answer:
Biodiversity denotes variety of living beings, including all types of organisms, plants and wildlife, diverse in form and
functions but closely integrated in a system through multiple network of interdependencies. Its importance: We humans
along with all living organisms form a complex web of ecological systems in which we are only a part and are
dependent
on this system for our own existence. For example, 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. Forests play a key role in the ecological
system
as these are also the primary producers on which all other living beings depend not only for food but indirectly
for many other forest produces which are used for varied purposes. So this biodiversity maintains an ecological
balance and our life support systems (air, water and soil).

9. Write a brief note on ‘Project Tiger’.

 ‘Project Tiger’ was one of the well-published wildlife campaigns in the world, launched in 1973.
 Initially it had shown an increase in tiger population till 1989 but in 1993 the tiger population dropped.
 There are 27 tiger reserves in India covering an area of 37,761 sq km.
 Tiger conservation has been viewed not only as an effort to save the endangered species but with equal
importance as a means of preserving biotypes of sizeable magnitude.
 Corbett National Park, (Uttarakhand), Sundarbans National Park (West Bengal), Bandhavgarh National Park
(Madhya Pradesh), Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary (Rajasthan) Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam) and Periyar Tiger
Reserve (Kerala) are some of the reserves in India.

10. Assess the need for the conservation of forests and wildlife in India.
Answer:
 There is a need to conserve the forests and wildlife in India:
 Conservation of biodiversity is necessary because it preserves the ecological diversity.
 Forests and wildlife preserve our life support systems, i.e., water, air and soil. For example, 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.
 It also preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth and breeding of species.
For example, in agriculture we are still dependent on traditional crop varieties.
 Fisheries too are heavily dependent on the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity.
 Forests are primary producers on which all other living beings depend not only for food but indirectly for many
other forest products which are used for varied purposes.
11.What are the main objectives of JFM ?
Answer:
(i) Under the Joint Forest Management programme, local communities are involved in the management and
 restoration of degraded forests.
(ii) The major purpose of the JFM is to protect the forests from encroachments, grazing, theft and fire and also to
improve the forests in accordance with an approved Joint Forest Management plan.
(iii) In return, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produces.
12. What has been the contribution of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act in protecting habitats in India? Explain.
Ans.
(i) An all-India list of protected species was published. The thrust of the programme was towards protecting the
remaining population of certain endangered species by banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats, and
restricting
trade in wildlife.
(ii) The central government also announced several projects for protecting specific animals, which were greatly
threatened, including the tiger, the one-horned rhinoceros, the Kashmir stag or hangul, three types of crocodiles—
fresh water crocodile, saltwater crocodile and the Gharial, the Asiatic lion, and others.
(iii) Many national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and bioreserves were established to protect and conserve the wildlife.

13.Nature-worship is an old age belief”. Explain how has it helped in the conservation of forests and wildlife.
Ans.
(i) 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.
(ii) The Mundas and the Santhal of Chota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus
cadamba) trees, and the tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and mango
(Mangifera indica) trees during weddings.
(iii) Peepal and banyan trees are also considered sacred and worshipped in most parts of India.
(iv) Sacred qualities are often ascribed to springs, mountain peaks, plants and animals which are closely protected.
(v) In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbuck, (chinkara), nilgai and peacocks can be seen as an
integral part of the community and nobody harms them.

14. Write four steps taken by the Government for conservation of wildlife.
Answer:Five steps that have been taken to protect the wildlife in India:
 Under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, an All India list of protected species was published. The thrust
was on protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species by –
1. banning hunting,
2. giving legal protection to their habitats and
3. Restricting trade in wildlife.
 Many wildlife sanctuaries have been developed and National Parks have been set up.
 Many projects have been started for protecting specific animals which were gravely threatened, eg. Project Tiger,
One-horned Rhino, the Kashmir Stag (hangul), three types of crocodiles —the fresh water, salt-water and
Gharials, the Asiatic Lion, etc.
 Most recently, some animals have been given full or partial legal protection against hunting and trading
throughout India, eg., Indian elephant, black buck, great Indian bustard and the snow leopard, etc.
 Setting up of biosphere reserves for conserving flora and fauna in their natural surroundings and protection of
wetland ecosystems are another step taken in this direction.
II.Picture based questions:
Question : Can you find out the reasons for the above mentioned problems?
Answer: India’s special crocodilian Gharial population is the biggest concern for the wildlife lovers, Due to the river
pollution, loss of riverine habitat and fishing gill nets, the Gharial came to the brink of extinction and fall in the critically
endangered category.
The same goes for the birds as these birds which fed on the fishes of Yamuna river were contaminated by the harmful
pollutants released into the rivers.