Human Environment Interactions (PDF)

Renuka was excited. Shrikant Uncle was home after a gap of nearly four months. He was a wildlife photographer and travelled widely. Renuka’s interest in wildlife and forests began at an early age, when her uncle introduced her to books on nature. Pictures of distant lands and people, who lived there...

Renuka was excited. Shrikant Uncle was home after a gap of nearly four months. He was a wildlife photographer and travelled widely. Renuka’s interest in wildlife and forests began at an early age, when her uncle introduced her to books on nature. Pictures of distant lands and people, who lived there, always fascinated her. Fig. 8.1: People from various parts of the world “In these pictures Renuka, you can see people from different parts of the world – some from dry deserts, some from frozen lands and some from hot wet rainforests.” “They look so different from me”, observed Renuka. “They may look different, but they share the same basic needs of life – food, clothing and shelter”, explained Shrikant Uncle. “Their children do the same things as you probably do, play games, quarrel sometimes and then make-up, sing, dance and help the families with various things that need to be done. They live closer to nature and very early in their lives have learnt to care for nature. They learn how to catch fish and how to collect material from the forests.” 2022-23  In Chapters 8, 9 and 10, you will learn about the life of people in the different natural regions of the world. Do you know? LIFE IN THE AMAZON BASIN When Spanish Before learning about the Amazon basin, let us look at the explorers discovered map (Fig. 8.2). Notice that the tropical region lies very the Amazon river, close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred they were attacked by to as the equatorial region. The river Amazon flows through a group of local tribes this region. Notice how it flows from the mountains to the wearing headgears west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean to the east. and grass skirts. The place where a river flows into another body of These people water is called the river’s mouth. Numerous tributaries reminded them of the join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin. The fierce tribes of women river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, warriors known in Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela. ancient Roman Empire as the Name the countries of the basin through which the Amazons. Hence the equator passes. name Amazon. Glossary Tributaries: These are small rivers that join the main river. The main river along with all its tributaries that drain an area forms a river basin or the catchment area. The Amazon Basin is the largest river basin in the world. Fig. 8.2: The Amazon Basin in South America 56 OUR ENVIRONMENT 2022-23 CLIMATE As you now know, the Amazon Basin stretches directly on the equator and is characterized by hot and wet climate throughout the year. Both day and nights are almost equally hot and humid. The skin feels sticky. It rains almost everyday, that too without much warning. The day temperatures are high with very high humidity. At night the temperature goes down but the humidity remains high. RAINFORESTS As it rains heavily in this region, thick forests grow (Fig. 8.3). The forests are in fact so thick that the dense “roof” created by leaves and branches does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground. The ground remains dark and damp. Only shade tolerant vegetation may grow here. Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites. Fig. 8.3 : The Amazon Forest The rainforest is rich in fauna. Birds such as toucans (Fig. 8.4), humming birds, macaw with their brilliantly coloured plumage, oversized Do you know? bills for eating make them different from birds we commonly see in India. Bromeliads are These birds also make loud sounds in special plants that the forests. Animals like monkeys, store water in their Fig. 8.4 : Toucans sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found leaves. Animals like here (Fig. 8.5). Various species of reptiles and snakes frogs use these also thrive in these jungles. Crocodiles, snakes, pythons pockets of water for abound. Anaconda and boa constrictor are some of the laying their eggs. species. Besides, the basin is home to thousands of species of insects. Several species of fishes including the flesh-eating Piranha fish is Let’s do also found in the river. This basin is thus extraordinarily Some TV channels rich in the variety of life found broadcast there. Fig. 8.5 : Tapir documentaries on the wildlife of the world. PEOPLE OF THE RAINFORESTS Try to watch some of the films and share People grow most of their food in small areas after clearing your experience with some trees in the forest. While men hunt and fish along the class. the rivers, women take care of the crops. They mainly grow HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 57 2022-23  Do you know? tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. As hunting and fishing are uncertain it is the women who keep their families alive Slash and Burn is a by feeding them the vegetables they grow. They practice way of cultivating land “slash and burn agriculture”. The staple food is manioc, where farmers clear a also known as cassava that grows under the ground like piece of land by the potato. They also eat queen ants and egg sacs. Cash slashing or cutting crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown. down trees and bushes. These are then burnt, The rainforests provide a lot of wood for the houses. which releases the Some families live in thatched houses shaped like nutrients into the soil. beehives. There are other large apartment-like houses Now crops are grown in called “Maloca” with a steeply slanting roof. this cleared field for a Life of the people of the Amazon basin is slowly few years. changing. In the older days the heart of the forest, could After repeatedly be reached only by navigating the river. In 1970 the Trans using the patch of Amazon highway made all parts of the rainforest land, the soil looses accessible. Aircrafts and helicopters are also used for its nutrients. So it is reaching various places. The indigenous population was abandoned. Then they pushed out from the area and forced to settle in new clear another plot of land to plant. In the areas where they continued to practice their distinctive mean time young way of farming. trees grow in the old The developmental activities are leading to the gradual field. In this way soil destruction of the biologically diverse rainforests. It is fertility is restored. estimated that a large area of the People can then rainforest has been disappearing return to it and start annually in the Amazon basin. cultivating it again. You can see that this destruction of forests has a much wider implication (Fig. 8.6). The topsoil is washed away as the rains fall and the lush forest turns into a barren landscape. Fig. 8.6: Gradual Destruction of Forests 58 OUR ENVIRONMENT 2022-23 LIFE IN THE GANGA-BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN The tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together form the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the Indian subcontinent (Fig. 8.8). The basin lies in the sub-tropical region that is situated between 10°N to 30°N latitudes. The tributaries of the River Ganga like the Ghaghra, the Son, the Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi and the tributaries of Brahmaputra drain it. Look at the atlas and find names of some tributaries of the River Brahmaputra. Fig. 8.7 Brahmaputra river The plains of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the Fig. 8.8: Ganga-Brahmputra Basin HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 59 2022-23  Let’s do Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta are the main features of this basin. Ox-bow lakes dot the plain area. River Brahmaputra is The area is dominated by monsoon climate. The known by different names in difference monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September. places. Find the other The summers are hot and the winters cool. names of the river. Look at the map of India (Fig. 8.8). Find out the states in which the Ganga-Brahmputra basin lies. The basin area has varied topography. The environment plays a dominant role in the distribution of the population. The mountain areas with steep slopes Glossary have inhospitable terrain. Therefore less number of people live in the mountain area of the Ganga- Population density: Brahmaputra basin. The plain area provides the most It means the number suitable land for human habitation. The soil is fertile. of persons that live in Agriculture is the main occupation of the people where one sq. km. of area flat land is available to grow crops. The density of e.g. the population population of the plains is very high. The main crop is density of Uttarakhand is 189 while the paddy (Fig. 8.9). Since cultivation of paddy requires density of West sufficient water, it is grown in the areas where the amount Bengal is 1029 and of rainfall is high. that of Bihar is 1102. Wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets are the other crops that are grown. Cash crops like sugarcane and jute are also grown. Banana plantations are seen in some areas of the plain. In West Bengal and Assam tea is grown in plantations (Fig. 8.10). Silk is produced through Activity the cultivation of silk worms in parts of Bihar and Assam. Collect some In the mountains and hills, where the slopes are gentle, handicrafts made crops are grown on terraces. from jute, bamboo and The vegetation cover of the area varies according to silk. Display them in the type of landforms. In the Ganga and Brahmaputra the class. Find out in plain tropical deciduous trees grow, along with teak, sal which area they were and peepal. Thick bamboo groves are common in the made? Brahmaputra plain. The delta area is covered with the Fig. 8.9 : Paddy Cultivation Fig. 8.10 : Tea Garden in Assam 60 OUR ENVIRONMENT 2022-23 mangrove forests. In parts of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Do you know? Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees like pine, deodar and fir can be seen because the climate is cool and the Terraces are built on slopes are steep. steep slopes to create There is a variety of wildlife in the basin. Elephants, flat surfaces on which tigers, deer and monkeys are common. The one-horned crops are grown. The slope is removed so rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain. In the that water does not delta area, Bengal tiger and crocodiles are found. Aquatic run off rapidly. life abounds in the fresh river waters, the lakes and the Bay of Bengal Sea. The most popular varieties of the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa. Fish and rice is the staple diet of the people living in the area. Terrace Farming Fig. 8.11 : One horned rhinoceros Fig. 8.12 : Crocodiles Do you know? Lake: A source of livelihood In the fresh waters of (A case study) River Ganga and River Brahmaputra, a Binod is a fisherman variety of dolphin living in the Matwali locally called Susu Maun village of Bihar. (also called blind He is a happy man dolphin) is found. The today. With the efforts presence of Susu is an of the fellow indication of the health of the river. The fishermen – Ravindar, untreated industrial Kishore, Rajiv and and urban wastes with others, he cleaned the high amount of maun or the ox-bow chemicals are killing A clean lake lake to cultivate this species. different varieties of fish. The local weed (vallineria, hydrilla) that grows in the lake is the food of the fish. The land around the lake is fertile. He sows crops such as paddy, maize and pulses in these fields. The buffalo is used to plough the land. The community is satisfied. There is enough fish catch from the river – enough fish to eat and enough fish Blind Dolphin HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 61 2022-23  to sell in the market. They have even begun supply to the neighbouring Do you know? town. The community is living in harmony To acceletrate the efforts to achieve with nature. As long universal sanitation as the pollutants from coverage and to put nearby towns do not fours on sanitation, find their way into the the Prime Minister of lake waters, the fish India launched the “Swachh Bharat cultivation will not Mission” on 02nd face any threat. A Polluted Lake October 2014. The Ganga-Brahmaputra plain has several big towns and cities. The cities of Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata all with the population of more than ten lakhs are located along the River Ganga (Fig. 8.13). The Fig. 8.13: Varanasi along the River Ganga wastewater from these towns and industries is discharged into the rivers. This leads to the pollution of the rivers. Do you know? All the four ways of transport are well developed in To conserve the river the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. In the plain areas the ganga, ‘Namami’ roadways and railways transport the people from one ganga Programme has place to another. The waterways, is an effective means of been initiated. transport particularly along the rivers. Kolkata is an important port on the River Hooghly. The plain area also has a large number of airports. Tourism is another important activity of the basin. Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra, Allahabad on the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, Buddhists stupas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Lucknow with its Imambara, Assam with Kaziranga and Manas with wild life sanctuaries and Arunachal Pradesh with a distinct tribal culture are some of the places Fig. 8.14: Tiger in Manas Wildlife sanctuary worth a visit (Fig. 8.14). 62 OUR ENVIRONMENT 2022-23  Exercises 1. Answer the following questions. (i) Name the continent in which the Amazon Basin is located. (ii) What are the crops grown by the people of the Amazon Basin. (iii) Name the birds that you are likely to find in the rainforests of the Amazon. (iv) What are the major cities located on the River Ganga. (v) Where is the one-horned rhinoceros found? 2. Tick the correct answer. (i) Toucans are a type of (a) birds (b) animals (c) crops (ii) Manioc is the staple food of (a) Ganga Basin (b) Africa (c) Amazon (iii) Kolkata is located on the river (a) Orange (b) Hooghly (c) Bhagirathi (iv) Deodars and firs are a type of (a) Coniferous trees (b) Deciduous trees (c) shrubs (v) Bengal tiger is found in (a) mountains (b) delta area (c) Amazon 3. Match the following. (i) Cotton textile (a) Assam (ii) Maloca (b) Terrace farming (iii) Piranha (c) Sericulture (iv) Silk worm (d) Slanting roof (v) Kaziranga (e) Ganga plain (f) Varanasi (g) Fish 4. Give reasons. (i) The rainforests are depleting. (ii) Paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains. 5. Map skills. (i) On an outline map of the Indian Sub-continent, draw the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra from the source to the mouth. Also show the important tributaries of both the rivers. (ii) On the political map of South America, draw the equator. Mark the countries through which the equator passes. 6. For fun. Make a collage to show places of attractions in India. You can divide the class in different groups to show attractions based on mountain landscapes, coastal beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and places of historical importance. HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 63 2022-23  7. Activity. Collect under mentioned material and observe how destruction of trees effect the soil cover. Material (i) Three small flowerpots or food cans (e.g., cold drinks tin cans), (ii) one big can with holes punched in the bottom (this will act as a sprinkling can), (iii) twelve coins or bottle caps (iv) soil. Steps Take three small cans or pots. Fill them with soil till the top. Press the soil to make it level with the top of the can. Now put four coins or bottle caps on the soil of each can. Take the big can that has been punched with holes and fill it with water. You can also take the sprinkling can from your garden. Now, sprinkle water on the three cans. On the first can sprinkle water very slowly so that no soil splashes out. Let moderate amount of water be sprinkled on the second can. On the third can, sprinkle the water heavily. You will observe that unprotected soil splashes out. Where the ‘rain’ is heavy the amount of soil that splashes out is the maximum and least in case of the first can. The coins or caps represent the tree covers. It is clear that if the land is cleared completely of the vegetation, the soil cover will quickly disappear. 64 OUR ENVIRONMENT 2022-23