Forest And Wildlife Resources PDF

## Unit - II ### Forest And Wildlife Resources **01. Explain how forests play an important role in our survival.** **Ans:** Forests play an important role in our survival. There are: 1. We obtain a wide variety of commodities from them such as timber, firewood, wood pulp, medicinal plants and oth...

## Unit - II ### Forest And Wildlife Resources **01. Explain how forests play an important role in our survival.** **Ans:** Forests play an important role in our survival. There are: 1. We obtain a wide variety of commodities from them such as timber, firewood, wood pulp, medicinal plants and other producers of industrial and commercial use. 2. Forests also play an important role in checking soil erosion and air pollution. 3. Besides they provide natural habitat to a variety of life, i.e. wildlife. 4. Forests recreate the quality of air we breathe, the water we drink and the soils that produce our food without which we cannot survive. **02. Mention three characteristic features of tropical evergreen forests?** **Ans:** 1. The climate is characterised by high temperature and heavy rainfall, i.e. above 300 cm annually. 2. They appear green throughout the year as there is no definite time for trees to shed their leaves. 3. Ebony, rosewood, mahogany etc. are the important species of trees. **03. Mention three characteristics features of tropical deciduous forests?** **Ans:** 1. These are the most widespread forests in India which occur in areas of 10 to 200 cm of annual rainfall. 2. The trees of these forests range from dry deciduous to moist deciduous type. 3. The trees shed thin leaves during the dry period. **04. Montane forests show a vertical zonality with height vary from tropical to tundra. Justify the statement by giving three points.** **Ans:** 1. Oak and chestnut are predominant in the foothills. 2. The coniferous evergreen trees such as pine, spruce, fir, silver, deodar, walnut etc. are found in the higher reaches. 3. At high altitudes these forests are gradually replaced by pastures. **05. Classify Indian forests from the administrative point of view.** **Ans:** 1. **Reserved Forests:** These are the permanent forest estates reserved for producing timber and other forests products like gums, resin, turpentine etc. They account for more than half, i.e. 53 % of the country's total forest lands. 2. **Protected Forests:** They are also permanent forests estates but in these forests, grazing of cattle and even cutting is allowed in specific regions. Almost 29 % of the total forest area of the country is of this type. 3. **Unclassed Forests:** These are other forests and wastelands that belong to government, private individuals and communities. They account for 18 to 20 % of the total forest area. **06. What are the main reasons behind the depletion of forest areas?** **Ans:** 1. Numerous materials such as wood, bark, leaves, dye, food, fodder, manure etc. are obtained directly or indirectly from the forests. Its reduced the depletion of forests. 2. The greatest damage to them occurred during the colonial period due to expansion of agriculture, transport and communication, forestry and mining. 3. Forest lands are being degraded by shifting (jhum) cultivation, especially in the north-eastern and central India. **07. What are the consequences for the destruction of forests?** **Ans:** 1. The destruction of forest cover has led to numerous consequences for forest dependent communities, affecting their access to food, drink, medicine, culture and spiritually. 2. It has caused severe environmental issues, including droughts and deforestation induced floods. 3. Poverty and health problems have become direct outcomes of such environmental destruction. **08. Suggest three steps to be taken up for conservation of forests.** **Ans:** 1. For conservation of forests, social efforts should increase the forest cover area of the country through social forestry as well as other afforestation programmes on degraded forest lands. 2. Besides the active participation of the community is very essential in bringing a good result for the conservation efforts. 3. Moreover, the pressure on the forests should be reduced by creating people movement with a mass people movement. This involved planting trees and checking deforestation. **09. Write three steps to be taken up by the government of India for the conservation of wildlife.** **Ans:** For conservation of wildlife in India, a comprehensive wildlife Act was enacted by the government in 1972, which provides the main legal framework for the purpose. 1. National parks, sanctuaries, and wildlife gardens have been established at different parts of the country. 2. Besides, the government of India has announced several projects for protecting specific threatened animals like Indian tigers, the one-horned rhinoceros, the crocodiles, and others. 3. Project Tiger was one of the wills launched in 1973, in order to save Indian tigers from extinction. 4. Project Elephant was launched in 1992 ensuring long-term survival of identified viable population of elephants in their natural habitat. 5. Himalayan Musk Deer have also been launched.