GEOGRAPHY

Chapter - Natural Vegetation (Pary-1) Class – X Session – 2020-2021

Day –1

Mind MAPPING:
➢ Meaning of natural vegetation
➢ Factors affecting Natural Vegetation
➢ Importance of forests
➢ Types of forests/ natural vegetation—characteristic features,
distribution and correlation with their environment.

➢ Meaning of Natural vegetation.

➢ Factors affecting Natural Vegetation: Each vegetation has its own cycle,
which is a result of the delicate balance between it and its environment.
1. Climate It includes temperature and
rainfall. Rainfall is more important
than temperature except in the
Himalayas.
Areas of heavy rainfall have more
dense vegetation as compared to
the areas with less rainfall.
The Fall in Temperature Affects
the type of vegetation and its

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 growth. The vegetation cover
changes from Tropical to Sub-
Tropical, Temperate and Alpine.
Exposure to more sunlight
initiates faster and denser growth

2. Soil and drainage Soil and drainage modify

3. Relief/Topography
vegetation to a great extent. The
sandy soils in the deserts support
cactus, thorns and bushes. While
wet marshy deltaic soils support
mangroves and swamp forests.
The drainage encourages more
vegetation.
The level land is generally is more
suitable for thicker vegetative
cover. While undulating and
rough terrains have grasslands
and woodlands

➢ Importance of natural vegetation – All Protective and Productive uses

are given below.
1. Has a favourable effect on the climate
2. Helps in soil conservation, as the roots of the trees hold the soil
together.
3. Prevents flood.
4. Maintains ecological balance
5. It is a habitat of wild life
6. Provides forest products- timber, fuel wood, fruits, herbs, honey,
bamboo, canes, fibres, bee wax, lac, dyeing and tanning materials,
etc.
7. Plays an important role in the development of soils and enrich
their fertility by supplying humus.
8. Checks extension of sand dunes.
9. Prevents global warming.

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 10.Recharges ground water
11.Reduces surface runoff, thus prevents soil erosion
12.Provides employment to thousands of people
13.Source of income to the Govt.
14.Provides raw material to many industries.
15.Provides products like bee wax, materials for dyeing and tanning,
oil and lac .
16.Helps in conserving water in the subsoil.
17.Helps in conserving top layer of the soil.
18.Helps in maintaining ecological balance.
19.Purifies the air, take in carbon dioxide and provide the
surrounding with oxygen.
20.Helps to absorb much of the sun’s insolation and also cause rain.

➢ Major and Minor forest products:

Major Forest Products
▪ Timber
▪ Fuel wood/ fire wood
Minor Forest Products
▪ Edible products- fruits,
seeds, roots
▪ Grasses for grazing
▪ Fodder trees and shrubs
▪ Bamboos and canes for
roofing, walling.
▪ Oilseeds and essential oils.
▪ Tans and dyes
▪ Gums and resins
▪ Fibres, flosses and flavouring
plants
▪ Leaves of trees used as food,
fodder, medicines. Tendu
leaves are used for bidi
making.
▪ Animal products- Lac, honey,
wax, feathers, fur, horns, etc.

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➢ Types of Forests in India:
(a) Forests based on variation of
rainfall
(b) Forests based on variation of
relief
• Tropical evergreen forests
• Tropical Deciduous monsoon
forests
• Tropical desert and semi-
desert vegetation
• Thorn and scrub forests.
• Mountain or Mixed Forests
• Tropical Mangrove or Tidal
or Littoral Forests.
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 GEOGRAPHY

Chapter - Natural Vegetation (Part-1) Class – X Session – 2020-2021

Day – 2

Areas/ States Western Parts of Western Ghats, Parts of Maharashtra,

Karnataka, Kerala, The Eastern Himalayas ( TERAI
Region) and
North-East India- Lushai, Khasi, Jayantia, And Garo
(known as Assam Hills) and Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
Climatic Annual Temperature- 250 to 270 C
Requirements Rainfall- more than 200 cm.
Characteristics • Known as Tropical Evergreen forests as the trees
do not shed their leaves at the same time,
remain evergreen.
• Known as Rain forests as they are found in the
areas of heavy rainfall.
• Stratified/ layered forests – thick ground
cover(shrubs and bushes), climbers and
epiphytes, very tall trees
• Hardwood, Broadleaved, some trees are of 60m
of height.
• Dark forests- sunlight hardly penetrates, ground
remains dark
• Commercially less exploited- as Species are not
found in pure stand (mixed stand), dense
undergrowth and inaccessible, heavy rainfall, lack
of transport.

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Important Plant Species: Mahogany, Rosewood, Cinchona, Ironwood, Ebony,
Gurjan, Toon, Bamboo

Species Characteristics Uses

Rosewood Hard, durable, fine Expensive furniture
grained
Sisam Hardwood Expensive furniture
Gurjan Hardwood House building, railway
sleepers, furniture

Tropical Rain Forest Canopy- Andaman/ Nicobar Islands

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 Dark Forest

Dense undergrowth, climbers, epiphytes and very tall trees.

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 GEOGRAPHY
Chapter - Natural Vegetation (Part-1)
Day–3
Areas
Climatic Requirements:
Characteristic features:
*Pure stand-- a timber stand in which
at least 75% of the trees are of a
single species.
Class – X Session – 2020-2021
A belt running along the Western
Ghats, surrounding the belt of
Evergreen Forests, both on Eastern
ans Western slopes.
A belt running along the Shivalik range
and Chotanagpur Plateau.
States- Bihar, U.P., Odisha, M.P.,
Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and parts
of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Temperature- 240- 270C
Rainfall- 150-200cm
• These forests shed their leaves
for about 6-8 weeks during the
spring and early summer during
March / April when sufficient
moist for leaves is not available.
The subsoil water is not enough
for the trees to retain their
leaves.
• Also known as Monsoon
Forests, as the trees re-grow
during monsoons.
• Trees are found in pure stands,
have valuable timber.
• Commercially most exploited
• Transport facilities are
available, not so dense, easily
accessible
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Not so dense like Evergreen forest, easily accessible. Sunlight can penetrate.
Easy transportation available.

➢ Important plant species- Teak, Sal, Sandalwood, Semul, Myrobalan,

Eucalyptus, Palash, Mahua, Tendu.

Species Characteristics Uses

Teak Termite resistant does not Shipbuilding, expensive
corrode or rust iron nails, furniture, construction of
hard, durable. houses(doors/windows)
Sal Hard, resistant to white ants Railway sleepers, house
construction.
Semal Timber is soft and white. Making packing cases,
match boxes, toys.
Sandalwood Very useful economically, Handcrafts and carving
heavy, fine grained aromatic, Sandalwood oil is used in
has medicinal qualities (anti making perfumes,
bacterial anti inflammatory), cosmetics
can be easily carved. Sandalwood paste has
anti-inflammatory
qualities.
Myrobalan Fruits are used for industrial Fruits provide material
purpose. for tanning leather and
for dyeing cotton, wool
and silk.
Eucalyptus Very important tree of Its wood is raw material
Karnataka Forest. Known for for paper industry,
its lofty status Its oil is used for
medicinal purposes.

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 GEOGRAPHY

Chapter - Natural Vegetation(PART-1) Class – X Session – 2020-2021

DAY-4

Areas/ States Kutch, Saurashtra, South-West Punjab,

Climatic Requirements
Characteristic Features
Rajasthan, Dry parts of the Deccan,
Western Haryana, Western Punjab.
Temperature- 250-270C
Rainfall- Less than 25 cm.
The vegetation is widely scattered.
The stems and leaves are often
covered by sharp spines
The plants have deep long roots to
draw water. Thy have thick fleshy
stems to store water
They have few and waxy leaves to
reduce transpiration.
Such vegetation is called Xerophytes.

Desert Landscape

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➢ Important Species--- Babul, Date Palm, Khair, Ber, Khajuri

Date Palm Provide fruits which is

edible
Khair Provide timber and dye

Babul/Babool(acacia) Yield gum for tanning

leather

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 GEOGRAPHY

Chapter- Natural Vegetation (Part-1) Class –X Session – 2020-2021

Day-5

Areas/States Sunderban Delta- (Delta of Ganga-

Brahmaputra)
Along the Eastern Coast
Deltas of Mahanadi, Krishna and
Godavari
States- West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra
Pradesh and Telengana.

Climatic Requirements Temperature- 260- 290C

Rainfall- more than 200 cm

Characteristic Features • They occur in and around the

delta regions, estuaries and
creeks prone to tidal influence,
wet marshy/swampy areas,
areas of shifting mud, areas
flooded by tides,
• Trees have breathing roots or
pneumatophores which act as
respiratory organs.
• Its stilt like roots (that support
their trunks) remain submerged
under water but can be seen at
low tide. This tangled mass of
root helps the plant to survive

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 in the shifting mud of coastal
region.
• These forests are very dense.

Pneumatophores of mangrove vegetation.

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Mangrove Trees on STILT ROOTS—help to balance the tree in shifting mud.

Species of tidal Main uses

forest
Sundari Boat building
(Wood is very hard,
strong durable and
water resistant)
Gorjan, Hintal, Source of fuel wood
Casurina, Keora,
agar, Rhizophora

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 SUNDARI TREES at SUNDERBAN

Refer to Pg No.100, Frank (part-II) for the Beach forest and freshwater swamp
forest.

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 GEOGRAPHY

Chapter - Natural Vegetation (Part-1) Class – X Session – 2020-2021

Day-6

Areas/ States Found in the mountain regions

• Kashmir to Assam in the north
• Nilgiri and Annamalai Hills in
the south at an elevation
between 1000m to 1500m.
States- Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand,
Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Climatic Requirements Temperature- Less than 200C or even

cooler.
Rainfall- 150-200 cm

Characteristic Features • Varies with height / altitude

from mixed deciduous to
coniferous depending on
elevation and rainfall
• Trees range from the Tropical to
Alpine.
• Tropical deciduous is found in
the Siwaliks.
•

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➢ Important species found – Pines, Spruce, Cedar, Oaks, Laurel, Bamboo,
Poplar, Birch, Walnuts, Elm, Cinchona, Eucalyptus.
Pines and Eucalyptus are found in the Nilgiris.

Species Uses
Chirpine • Used for extraction of resin
and turpentine.
• Provides soft wood which is
used for making packing
cases for tea.
• Mostly found in Punjab, Up,
Kashmir.

Silver Fir • A Coniferous tree.

• Used for paper, pulp,
matches, planking, packing
cases.
• Mostly found in N.W. and
Eastern Himalayas.

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 Deodar • Wood is oily, durable,
scented.
• Used for railway sleepers and
house construction.
• Mostly found in Himachal
Pradesh and Kashmir.

RECAPITULATION:

(a) Name the Natural Vegetation found on the Eastern Slopes of Western
Ghats. Give two Characteristics of the same.
(b) How are forests important to us?( Give any two points)
(c) Name two states and two important species for each of the following
natural vegetation ----
Tropical Deciduous, Littoral, Mountain, Tropical Evergreen, Tropical
Desert.
(d) Give one word answer:
• It is used for making perfumes.
• It is used for making shipbuilding.
• Its fruit is used for tanning leather, dyeing fabric.
(e) What characteristics of Sundari tree make it suitable for boat building?

ACTIVITY: Make a list of all the forest products you use at home.

The link given below can used for reference:

https://youtu.be/kiHNr0dOj9E

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