Geography - Ln - 5 - Natural Vegetation & Wildlife

NCERT Solutions:

1.Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below:

(i) To which one of the following types of vegetation does rubber belong to?
(a) Tundra
(b) Tidal
(c) Himalayan
(d) Tropical Evergreen
Answer:
(d) Tropical Evergreen

(ii) Cinchona trees are found in the areas of rainfall more than
(a) 100 cm
(b) 50 cm
(c) 70 cm
(d) Less than 50 cm
Answer:
(a) 100 cm

(iii) In which of the following state is the Simlipal bio-reserve located?

(a) Punjab
(b) Delhi
(c) Odisha
(d) West Bengal
Answer:
(c) Odisha

(iv) Which one of the following bio-reserves of India is not included in the world network of
bio reserve?
(a) Manas
(b) Nilgiri
(c) Gulf of Mannar
(d) Nanda Devi
Answer:
(a) Manas

2. Answer the following questions briefly:

(i) What factors are responsible for the distribution of plants and animals in India?
Answer:
Relief factor: Land, Soil
Climate factor: Temperature, Photoperiod (Sunlight), Precipitation

(ii) What is a bio-reserve? Give two examples.

Answer:
 A biosphere reserve is an area proposed by its residents, ratified by a National
Committee, and designated by UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) program, which
demonstrates innovative approaches to living and working in harmony with nature.
Bio-reserve is legally protected areas meant to preserve biological diversity.
Example: Sundarbans & Nanda Devi.

(iii) Name two animals having habitat in tropical and montane type of vegetation.
Answer:
Tropical: Tiger, pig, Elephant, deer
Montane: Kashmir stag, spotted deer, yak, snow leopard

3. Distinguish between

(i) Flora and Fauna

Answer:
Flora
The term flora is used to denote plants of a
particular region or period.
Flora remains at one place.
India has about 47,000 plant species.
Fauna
The species of animals are referred to as
fauna.
Fauna moves from one place to another.
 India has 90,000 species of animals.

(ii) Tropical Evergreen and Deciduous forests

Answer:
Tropical Evergreen Forest:
These forests are found in areas having more than 200cm of rainfall.
Regions – Western Ghats, Island group of Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar, Upper
parts of Assam & Tamil Nadu coast.
 Trees of evergreen forests do not shed their leaves at a fixed time in a year.
 Important trees of this forest are ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber and cinchona.
 Common animals- Elephant, monkey, lemur, deer, one horned rhinoceroses, plenty of
birds, bats, sloth, scorpions and snails are also found in these forests.

Tropical Deciduous Forests

 The dry deciduous forests are found in areas having rainfall between 100 cm and 70 cm.
 Trees of this forest type shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry summer.
 Common animals – Lion, tiger, pig, deer and elephant. A huge variety of birds, lizards,
snakes and tortoises are also found here.
 On the basis of the availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and
dry deciduous.

*Moist Deciduous Forest:

 Rainfall between 200 and 100 cm.
 Regions - North eastern states, along the foothills of the Himalayas, Jharkhand, West
Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
Plant species - Bamboos, Sal, shisham, Sandalwood, khair, Kusum, Arjun and mulberry

* Dry Deciduous Forests:

These forests are found in areas having rainfall between 100 cm and 70 cm.
 These forests are found in the rainier parts of the peninsular plateau and the plains of Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh.
Plant Species - teak, sal, peepal and neem.
4. Name different types of Vegetation found in India and describe the vegetation of high
altitudes.
Answer:
Different types of vegetation found in India are
(i) Tropical Evergreen Forests
(ii) Tropical Deciduous Forests
(iii) Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
(iv) Montane Forests
(v) Mangrove Forests
At high altitudes, generally, more than 3,600 metres above the sea level, temperate forests
and grasslands give way to the Alpine vegetation. Silver fir, junipers, pines and birches are
the common trees of these forests. At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra
vegetation.

5. Quite a few species of plants and animals are endangered in India. Why?
Answer:
Quite a few animal species are endangered and some have become extinct. The main causes
for this major threat to nature are hunting by greedy hunters for commercial purposes,
pollution due to chemical and industrial waste, acid deposits, introduction of alien species
and reckless cutting of the forests to bring land under cultivation and inhabitation, which are
also responsible for the imbalance.

6. Why has India a rich heritage of flora and fauna?

Answer:
India has a variety of climatic conditions; like tropical, subtropical, desert and
Mountainous. Due to this, there are enough habitats for a large variety of flora and fauna.
Due to this, India has a rich heritage of flora and fauna.
Our country India is one of the twelve-mega bio-diversity countries of the world. With
about 47,000 plant species India occupies tenth place in the world and fourth in Asia in plant
diversity.
There are about 15,000 flowering plants in India, which account for 6 percent in the
world’s total number of flowering plants.
The country has many non-flowering plants such as ferns, algae and fungi. India also as
89,000 species of animals as well as a rich variety of fish in its fresh and marine waters.

EXTRA QUESTIONS:
1. What are the different steps taken by the government to protect flora and fauna?
Answer:
The different steps taken by the government to protect flora and fauna are :

 Eighteen biosphere reserves have been set up in the country to protect flora fauna.
 The Sunderbans in the West Bengal, Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand, the Gulf of Mannar
in Tamil Nadu and the Nilgiris have been included in the world network of biosphere
reserves.
 Financial and technical assistance is provided to many botanical gardens by the
government since 1992.
 Project Tiger, Project Rhino, Project Great Indian Bustard and many other eco-
developmental projects have been introduced by the government.
  103 National Parks, 535 Wildlife Sanctuaries and Zoological Gardens are set up to take
care of natural heritage.

2. Write a short note on the biodiversity in India.

Or
‘India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries of the world’. Explain
Answer:
Our country India is one of the 12 mega bio-diversity countries of the world. With about
47,000 plant species, India occupies tenth place in the world and fourth in Asia in plant
diversity.
There are about 15,000 flowering plants in India, which account for 6 per cent in the
world’s total number of flowering plants.
The country has many non-flowering plants, such as ferns, algae and fungi. India also has
90,000 species of animals, as well as, a rich variety of fish in its fresh and marine waters.

3. Name any three medicinal plants found in India with at least one use of each.
Answer:
The tree medicinal plants found in India are:
•Sarpagandha: It is used to treat blood pressure. It is found only in India.
•Jamun:The juice from ripe fruit is used to prepare vinegar, which is carminative and diuretic,
and has digestive properties. The powder of the seed is used for controlling diabetes.
•Arjun: The fresh juice of leaves is a cure for earache. It is also used to regulate blood
pressure.

4. What is a biome?
Answer:
Biome means plant community occurring in distinct groups in areas having similar climatic
conditions. In other words, a very large ecosystem on land having different types of flora and
fauna is termed as biome. The biomes are categorized or identified on the basis of plant
species.

5. Define an ecosystem.
All the plants and animals in an area are interdependent on each other. The plants and
animals; along with their physical environment make the ecosystem.

ONE MARK QUESTIONS:

1. The number of flowering plants in India is about _______.
Answer:
15,000

2. Name two non-flowering plants.

Answer:
Algae, fungi and ferns.

3. The sandy soils of desert support _______.

Answer:
Cactus and thorny bushes.
4. Sundari trees are found in _______.
Answer:
Tidal Forests

5. A very large ecosystem on land having distinct type of vegetation and animal life is called
_______.
Answer:
Biome

6. At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of _______.

Answer:
Tundra vegetation

7. The dry deciduous forests are found in areas having rainfall between _______.
Answer:
100 cm and 70 cm

8. The mangrove tidal forests are found in the areas of coasts influenced by sea _______.
Answer:
Tides

9. Royal Bengal Tiger is found in _______.

Answer:
Mangrove forests

10. Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in India in _______.

Answer:
1972

11. The natural habitat of the Indian lion is the _______.

Answer:
Gir forest in Gujarat

12. The moist Tropical Deciduous Forests are more prominent in the eastern and central parts
of India because:
Answer:
These areas experience 100 to 200 cm of annual rainfall.

13. Where do flamingos migrate in large numbers in India?

Answer:
Rann of Kachchh

14. The elephants are found in the hot-wet forests of _______.

Answer:
Assam and Karnataka
15. Ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber and cinchona are the important trees of _______.
Answer:
Tropical Evergreen Forests.

16. What are Tropical Rain Forests?

Answer:
These forests grow in the areas having annual rainfall of more than 200 cm.

17. Where is the Project Rhino being implemented?

Answer:
Assam.

18. Where was the first biosphere reserve set up?

Answer:
Nilgiri.

19. What does ‘Natural Vegetation’ mean?

Answer:
Natural vegetation refers to a plant community, which has grown naturally without human aid
and has been left undisturbed by humans for a long time.

20. Name some of the important species of Moist Deciduous Forests.

Answer:
Teak, bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun and mulberry are some of the
important species of Moist Deciduous Forests.

21. Which medicinal plant has both antibacterial and antibiotic properties?
Answer:
The neem plant has both anti-bacterial and anti-biotic properties.

22. Name some important birds found in India.

Answer:
Some of the important birds found in India are peacocks, pheasants, ducks, parakeets, cranes
and pigeons.

23. Where is Nanda Devi biosphere reserve located?

Answer:
Nanda Devi biosphere reserve is located in Uttarakhand.