Date:

2.1 Humans and the environment

HABITAT: Environment in which an animal or a plant normally lives is called
a habitat. For example: pond, field, forest, ocean, woodland, desert, etc…
1. Why do animals need a habitat?
● Animals and plants need food, water and shelter in their habitat.

● Animals also need a safe place to have their young (babies)

● To hide from predators

● To escape from other danger.

2. How are the human activities leading to destruction of habitats?

Ans: Humans have a detrimental impact on natural habitat due to
various activities such as:
● Deforestation

● Urbanization

● Roads

● The energy sector (renewable and coal)

● Overpopulation

● Pollution

● Mining.
Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air
quality, and undrinkable water.

3. What effect does habitat destruction have on animals?

 Ans: Damage to habitats and habitat loss are the most serious threats
to many plants and animals such as:
● The population declines

● Extinction becomes more likely

● Reduction in biodiversity, which refers to the variety and abundance of

different species of animals and plants in a particular setting
● With the decline in population, the food chain in that habitat may get
disturbed.

4. What is extinction?
Ans: The process or state of ceasing to exist, is called extinction.

5. What are endangered species?

Ans: An endangered species is a species which has been categorised as
very likely to become extinct. For example: Rhinoceroses, Tigers, Sea
turtles, Giant pandas, are all endangered species.

6. Name few animals that have become extinct.

Ans: Moa, Dinosaurs, Dodo birds, Mammoths, Baiji river dolphin of
China

7. Give reasons why animals may become extinct?

Ans: Hunting, disease, habitat destruction, natural disaster, etc…are
few of the reasons which may lead to extinction of animals.

8. What can people do to try and stop living things from becoming
extinct?
● Stop hunting rare species of animals

● Stop destroying their habitats

● Breeding them in the zoo and releasing them back to the wild, etc…

9. What is poaching? How does it affect already endangered animal

population?
 Ans: Poaching is the illegal hunting, killing or capturing of endangered
animals. All the other parts of the ecosystem will get affected as the
rate of specific predatory versus prey will change.

Home work:
Paste a few pictures of:
● Different habitats

● Endangered species

● Extinct species