NATURAL VEGETATION

Q. 1. Define Natural Vegetation.

Ans. Natural vegetation means plants grow naturally on their own in different
environmental and ecological settings without any human interference. Natural vegetation
is also termed as 'flora'.

Q. 2. What is meant by 'Virgin Vegetation'?

Ans. Virgin Vegetation means the part of the natural vegetation which has remained
undisturbed by humans.
Virgin vegetation is found in India only in remote and inaccessible parts of Himalayas, the
Thar desert and in Sunderbans delta region.

Q. 3. Classify Indian Forests depending upon the climate, soil, relief and structure.
Ans. Indian forests can be classified into the following categories:
(i) Tropical Evergreen Forests.
(ii) Tropical Deciduous or Monsoon Forests.
(iii) Tropical Dry Forests.
(iv) Arid Forests,
(v) Delta Forests.
(vi) Mountain Forests.

Q. 4. Specify two environmental factors which affect the Natural vegetation of India.
Ans. The natural vegetation of India depends mainly on rain and relief.
The type of vegetation corresponds to the amount of rainfall received. T
here are two factors:
(a) Variation in the amount of rainfall.
(b) Variation in relief.

Q.5. What type of vegetation are found in the central parts of the plateau?
Ans. Tropical dry forests and the arid forests are found in the central part of the plateau.

Q. 6. Name the type of natural vegetation found in the western part of the Sahyadris.
Name two commercially valuable trees that grow here.
Ans. Natural vegetation found in the western part is the Tropical Evergreen forests/tropical
Rain forests.

Rosewood and Sisam are the two commercially valuable trees.

Q. 7. Name two factors leading to the decrease in forest cover in India.

Ans. (a) Growing demand for agricultural land.

(b) Urbanization and Industrialization.
Q. 8. What do you mean by social forestry?

Ans. Social forestry means the management and protection of the forests as well as
afforestation of barren lands aimed at helping in environmental, social and rural
development as against the traditional objective of securing revenue.

That's why it’s called the forestry of the people by the people and for the people.

Q.9. Define the following terms:

(a) Afforestation
Ans. The term afforestation means the scheme of plantation of new plants.

(b) Deforestation
The term deforestation means indiscriminate cutting down of trees without any proper
plan.

(c) Re-forestation.
The term reforestation means the planting of new trees in deforested areas.

Q. 10. What are the main components of the social forestry?

Ans. The main components are Agro forestry, community forestry, commercial farm
forestry, non-commercial farm forestry and urban forestry.

Q. 11. What is Agro forestry?

Ans. The raising of trees and agricultural crops either on the same land or in close
association in such a way that all land including the waste patches is put to good use. This
enables the farmer to get food, fodder fuel, fruit and timber from his land. The land gives
maximum production and provides employment to rural masses.

Q. 12. What is community forestry?

Ans. This forestry involves the raising of trees on public or community lands aimed at
providing benefit to the community as whole community forestry is famous in Gujarat,
Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala etc.

Q. 13. What do you mean by commercial farm forestry?

Ans. This forestry involves growing of trees in the same field where food and other
agricultural crops grow. In this way, the farmers grow trees for direct commercial gain.
Farmers in these areas grow eucalyptus, poplars and casuarina in their land and sell them to
paper, pulp, rayon and match industries States like Haryana, Punjab etc. are popular.

Q. 14. What is Non-commercial farm forestry?

Ans. Non-commercial farm forestry involves trees planting by farmers on their own land for
their own use and not for sale or commercial purposes. This type of forestry is practised in
Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka for obtaining fuel, fodder and fruit.

Q. 15. What do you mean by urban forestry?

Ans. Urban forestry pertains to raising and management of trees on public and privately
owned lands in and around urban centres. It includes green belts, roadside avenues,
recreational parks, wildlife parks etc. Its main objectives are reduction of environment
pollution, recreation and improving aesthetic values.

Q. 16. Name two trees that are exported from India.

Ans. Rosewood, sandalwood is exported from India.

Q. 17. Where are the evergreen rain forests found in India?

Ans. Western part of western ghats and hilly areas in north-east India are covered by
Evergreen rain forests.

Q. 18. Name the different species of the tropical rain forests. Their uses and where they
found?

Ans. 1. Rosewood tree

(i) These are hard fine grained and durable.

(ii) They are used for making expensive furniture.

(iii) They are found in parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (Western part of Western
ghats).

2. Sisam

(i) It is hard wood.

(ii) It is used for making expensive furniture.

3. Gurjan

(i) It is used for house building, railway sleepers and furniture. (ii) It is found in West Bengal,
Andaman and Nicobar and Himalayan region.

Other species are bamboos, Jamun and canes etc.

Q.19. What is 'Van Mahotsav'?

Ans. Van Mahotsav was a great movement which was launched in 1950 to make people
aware of the importance of planting trees. Every year millions of trees are planted in the
rainy season. This is the season when newly planted saplings grow rapidly.

Q. 20. Why there is a need for conservation of forests?

Ans. Conservation is needed because

(i) Forest provides many major and minor products like wood, gum, fibre, fruits etc.
(ii) They play a significant role in the prevention and control of soil erosion.
(iii) Forests are the major natural resources of a country.

Q. 21. What is Integrated Forest Protection Scheme (IFPS)?

Ans. This scheme was started in 10th Five Year Plan and continued to be implemented
during the 11th plan also. The planning commission has suggested renaming the scheme as
"Intensification of Forest Management" during 11th Five Year Plan.
Q. 24. State the main feature of the tropical Rain Forests.
OR Write short notes on Tropical Rain Forests.

Ans. The main features of the tropical rain forests are:

(i) These are Evergreen Forests found in warm and wet regions.
(ii) These are found where the rainfall is more than 200 cm with a short dry season.
(iii) Specially found in the rainy slopes of Western Ghats, plains of West Bengal and Odisha
and the North-eastern states.
(iv) Trees grow very vigorously, reaching height of about 60 m and above.
(v) Some of the commercially useful to trees of these forests are ebony, mahogany and
rosewood.

Q. 25. State the main characteristic of the Tropical Deciduous Forests or Monsoon forests.
OR
Write short notes on the Tropical Deciduous Forests.

Ans.
(i) These forests are found in areas receiving 100 m-200 m at rainfall.
(ii) These are the most wide spread forests in India.
(iii) The trees shed their leaves for about six-eight weeks during summer due to water
shortage and are called deciduous forests.
(iv) Each species has its own time of shedding leaves. So, forests do not appear barren at
any time.
(v) Monsoon forests grow over the Sahyadris the north eastern part of the peninsular
middle and lower Ganga valley and along the foothills of the Himalayas in the Shiwaliks, the
Bhabar and the Tarai.
(vi) The main species are Teak, Sal, Khair, Sadalwood, Semul, Myrobalan etc. These
important trees provide useful wood and are economically very important.

Q. 26. Write short notes on tropical Dry Forests.

Ans. (i) these forests are found in areas receiving 50 cm-100 cm rainfall.
(ii) These trees shed their leaves with the advance of the summer season.
(iii) Trees are less dense and small in size. Their normal height is 6-9 mts. Their roots are
thick and long so that they can use the underground water. They have thick bark to avoid
undue evaporation.
(iv) Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana and Tamil Nadu, northern
and western part of M.P., eastern part of Rajasthan and Southern of Rajasthan are covered
by these forests.
(v) The main trees are Shisham, babul, pipal and mango etc.

Q .27. State the characteristics of the Arid Forests.

Ans.
(i) This forest is found in areas receiving less than 50 cm of annual rainfall.
(ii) This type of forests covered Rajasthan and adjoining parts of South-West Punjab, South
West Haryana and some parts of Gujarat.
(iii) Acacia, kikar, babul and some thorny bushes and shrubs are the main species.
(iv) Trees are scattered, and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get
moisture. They have small leaves and thick bark too.
(v) Their wood is generally used as fuel.

Q. 28. What are Tidal forests? Name of major area of the Tidal Forests and name the most
important tree found there.

Ans. These forests occur in and around the deltas, estuaries and creeks prone to tidal
influences and as such are also known as delta or tidal forests.

These forests occur at several places along the coast and confined deltas of the Ganga,
Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Cauvary.

Sundari tree is very important in this area. Sunderban delta has been named after it. The
other trees are Gorjan and Hintal.

Q. 29. What is Mangrove forest?

Ans. The Mangrove forests occur in and around the delta regions, estuaries and creeks and
prove to tidal influence. Mangrove vegetation is characterized by breathing roots or
pneumatophores which act as respiratory organs. Its stilt like roots remain submerged
under water but can be seen at low tide. This tangled mass of root helps the plant to survive
in the shifting mud of coastal region.

Q.30. With reference to Mountain Forests answer the following:

(i) "The vegetation on the Himalayas is upto higher altitude on the Southern slope than on
the Northern slope." Give reason.
In the Himalayan region, the northern slopes usually receive the sunrays only for a few
hours that too at a low angle whereas in contrast, the southern slopes receive
comparatively vertical rays during the middle of the day.

(ii) The altitude is the most important factor controlling the type of vegetation in the
Mountain Region-Discuss.
The wet temperate forests are found between heights of 1,000-2,000 metres. Evergreen
broad leaved trees such as Oak chestnut predominate.

Between 1,500-3,000 mts, temperate forests containing coniferous trees like pine, deodar,
silver fir, spruce and cedar are found. These forests cover mostly the southern slopes of the
Himalayas, places having high altitude in southern and north-east India. At higher elevation
temperate grassland are common.

At high altitude, generally more than 3,600 mts above sea level, temperate forests and
grassland gives way to the Alpine vegetation.
Q. 31. With reference to the Forest policy answer the following questions:
(a) What are the main planks of the revised forest policy of 1988?

The main plank of revised forest policy of 1988 is protection, conservation and development
of forests.

(i) Maintenance of environment stability through preservation and restoration of ecological

balance.
(ii) Conservation of natural heritage.
(iii) Check on soil erosion and denudation in catchment area of rivers, lake and reservoirs.
(iv) Check on extension of sand dunes in desert areas and coastal region.
(v) Substantial increase in forest/tree cover through marine afforestation and social forestry
programmes.
(vi) Steps to meet requirements of fuel wood, fodder, minor forest produce and soil timber
of rural and tribal populations.
(vii) Increase in productivity of forests to meet the national needs.
(viii) Encouragement of efficient utilization of forest produce and optimum substitution of
wood.
(ix) Steps to create massive peoples movement with involvement of women to achieve the
objectives and minimize pressure on exiting forests.

b) Explain Chipko Movement?

The Chipko Movement (literally "to stick" in Hindi) was a women movement in the
Uttarakhand region which acted to prevent the cutting of trees and reclaim their traditional
forests rights that were threatened by the contractor system of the state Forest
Department.
One of Chipkos most salient features was the mass participation of female villagers. As the
backbone of Uttarakhand agrarian economy, women were directly affected by
environmental degradation and deforestation and thus connected the issues most easily.

Q. 32. What are the major components of the Integrated Forest Protection Scheme?

Ans. The major components of the scheme are:

• Forest fire control and management.
• Strengthening of Infrastructure.
• Survey demarcation and working plan preparation.
• Protection and conservation of sacred groves.
• Conservation and Restoration of unique vegetation and eco-system.
• Control and eradication of forest invasive species.
• Preparedness for meeting challenges of bamboo flowering and improving management of
bamboo forests.

BOARD QUESTIONS |
Q. 1. How does vegetation vary according to the altitude in the mountain forests?
Ans. Mountain forests are the forests that are found in the mountains areas of India.
According to their altitude Himalayan range shows a succession of vegetation from the
tropical to the Alpine.
The table given below shows the forest vegetation according to their altitude :

2. The natural vegetation in India is classified on the basis of its rainfall climatic conditions.
Mention any four types of vegetation and their areas growth.

Indian forests can be classified into various categories depending upon the climate, soil,
relief and structure. The four of them are as follows:

(i) The Tropical Evergreen Forests.

(ii) The Tropical Deciduous or Monsoon Forests.
(iii) The Tropical Dry Forests.
(iv) Arid Forests.

(i) Tropical Evergreen Forests:

The Tropical Evergreen Forests are found in the area where average annual rainfall is above
200 cm. The relative humidity in these areas is more than 70%. The average temperature is
in the vicinity of 24°C. In these forests the trees are very tall their height varies from 45 to
60 metres. Due to high temperature and heavy rainfall the forests are very dense. Various
trees grow and wither at different times enabling the entire vegetation to look as evergreen.
The important trees which are found in evergreen forests are rubber, ebony, canes, palms,
bamboo, lianas, iron wood, mahogany, ferns, coconut etc. Due to the thick growth, the sun's
ray are not able to reach the surface of the earth and causes darkness below the trees. It
also causes swamps to some areas because there is heavy rainfall and sun rays are not able
to reach the ground, so no evaporation takes place. It happens only in those areas where
rainfall is very high. These forests are spread over 4-6 million hectares in Andaman Nicobar
Islands Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, West Bengal and on the
western slopes of the Western Ghats. They are not very important commercially as they are
hard wood forests.

(ii) Tropical Deciduous or Monsoon Forests:

The monsoon forests are found in areas having 100 to 200 cms of annual rainfall. They grow
over the north-eastern parts of the Peninsula and along the foothills of the Himalayas in the
Shiwaliks, Tarai, the Bhabar, the Sahyadris (Western Ghats), middle and the lower Ganga
valley. The important trees of the forest are shisham, teak, sal sandalwood khair, etc. They
provide useful wood and are commercially very important. They shed their leaves in the
beginning of summer season as they face water shortage and are called deciduous forests.
They are 30 to 45 metres tail and cover about 20% of our forest area.

(iii) Tropical Dry Forests:

The areas which receive 50 cms to 100 cms of average annual rainfall are covered by
tropical dry forests. These areas cover large parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana, northern and western parts of Madhya
Pradesh, southern part of Uttar Pradesh and eastern part of Rajasthan. The important trees
of dry forests are shisham, pipal, neem, babul and mango. These trees shed their leaves
with the advance of summer season. They are less dense and small in size than the trees of
monsoon forests. The normal height of these trees is 6 to 9 metres. The roots of the trees
are thick and long so that they can use the underground water in the best possible manner.
They have thick bark to avoid undue evaporation. Presently they cover just 15-2 million
hectares of land.

(iv) Arid Forests:

These forests are found in the areas receiving less than 50 cms of annual rainfall. These
areas are found in Rajasthan and adjoining parts of southwest Punjab, south-west Haryana
and some parts of Gujarat. The vegetation consists of small and stunted trees kikar, babul
and some thorny bushes and shrubs, thorns protect these trees to preserve water. These
trees have small leaves, thick bark and long, thick roots which enable them to face the dry
climatic conditions, The wood of these forests are generally used as fuel.

Q.3. What is the difference between Agro forestry and commercial farm forestry?

Q.4. Mention three difference between the Tropical Evergreen forests and the tropical
deciduous forests. [2008]

Q.6. (i) Explain why the forests are called an index of prosperity of a nation.
Ans. Forests is the unique gift of nature to man and constitute one of the priced asset of a
nation they play significant role in national economy of a primarily agricultural and
developing country like India. The agricultural and industrial progress of country is not only
stabilized but accelerated by the proper conservation and utilization of forest resources. The
uses of forests are both direct and indirect so that they are aptly termed as an index of
prosperity of nation.

Q. 7. Mention two reasons to explain why there is a higher percentage of forest cover in
North-East India.

Ans. High concentration of forest found in North East India are:

- climate (temperatue 25°C-27°C, rainfall more than 200 cms).
- Due to dense undergrowth, lack of transport facilities.

Q.8. (i) Mention the typical characteristic features of tropical Deciduous Forests.
The characteristics of deciduous forest are:
These forests shed their leaves for 6-8 weeks during spring, early summer, March/April
when sufficient moisture for leaves is not available. The sub-soil water is not enough for the
trees to retain their leaves. By April/May deciduous tree look almost bare. Forest of North
Temperate Zone shed their leaves in autumn. These are most important economically as
they yield valuable timber and forest product.

They occupy much larger area than evergreen forest.

(ii) Name two important varieties of trees growing in these forests.

Two important varieties of trees are: Teak and Sandalwood.

Q. 9.Give three reasons by various social Forestry Programmes were started in India.

Ans. Three reasons for starting various social forestry programmes are:
(i) To reduce pressure on traditional forest by developing plantation of fuel wood, fodder
and grasses.
(ii) Agro forestry involves the raising of trees and agricultural crops either on same land or in
close association in such a way that all land including waster patches are put to good use.
(iii) Community forestry involves raising of trees on public or community lands aimed at
providing benefit to the community as a whole.

Q.10. What is meant by virgin vegetation? Name any two regions in India where such
vegetation occurs.

Ans. The part of the natural vegetation which remained undisturbed by humans is called
virgin vegetation.
The two regions are:

(1) In remote and inaccessible parts of Himalaya.

(ii) Thar desert.

Q. 11. (i) Why are deciduous forests of India considered economically important?
The deciduous forest of India is considered economically important as they yield valuable
timber and several other forest products.
(ii) Give two reasons to explain the decrease in forest cover in recent years.
Forest cover in India is only 21.2% as against the world about 35%.
Open grazing: Over grazing by cattle, sheep and goats in hilly and mountainous areas
damages the forest cover.
Growing demand for agriculture land: With growing population demand for food product,
agricultural product has increased tremendously. This causes shrinkage in forest cover.

Q.12. State the climatic conditions of the Tropical Evergreen forests in India.

Ans. Tropical evergreen forest is found in hot and humid areas of India having 200-300 cms
of rainfall. It requires a high temperature of 22°-27°C throughout the year and a high
humidity of 80%. Due to high heat and high humidity, these areas are characterized by tall
trees and dense forests.

Q. 13. (i) List three measures undertaken by the Government to conserve and develop
forestry in India.

Ans. Measures undertaken by government to measure and develop forestry in India are:

1. National Forest Policy: In this policy joint forest management and local villages worked
together to manage forest. For this local villages were credited with 25% of the income of
that particular forest area.
2. Conservation of Reserve forest: Reserve forests are mainly located in Himalayan, Eastern
Ghats and Western Ghats together with National Parks and sanctuaries. In all these areas,
commercial exploitation should be banned.
3. Local people involvement: Common people can play an important role for forest
conservation. But the need is that there should be awareness among people. Public support
must be generated to achieve the goal of forest production. One of the movements was
Chipko Movement (1972).

(ii) Write any two objectives of urban forestry.

Two objectives of urban forestry are:

-reduction of environmental pollution.
-recreation and improving aesthetic values.

Q. 14. Mention two objectives of the India in Forest Policy.

Ans. The two objectives of India are:

(i) To maintain environment stability through preservation and restoration of ecological
balance.
(ii) To check soil erosion and denudation in catchment area of rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
Q. 15. Distinguish between the terms flora and forests.