Forest and Wildlife Resource

Q1. Describe how communities have conserved and protected forests and wildlife in
India?
1. In India many traditional communities still live in a close contact with the forests as they
depend on the forest produce for their livelihood.
2. For example; In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers fought against mining activities.
3. In Alwar district of Rajasthan, local communities have set their own rules in 1,200
hectares of forest to stop hunting and outside encroachments in these lands.
4. The Bishnois of Rajasthan protect black buck, chinkara and peacocks.
5. Chipko movement is another example of community initiative. By doing so, they help in
conservation of forest.
Q2. What is biodiversity? Why is biodiversity important for human lives?
1. Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem.
2. All living organisms, including man, are interdependent on each other.
3. Human beings are depend on several biotic and abiotic factors for their survival like they
obtain food from plants animals.
4. They are dependent on many other species to run their business and industries.
5. Hence, biodiversity is important for human lives.
Q3. How have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna? Explain.
Following activities by humans resulted in the depletion of flora and fauna:
1. Various dam and river valley projects resulted in a decline of forest cover.
2. Illegal mining projects also destroyed forests in a vast area.
3. Increasing housing plans, factories and infrastructure also disturbed the flora and fauna
adversely.
4. Hunting animals for their skin, tusk, bones, teeth, horns, etc., led many species to the
verge of extinction.
5. Increasing environmental pollution caused many species of birds to extinct.
Q4. Write four major reasons for the depletion of forest cover.
Answer:1. Deforestation for agricultural purposes.
2. Shifting cultivation which is still practised in substantial parts of tribal belts.
3. Large-scale development of river valley projects.
4. Mining activities have also resulted in deforestation.
5. Environmental pollution and forest fires have also led to depletion of forests.
Q5. List six factors which have led to the decline in India’s biodiversity.
Answer:1. Habitat destruction
2. Over-exploitation
3. Environmental pollution
4. Forest fires
5. Hunting and Poaching
6. Poisoning
Q6. Write four most important causes of environmental destruction/degradation.
Answer:1. Unequal access to resources.
2. Inequitable consumption of resources.
3. Differential sharing of responsibility for environmental wellbeing.
4. Over-population.
Q7. “The destruction of biodiversity is highly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity.”
Give four facts to support this statement.
Answer:1. Such losses are seen in Increasingly marginalised and impoverished many forest
dependent communities.
2. Among the poor, women are affected more than men.
3. With the depletion of these resources, the drudgery of women increased.
4. They had to walk for more than 10 km to collect these resources which, in turn, affected
their health.
5. The indirect impact of degradation also hits the poor the hardest.
Q8. Write five steps taken by the Government for conservation of wildlife.
Answer:Five steps that have been taken to protect the wildlife in India:
1. Under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, an All India list of protected species was
published.
2. Many wildlife sanctuaries have been developed and National Parks have been set up.
3. Many projects have been started for protecting specific animals which were threatened.
4. Most recently, some animals have been given full or partial legal protection against
hunting and trading.
5. Setting up of biosphere reserves for conserving flora and fauna in their natural
surroundings is another step taken in this direction.
Q9. Write two characteristics of Joint Forest Management Programme and its two
benefits for the community. Which Indian state started this programme first of all and
when?
Answer:1. Joint Forest Management Programme involves local communities in the
management and restoration of degraded forests.
Two characteristics:
a. It depends on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake protection
activities mostly on degraded forest land managed by the Forest Department and
the local communities.
b. Also work towards restoration of such degraded forests.
Two benefits:
a. The members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber
forest products.
b. They are also entitled to share in the timber harvested by ‘successful protection’.
Q10. How are forests classified under different categories? Explain with examples.
Answer: Forests are classified under different categories as follows.
Reserved forests: More than half of the total forest land has been declared
as reserved forests. They conserve forest and wildlife resources and are regraded as the
most valuable. .
Protected forests: As declared by the Forest Department, one-third of the total forest area is
declared as protected forests. They are protected from any further depletion.
Unclassed forests: They are forests and wastelands belonging both to the government and
private individuals and communities.
MCQ’s
1. What was the aim of Chipko movement?
(a) Human rights
(b) Political rights
(c) Agricultural expansion
(d) Forest conservation
2. Which of these statements is not a valid reason for depletion of flora and fauna?
(a) Agricultural expansion.
(b) Large scale developmental projects.
(c) Grazing and fuelwood collection.
(d) Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
3. Which of the following conservation strategies do not directly involve community participation.
(a) Joint Forest Management
(b) Beej Bachao Andolan
(c) Chipko Movement
(d) Demarcation of Wildlife Sanctuaries
4. Most of the forests in the North eastern states belong to the category of …………..
(a) Wastelands
(b) Protected forests
(c) Unclassed forests
(d) Mangroves
5. Endemic species refers to
(a) Species which are extinct.
(b) Species which are declining.
(c) Species which are confined to specific areas only.
(d) Species which are normal.
6. Forests play a key role in the ecological system because
(a) it supports a large number of animals
(b) they are important for tourism.
(c) they are the primary producers on which all other living things depend.
(d) they provide us with many useful things.
7. Indian Wildlife Protection Act was implemented mainly to
(a) protect certain animals.
(b) protect the remaining population of certain endangered species.
(c) protect the tigers.
(d) protect aquatic animals.
8. The forests belonging to both government and private individuals and communities are called
…………..
(a) Protected Forests
(b) Open Forests
(c) Unclassed Forests
(d) Reserved Forests
9. Which one of the following is a farmers movement initiated in Tehri ?
(a) Tehri Andolan
(b) Beej Bachao Andolan
(c) Appease Movement
(d) Green Revolution
10. The main objective of Joint Forest Management programme is
(a) involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests.
(b) involving rich people in conservation of forests.
(c) involving backward communities to conserve wildlife.
(d) involving the farmers to plant trees.
11. The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity because
(a) it has impoverished many indigenous and forest dependent communities.
(b) it has caused serious health problems for women.
(c) it has aggravated many natural hazards that affected the poor.
(d) All of the above
12. Immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated species, diverse in form and function but closely
integrated in a system is called
(a) Bioreserve
(b) Diversity
(c) Biodiversity
(d) Biome
13. Species which are in danger of extinction are called ……………..
(a) Endemic Species
(b) Extinct Species
(c) Vulnerable Species
(d) Endangered Species
14. Which state of India has the maximum area under reserved forests ?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Himachal Pradesh
15. The state having highest percentage of protected forests is
(a) Punjab
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) Jammu and Kashmir