Chapter 5: Conservation of Plants and Animals
5.1 Deforestation and Its Causes
- Deforestation: Clearing of forests and using that land for other purposes.
- Man-made causes: Procuring land for cultivation, building houses and factories, making furniture, or using wood as fuel.
- Natural causes: Forest fires and severe droughts.
5.2 Consequences of Deforestation
- Increased temperature and pollution: Deforestation increases Earth's temperature and pollution levels.
- Increased Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Fewer trees mean less CO2 used for photosynthesis, leading to its accumulation in the atmosphere.
- Global warming: Increased CO2 traps heat rays, raising Earth's temperature.
- Lowered groundwater level: Due to disturbed natural balance.
- Reduced rainfall: Increased temperature disturbs the water cycle, potentially causing droughts.
- Change in soil properties: Physical properties of soil are affected.
- Soil erosion: Fewer trees lead to more soil erosion.
- Desertification: Removal of topsoil exposes infertile layers, converting fertile land into deserts.
- Reduced water holding capacity: Soil's ability to retain water decreases.
- Reduced infiltration rate: Movement of water from surface into ground is lessened.
- Increased floods: Reduced infiltration causes water to accumulate on surface.
- Other changes: Nutrient content and texture of soil also change.
- Shortage of products: Leads to scarcity of various products obtained from forests.
- Animal life: Animals are affected due to habitat loss and disturbance.
5.3 Conservation of Forest and Wildlife
- Biosphere: Part of Earth where living organisms exist or life is supported.
- Biodiversity: Refers to the variety of organisms on Earth, their interrelationships, and relationship with the environment.
- Protected areas: Wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and biosphere reserves are earmarked to protect flora, fauna, and their habitats.
- Prohibited activities in protected areas: Plantation, cultivation, grazing, felling trees, hunting, and poaching.
- Wildlife Sanctuary: Areas where animals are protected from any disturbance to them and their habitat.
- National Park: Areas reserved for wild life where they can freely use habitats and natural resources.
- Biosphere Reserve: Large protected land for conservation of wild life, plant/animal resources, and traditional life of tribals.
5.4 Biosphere Reserve
- Purpose: Meant for conservation of biodiversity and maintaining the culture of that area.
- Contents: May contain other protected areas within it.
- Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve: Consists of one national park (Satpura) and two wildlife sanctuaries (Bori and Pachmarhi).
5.5 Flora and Fauna
- Flora: The plants found in a particular area.
- Fauna: The animals found in a particular area.
- Pachmarhi examples (Flora): Sal, teak, mango, jamun, silver ferns, arjun.
- Pachmarhi examples (Fauna): Chinkara, blue bull, barking deer, cheetal, leopard, wild dog, wolf.
- Habitat: Animals are comfortable and happy in their own natural habitat; they should not be disturbed.
5.6 Endemic Species
- Definition: Species of plants and animals found exclusively in a particular area and not naturally found anywhere else.
- Scope: Can be endemic to a zone, a state, or a country.
- Pachmarhi examples (Endemic Flora): Sal and wild mango.
- Pachmarhi examples (Endemic Fauna): Bison, Indian giant squirrel, and flying squirrel.
- Threats to existence: Destruction of their habitat, increasing population, and introduction of new species.
- Species: A group of populations capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring only with members of their own species.
5.7 Wildlife Sanctuary
- Prohibition: Killing (poaching) or capturing animals is strictly prohibited and punishable by law.
- Protection: Provide protection and suitable living conditions to wild animals.
- Allowed activities for locals: Grazing livestock, collecting medicinal plants, firewood.
- Protected animals: Black buck, white eyed buck, elephant, golden cat, pink headed duck, gharial, marsh crocodile, python, rhinoceros.
- Indian sanctuaries: Feature unique landscapes such as broad level forests, mountain forests, and bush lands.
- Threats: Protected forests are vulnerable to encroachment and destruction by people living in the neighbourhood.
- Zoo vs. Sanctuary: Zoos are artificial settings, while sanctuaries protect animals in their natural habitat.
5.8 National Park
- Definition: Large and diverse reserves that protect whole sets of ecosystems, including flora, fauna, landscape, and historic objects.
- Satpura National Park: The first Reserve Forest of India, known for the finest Indian teak.
- Rock shelters: Found inside Satpura National Park, providing evidence of prehistoric human life and rock paintings (55 identified in Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve).
- Project Tiger: Government initiative launched to ensure the survival and maintenance of the tiger population.
- Endangered animals: Animals whose numbers are diminishing to a level that they might face extinction (e.g., tiger, lion, elephant, wild buffalo, barasingha).
- Extinct animals: Species that have completely vanished (e.g., dinosaurs).
- Strict rules: Human activities like grazing, poaching, hunting, or collecting firewood/medicinal plants are not allowed.
- Small animals: More in danger of becoming extinct than bigger animals and play crucial roles in ecosystems (food chains/webs).
- Ecosystem: Made of all plants, animals, microorganisms in an area along with non-living components (climate, soil, river deltas).
5.9 Red Data Book
- Purpose: A sourcebook that keeps a record of all endangered animals and plants.
- Maintenance: Maintained internationally by an organization; India also maintains its own for local species.
5.10 Migration
- Definition: The phenomenon of certain birds flying to far away areas every year during a particular time.
- Reason: Primarily due to climatic changes, often for laying eggs when their natural habitat becomes very cold and inhospitable.
- Migratory birds: Birds that cover long distances to reach another land.
5.11 Recycling of Paper
- Resource consumption: It takes 17 full-grown trees to make one tonne of paper.
- Conservation methods: Save, reuse, and recycle used paper.
- Benefits: Saves trees, energy, water needed for manufacturing, and reduces harmful chemicals used in paper making.
- Recycling efficiency: Paper can be recycled five to seven times.
5.12 Reforestation
- Definition: Restocking of destroyed forests by planting new trees.
- Species selection: Planted trees should generally be of the same species as found in the original forest.
- Quantity: Plant at least as many trees as are cut.
- Natural reforestation: If deforested areas are left undisturbed, they can re-establish themselves without human intervention.
- Importance: Essential to retain green wealth for future generations.
- Forest (Conservation) Act: An act in India aimed at preserving natural forests and meeting the basic needs of people living near them.
5.13 What You Have Learnt
- Protected Areas: Wildlife sanctuary, national park, and biosphere reserve are areas for conservation of forest and wild animals.
- Biodiversity: Refers to the variety of living organisms in a specific area.
- Flora and Fauna: Plants and animals of a particular area, respectively.
- Endemic species: Found only in a particular area.
- Endangered species: Those facing the danger of extinction.
- Red Data Book: Contains a record of endangered species.
- Migration: Movement of a species from its habitat to another for a specific purpose (e.g., breeding) during a particular time period.
- Paper Conservation: We should save, reuse, and recycle paper to save trees, energy, and water.
- Reforestation: Restocking of destroyed forests by planting new trees.
5.14 Keywords
- Biodiversity: Variety of living organisms.
- Biosphere Reserve: Large protected land for conservation.
- Deforestation: Clearing of forests.
- Desertification: Conversion of fertile land to desert.
- Ecosystem: Biotic and abiotic components of an area.
- Endangered Species: Facing extinction.
- Endemic Species: Found exclusively in one area.
- Extinct: No longer existing.
- Fauna: Animals of a region.
- Flora: Plants of a region.
- Migratory Birds: Birds flying to distant lands periodically.
- National Park: Protected area for wildlife and ecosystems.
- Red Data Book: Record of endangered species.
- Reforestation: Planting new trees in destroyed forests.
- Sanctuary: Area protecting animals.