CLASS- 10 GSEB GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER-9
FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
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INTRODUCTION

A general meaning of forest is the accumulation of trees,

scrubs or heaps of grass.
Vegetation which can be raised naturally without the help of
man is called virgin vegetation.
Now it is available only Himalayas, Sundarvan, and remote
areas of thar desert.
CLASSIFICATION OF FOREST
Forests can be classified in different criteria, like
administration, ownership and management.
According to administration

1. Reserved forests: The forests which are under the control of

the Government directly. There is restriction on lumbering,
collection of woods or for pasturing.
2. Protected forests: These forests are looked after by the
administration. Local people are permitted to collect the
wood and to graze their animals without causing any harm
to the trees.
3. Unclassified forests: There is no restriction on tree feeling or
animal grazing in this type of forests. Such forests are still not
classified. Such forests are called unclassified forests.
 Classification according to
ownership, administration and
management

 State forests: Central or State Government controls such

forests. Most of the forests of the country fall under this
category.
 Communal forests: Local Self-government controls such
forests, e.g. ” Gram Panchayat, Municipalities, Municipal
Corporations, District Panchayat.
 Private forests: owned by individuals. found mostly in
hapazard condition or totally barren.
e.g.: Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Meghalaya
possess such forests. They are called private forests.
Deforestation and its impact
 It means the destruction of forest. It is a global
problem.
 Impacts - Quality of carbon dioxide increases in
the atmosphere.
 Greenhouse effects become more intense.
 Soil is eroded and the problem of farm fertility
decreases.
 Many living organisms have lost their abodes.
 Remedies for forest
conservation:
 Research should be carried out to find the option of
wood.
 Industries which receives raw material should be
compelled for afforestation.
 Public awareness programmes should be organized.
 Social forestry and Agro-forestry should be
developed.
 Alternative option of energy should be
implemented.
 The pollution in the forests should be controlled.
 An area should be demarcated and reserved for
animal pasture.
 Reasons for the
destruction of wildlife:
• Due to the human interference in grasslands
• Destruction of forests, hunting of animals
• Overexploitation of forests made by man to fulfil his needs.
• Forestlands are being encroached for grass
• fuel or for grazing.
Measures of preservation
of wildlife:

Attitude should be changed towards the preservation of
forests.
 → Steps should be taken for maintaining the water sources
in forests and restriction on grazing of domestic animals.
 → There should be strict laws to ban hunting.
 → Programmes should be arranged to bring widespread
awareness in the society.
 → Wildlife Protection Scheme: Some schemes are
implemented in India to protect the wildlife. The
government has started some projects for those animal
species which are in danger.
 → Project Tiger: To save tigers this project was started in
1971 .Their natural habitat are protected and ecological
balance at national level are maintained. Still this project is
implemented in about 44 regions.
 CONTENT COVERED

 Project Elephant: This project was started in 1992. It provides protection to the elephants
protection in their natural habitats and their migratory corridors. There are about 26
protection zones.
 → Project Rhino: This project is started for the protection of one-Horned Rhino of India.
Rhinos are found in Assam state. According to the strategy of ‘Rhino Vision 2020’, the next
target is 3000 rhino.
 → Project Crocodile: This species of alligator found in fresh water was on the verge of
extinction in 1970s.
 → Project Vulture: This project was started is 2004. There are about 9 sub-species of vulture
in India.
 → Project Snow Leopard: This project was started in 2000 with the purpose to increase the
knowledge about snow-leopard among the local people.
 → Sanctuary: Wildlife sanctuary is established for the protection of some species.
Domesticated animals can be allowed to graze after due permission from the authorities.
 → National Park: Compared to the sanctuary this is more protected zone. More than one
ecosystem included here. There is a complete ban on animal grazing.
 → Bio-reserve zone: It is formed according to international norms. The purpose is to protect
the physical and cultural diversity of any region. Besides the vegetation, insects and land of
that area, the lifestyle of the people living there is also protected.
 FOREST AND WILDLIFE
RESOURCES
Development process is inevitable. Those environmental dangers
which we are occurring are the result of carelessness
development. If we have a planned development there will not
be any problem. Friendly approach towards the environment is
the need of today.
FLORA AND FAUNA IN INDIA:-

1. India is one of the world's richest countries in terms

of its biological diversity.
2. Diverse flora and fauna are well integrated in our
daily life.
3. Some estimates suggest 10% of India's recorded wild
flora and 20% of its mammals are on threatened list.

4. Some animals on the verge of extinction are

CHEETAH,PINK-HEADED DUCK, MOUNTAIN QUAIL,
forest spotted OWLET and plants like MAHUA.

5. Besides, certain a maller animals and insects are also

getting extinct.
Pink headed duck owlett

MAHUA MOUNTAIN QUAIL

CONSERVATION OF FOREST
AND WILDLIFE IN INDIA
1.1960s-70s conservationists demanded a national wildlife protection
program.
2. Indian wildlife Act, 1972 implemented.
3. To protect the remaining population by banning hunting, giving
legal protection to their habitats.
4. Government established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
5. Several projects launched for endangered species- TIGER, ONE
HORNED RHINOCEROS, Kashmir STAG and three types of
CROCODILES. – fresh water crocodile, saltwater crocodile and
the Gharial
6. Most recently, the Indian elephant, black buck (chinkara), the
great Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow leopard, etc.
have been given full or partial legal protection against hunting
and trade throughout India
 ENDANGERED SPECIES

One horned Kashmir stag Salt water crocodile

rhino

Gharial Black buck Great Indian bustard

 PROJECT TIGER

• The major threats to the tiger population are numerous, such as

poaching for trade, shrinking habitat, depletion of prey base
species, growing human population, etc.
• Since India and Nepal provide habitat to about two-thirds of the
surviving tiger population in the world, these two nations became
prime targets for poaching and illegal trading.
• “Project Tiger”, one of the most well-publicized wildlife
campaigns in the world, was launched in 1973.
• Tiger conservation has been viewed not only as an effort to save
an endangered species but with equal importance as a means of
preserving biotypes of sizeable magnitude.
 NATIONAL PARKS
OF INDIA

• Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand

• Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal
• Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh
• Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan
• Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam
• Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala are some of the tiger
reserves of India.