🌿 FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
Chapter 2 | Contemporary India – II | Class X Geography
📝 Study Notes + Exercise Answers + Worksheet
🌍 1. Biodiversity & Our Planet
Biodiversity (Biological Diversity) = the immense variety of all living beings — from micro-organisms to blue whales — diverse in form and function, closely integrated through networks of interdependencies.
- Humans form a complex ecological web with all living organisms.
- We are only a part of this web and completely dependent on it for survival.
- Plants, animals & microbes maintain the quality of air, water and soil.
- Forests are primary producers — all other life depends on them.
🌀 Ecological Web (Simplified)
☀️ Sun (Energy)
→
🌱 Plants (Producers)
→
🦌 Herbivores
→
🐯 Carnivores
→
🦠 Decomposers
↩
🌍 Soil / Nutrients
Humans depend on this entire chain for food, air, and water.
🦚 2. Flora and Fauna in India
- India is one of the world's richest countries in biological diversity.
- Many species are yet to be discovered (possibly 2–3× the known number).
- Flora and fauna are so integrated into daily life that we take them for granted.
- They are now under great stress due to human insensitivity to the environment.
🛡️ 3. Conservation of Forest & Wildlife
Why Conserve?
- Preserves ecological diversity and life-support systems (water, air, soil)
- Maintains genetic diversity for better crop varieties and animal breeding
- Agriculture still depends on traditional crop varieties
- Fisheries depend heavily on aquatic biodiversity
⏳ Key Legal Milestones
1972 Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act — banning hunting, legal habitat protection, restricted wildlife trade. All-India list of protected species published.
1973 Project Tiger launched. National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries established.
1980 & 1986 Wildlife Act amendments — hundreds of butterflies, moths, beetles, and one dragonfly added to protected list.
1988 Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme formally begins; Odisha passes first JFM resolution.
1991 Plants added to protected list for the first time — starting with 6 species.
🐾 Animals Given Legal Protection: Tiger • One-horned Rhinoceros • Kashmir Stag (Hangul) • Freshwater & Saltwater Crocodile • Gharial • Asiatic Lion • Indian Elephant • Blackbuck (Chinkara) • Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) • Snow Leopard
🐯 4. Project Tiger
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1973 |
| Tiger count in 1973 | Only 1,827 (down from ~55,000 at turn of century) |
| Main threats | Poaching, shrinking habitat, prey base depletion, human population growth, trade of skins & bones |
| India's role | India & Nepal host ~⅔ of world's surviving tigers → prime poaching targets |
🗺️ Major Tiger Reserves
- Corbett National Park – Uttarakhand
- Sunderbans National Park – West Bengal
- Bandhavgarh National Park – Madhya Pradesh
- Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary – Rajasthan
- Manas Tiger Reserve – Assam
- Periyar Tiger Reserve – Kerala
Conservation now focuses on biodiversity as a whole, not just a few species.
🌲 5. Types of Forest Land in India
Three Categories of Forest Land
Reserved Forests
>50% of total forest land
Most valuable; strictly protected
J&K, AP, Uttarakhand, Kerala, TN, WB, Maharashtra
Most valuable; strictly protected
J&K, AP, Uttarakhand, Kerala, TN, WB, Maharashtra
Protected Forests
~⅓ of forest area
Protected from further depletion
Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, HP, Odisha, Rajasthan
Protected from further depletion
Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, HP, Odisha, Rajasthan
Unclassed Forests
Govt + private + community owned
No strict classification
NE States, parts of Gujarat
No strict classification
NE States, parts of Gujarat
📌 Remember: Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests — constituting 75% of its total forest area.
🤝 6. Community and Conservation
| Movement / Initiative | Location | What they did |
|---|---|---|
| Sariska Tiger Reserve protest | Rajasthan | Villagers fought mining using the Wildlife Protection Act |
| Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri' | Alwar, Rajasthan | 5 villages declared 1,200 ha as community forest; self-imposed no-hunting rules |
| Chipko Movement | Himalayas | Resisted deforestation; promoted community afforestation with indigenous species |
| Beej Bachao Andolan & Navdanya | Tehri | Chemical-free, diversified crop production; preserved traditional seed varieties |
Joint Forest Management (JFM)
- Formal existence since 1988; Odisha passed first resolution.
- Local (village) institutions manage and restore degraded forest land.
- Community members get non-timber forest produce + share in timber harvested.
🛕 7. Sacred Groves
Sacred Groves = Patches of forest kept completely untouched by local communities due to religious reverence — called "forests of God and Goddesses". Any interference is strictly banned.
| Community | Sacred Tree/Animal | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Mundas & Santhal | Mahua & Kadamba trees | Chota Nagpur |
| Tribals | Tamarind & Mango trees (at weddings) | Odisha & Bihar |
| Bishnoi community | Blackbuck, Chinkara, Nilgai, Peacock | Rajasthan |
| Across India | Peepal and Banyan trees | Pan India |
📋 EXERCISE ANSWERS
1️⃣ Q1. Multiple Choice Question
Which conservation strategy does NOT directly involve community participation?
✅ Answer: (d) Demarcation of Wildlife Sanctuaries
JFM, Chipko Movement, and Beej Bachao Andolan all involve community participation. Demarcation of wildlife sanctuaries is carried out by the government/Forest Department, not by communities.
JFM, Chipko Movement, and Beej Bachao Andolan all involve community participation. Demarcation of wildlife sanctuaries is carried out by the government/Forest Department, not by communities.
2️⃣ Q2. Match the Following
| Term | Correct Match |
|---|---|
| Reserved Forests | Forests regarded as most valuable for conservation of forest and wildlife resources. |
| Protected Forests | Forest lands protected from any further depletion. |
| Unclassed Forests | Other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities. |
3️⃣ Q3. Short Answer Questions (30 words)
Q3(i) What is biodiversity? Why is it important for human lives?
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms — integrated through interdependencies. It is important because plants, animals, and microbes maintain clean air, water, and soil; support agriculture (traditional crops) and fisheries (aquatic biodiversity), all essential for human survival.
Q3(ii) How have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna?
Human activities like deforestation, poaching, habitat destruction, expansion of agriculture, trade in wildlife parts, and environmental insensitivity have severely depleted flora and fauna. For example, tiger population fell from ~55,000 to just 1,827 by 1973 due to poaching and habitat loss.
4️⃣ Q4. Long Answer Questions (120 words)
Q4(i) Describe how communities have conserved and protected forests and wildlife in India.
Communities have played a major role in conservation through various initiatives:
- Sariska (Rajasthan): Villagers used the Wildlife Protection Act to stop illegal mining.
- Alwar (Rajasthan): 5 villages declared 1,200 ha as 'Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri', imposing self-made rules against hunting.
- Chipko Movement: Villagers hugged trees to prevent felling; promoted community afforestation.
- Bishnoi Community: Protect blackbuck, chinkara, nilgai, and peacocks as sacred, forming a living example of community conservation.
- Sacred Groves: Tribal communities preserve virgin forest patches untouched, based on religious reverence.
- JFM: Local institutions jointly manage degraded forests with the Forest Department.
Q4(ii) Write a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.
- Joint Forest Management (JFM): Communities and government jointly restore degraded forests; people receive non-timber produce as benefit.
- Sacred Groves: Tribal traditions keep forest patches permanently untouched, preserving rare species.
- Chemical-free farming: Beej Bachao Andolan and Navdanya promote diversified crop production without synthetic chemicals.
- Legal protection: Wildlife Protection Act, Project Tiger, and inclusion of insects and plants in protected species lists.
- Community participation: Accepting only those activities that are people-centric, environment-friendly, and economically rewarding — as stated in the chapter.
🔬 IN-TEXT ACTIVITY ANSWERS
📖 Activity Answers
Activity: Find stories about the harmonious relationship between humans and nature in your region.
Example Answer: The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan is famous for protecting trees and animals. Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed her life to save trees. The Chipko movement shows women protecting trees by hugging them. Sacred groves (Dev Vans) across tribal India show centuries of undisturbed forest conservation based on religious beliefs.
Activity: Find out reasons for Gharial population decline and bird deaths in the Yamuna.
Reasons:
- Water pollution from industrial waste and toxic elements in rivers like the Yamuna.
- Loss of river habitat due to sand mining and human encroachment on riverbanks.
- Decline in fish (gharial's food) due to overfishing and water contamination.
- Pesticides and agricultural chemicals reaching water bodies, harming aquatic animals and birds.
Activity: Write a short essay on practices you have observed that conserve the environment.
Sample Points:
- Avoiding use of plastic bags and single-use plastics to keep water bodies clean.
- Planting trees in school/colony to increase green cover.
- Not wasting water; using rainwater harvesting at home.
- Composting kitchen waste instead of burning it to enrich soil.
- Not disturbing birds' nests and protecting stray animals in the locality.
- Celebrating festivals in eco-friendly ways (e.g., avoiding immersion of idols in rivers).
⚡ QUICK REVISION – IMPORTANT FACTS
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| Indian Wildlife Protection Act | 1972 |
| Project Tiger launched | 1973 |
| Tiger count when Project Tiger started | 1,827 |
| First JFM resolution (Odisha) | 1988 |
| Plants first added to protected list | 1991 (6 species) |
| State with largest permanent forest area | Madhya Pradesh (75% of its forest) |
| Community forest area in Alwar, Rajasthan | 1,200 hectares (Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri) |
| Sacred nature-preserving community in Rajasthan | Bishnoi community |
| India + Nepal share of world's tigers | ~Two-thirds (2/3) |
| JFM benefit to community | Non-timber forest produce + share in timber harvested |
🌿 End of Chapter 2 Notes & Worksheet | Contemporary India – II | Class X