CBSE-IX-Social-Science
05: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
- Qstn #4Name different types of vegetation found in India and describe the vegetation of high altitudes.
Ans : The different types of vegetation found in India are:
(i) Tropical Evergreen Forests
(ii) Tropical Deciduous Forests
(iii) Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
(iv) Montane Forests
(v) Mangrove Forests
A description of the vegetation of high altitudes:
In mountainous regions, there is a succession of natural vegetation belts in the same order as we see from the tropical to the tundra regions.
(a) The wet temperate types of forests are found between a height of 1,000 and 2,000 metres. Evergreen broad-leaf trees such as oaks and chestnuts are predominant in this area.
(b) Between 1,500 and 3,000 metres, temperate forests containing coniferous trees like pine, deodar and spruce are found. These forests cover mostly the southern slopes of the Himalayas and places having high altitude in southern and north-east India.
(c) At higher elevations, temperate grasslands are common.
(d) At altitudes higher than 3,600 metres, temperate forests and grasslands give way to the alpine vegetation. Silver fir, pines and birches are the common trees of these forests. They get progressively stunted as they approach the snow-line.
(e) Ultimately through shrubs and scrubs, they merge into the alpine grasslands.
(f) At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra vegetation.
- Qstn #5Quite a few species of plants and animals are endangered in India. Why?
Ans : Due to the excessive exploitation of the plant and animal resources by human beings, the ecosystem has been disturbed. In consequence, about 1,300 plant species are endangered and 20 species are extinct. Quite a few animal species are also endangered and some have become extinct.
Apart from hunting, other factors that have caused endangerment of plant and animal species are: pollution due to chemical and industrial waste, and acid deposits; introduction of alien species; reckless cutting of forests to bring land under cultivation and inhabitation.
- Qstn #6Why has India a rich heritage of flora and fauna?
Ans : India has all the major physical features of the Earth, i.e., mountains, plains, deserts, plateaus and islands. The different regions of the country have different soil types. Though India has an essentially monsoon-type of climate, there exists great variations in humidity and temperature across the country. Even the rains brought by the monsoon winds are unevenly distributed. Hence, each factor responsible for the type of flora and fauna in an area, namely land, soil, temperature, humidity and precipitation, are variable across the length and breadth of the country. As a result, the flora and fauna found in India is diverse and rich.