Chapter – 2

Forest and Wildlife Resources

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 10 Social Science (Geography) Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 10 board exams.

Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources

Flora and Fauna in India

India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of biological diversity and is recognised as one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries of the world. Of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, 4 are present in India — the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region (North-East India) and Sundaland (the Nicobar Islands).

Biodiversity: The variety and variability of plants (flora), animals (fauna), and micro-organisms found in a given area is called biodiversity.

India accounts for about 8 percent of the total number of species recorded in the world, with an estimated 47,000 plant species. India shares 6 percent of the world’s total flowering plant species, with about 15,000 species of flowering plants found here. As for the faunal species, the number stands at approximately 89,000, and India is home to about 68,389 species of insects. The share of amphibians, reptiles and mammals is 5.4, 5.1 and 8.6 percent respectively of the world’s total known species.

However, there are still many species that are yet to be discovered and classified. Scientists estimate that at least 20,000 more plant species and a large number of animal species remain to be identified and described.

India’s Rich Biodiversity

India has diverse ecosystems ranging from tropical rainforests to alpine vegetation, from coastal wetlands to arid deserts, which support an extraordinarily rich variety of flora and fauna. This diversity is due to India’s varied physiography, climate and history of geological formation, making it one of the world’s biologically richest nations.

Vanishing Flora and Fauna

Due to habitat destruction, hunting, poaching and over-exploitation of resources, a large number of India’s flora and fauna are endangered and some have even become extinct in the recent past. Scientists estimate that in the last 200 years, the world has lost about 1 percent of its evergreen forest area. According to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), about 10 percent of India’s recorded wild flora, and a similar or greater share of its wild fauna, are on the threatened list, with many on the verge of extinction. Excessive exploitation for economic gain has resulted in serious depletion of a large number of plant and animal species, including the Asiatic elephant, the great one-horned rhinoceros and the Indian tiger, whose numbers have been dwindling.

Categorising Species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified species into different categories on the basis of their population size, distribution trends and threats.

1. Normal Species

Species whose population levels are considered normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine and rodents.

2. Endangered Species

Species that are in danger of extinction. The survival of such species is difficult if the negative factors that have led to a decline in their population continue to operate. Examples: black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion-tailed macaque, sangai (Manipur brow-antlered deer).

3. Vulnerable Species

Species whose population has declined to levels from where it is likely to move into the endangered category in the near future if the negative factors continue to operate. Examples: blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin.

4. Rare Species

Species with small populations, which may move into the endangered or vulnerable category if the negative factors affecting them continue to operate. Examples: Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox, hornbill.

5. Endemic Species

Species which are exclusively found in a particular area, usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers such as mountains, islands, rivers, etc. Examples: Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pigeon, mithun (Arunachal Pradesh).

6. Extinct Species

Species that are not found (have not been seen in the wild for the past 50 years) after searches of known and expected habitats. Examples: Asiatic cheetah, pink head duck.

Note: An extinct species can be one that is no longer found at the local level (Local), region (Regional), country (National), continent (Continental) or the entire earth (Global).

Causes of Biodiversity Loss

1. Habitat Destruction

Expansion of agriculture, large-scale development projects, mining, big dams and quarrying have destroyed the natural habitats of a large number of species, forcing them out of the forests.

2. Hunting

Unregulated hunting and poaching for skins, bones, meat and other body parts have led to a sharp decline in populations of several wild species.

3. Over-exploitation

Excessive and unsustainable use of forest and wildlife resources for commercial gain — such as overfishing and excessive logging — has caused a severe depletion of many species.

4. Environmental Pollution

Air, water and soil pollution adversely affect the natural life cycles of plants and animals, pushing many species towards the threatened category.

5. Poisoning

Chemical pesticides and fertilisers used in agriculture contaminate the land and water bodies, poisoning the wildlife that depends on these resources.

6. Forest Fires

Natural and man-made forest fires destroy vast tracts of forest cover along with the flora and fauna living within them, every year.

Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India

Conservation preserves the ecological diversity of our life support systems — water, air and soil — and also preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth of species and breeding. Conservation of forest and wildlife is important for the following reasons:

1. Genetic Reasons

The diversity found among plants and animals has significant genetic value, which is crucial for the development of new and better varieties, and for medical and agricultural research in the future.

2. Ecological Reasons

All organisms are interdependent and form a complex food web that maintains ecological balance. The loss of even one species can disturb the entire food chain and destabilise an ecosystem.

3. Economic Reasons

Forest and wildlife resources have great economic value — providing timber, fuelwood, fodder, medicinal plants, rubber and gum — and support the livelihoods of millions of people directly and indirectly.

Forest Types and Management

India’s forests, as recorded by the government, are classified into the following categories based on ownership and management:

1. Reserved Forests

More than half of the total forest land has been declared reserved forests. These are considered the most valuable forests as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources is concerned. Madhya Pradesh (including present-day Chhattisgarh) has the largest area under reserved forests among Indian states.

2. Protected Forests

About one-third of the total forest area is protected forest, as declared by the Forest Department. This forest land is protected from any further depletion. Jammu and Kashmir has the largest area under protected forests.

3. Unclassed Forests

Other forests and wastelands, belonging to both government and private individuals or communities, are called unclassed forests. North-Eastern states and parts of Gujarat have a very high percentage of forest area classed as unclassed forests, managed by local communities.

Reserved and protected forests together are also referred to as permanent forest estates, maintained for the purpose of producing timber and other forest produce, and for protective reasons. Madhya Pradesh has the largest permanent forest estates among all the states of India, constituting about 75 percent of its total forest area.

Community and Conservation

India has a long tradition of community participation in the conservation of forest and wildlife.

Sariska Tiger Reserve and the Gujjar Community

In many regions, local communities are fighting to conserve habitats and wildlife. In the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, villagers, including the Gujjar community, fought against mining activities and forced the Supreme Court of India to stop mining within the reserve. This example shows how local communities can play an active role in conservation.

Chipko Movement

The Chipko Movement in the Himalayas is a successful example of community participation in conservation. Villagers, particularly women, physically hugged trees to prevent them from being felled by the forest contractors. The movement forced the government to rethink policies on commercial logging and encouraged a wider adoption of community forestry across several regions.

Bishnoi Community of Rajasthan and Amrita Devi’s Sacrifice

The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan has long revered wildlife and trees, and has protected them for generations. In 1731, Amrita Devi Bishnoi sacrificed her life, along with 363 others, while protecting trees from being cut down near her village. In recognition of this, the Government of India has instituted the “Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award,” which is given annually to individuals or communities who display exceptional courage and dedication in protecting wildlife.

Beej Bachao Andolan

Farmers in Tehri (Uttarakhand) have successfully undertaken the Beej Bachao Andolan (Save the Seeds Movement), through which many local varieties of indigenous crops have been conserved without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers.

Joint Forest Management (JFM)

The Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme emerged following the National Forest Policy of 1988, providing a good example of involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests. The programme first began in Arabari in the Midnapore district of West Bengal in 1972, where the Forest Department worked with local communities to successfully regenerate a severely degraded sal forest. In return, communities involved in the JFM programme are given access to forest produce and a share of 25 percent of the revenue from the sale of mature timber.

Project Tiger

At the turn of the 20th century, India was estimated to have about 55,000 tigers. However, by the time the first tiger census was conducted in 1972, only 1,827 tigers were found to be surviving. The main reasons behind this alarming decline in the tiger population were:

• Poaching for skins and trade of tiger body parts
• Illegal trade of tiger body parts, especially to China and other countries, for use in traditional medicine
• Shrinking and loss of natural habitat
• Depletion of the prey base on which tigers depend

Given the alarming rate of decline, India launched the ambitious Project Tiger in 1973, one of the country’s most well-known wildlife conservation programmes, to protect the tiger and its habitat. Under this project, special tiger reserves were established across the country, including Corbett (Uttarakhand), Sundarban (West Bengal), Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh), Sariska (Rajasthan), Manas (Assam) and Periyar (Kerala). Each tiger reserve has a core area, which is kept free of human disturbance, and a buffer area, where limited human activity is permitted. As a result of Project Tiger, the population of tigers in these reserves has shown a positive trend, although poaching and habitat loss remain significant challenges even today.

Key Points to Remember

• India is one of the world’s 12 mega biodiversity countries, and 4 of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots are located in India.
• India has an estimated 47,000 plant species and about 89,000 species of animals.
• IUCN classifies species into six categories — normal, endangered, vulnerable, rare, endemic and extinct.
• The main causes of biodiversity loss are habitat destruction, hunting, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires.
• Forest and wildlife conservation is important for genetic, ecological and economic reasons.
• Forests are classified into reserved forests, protected forests and unclassed forests based on ownership.
• The Chipko Movement, the Bishnoi community, the Beej Bachao Andolan and Joint Forest Management (e.g. Arabari, West Bengal) are key examples of community-based conservation.
• Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to protect India’s declining tiger population.

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