Conservation of Plants and Animals

Deforestation and Its Causes

• Variety of Plants and Animals: Essential for human survival.
• Deforestation: Clearing forests for land use.
  • Reasons for Deforestation:
    • Cultivation
    • Building houses and factories
    • Making furniture and using wood as fuel
• Natural Causes of Deforestation:
  • Forest fires
  • Severe droughts

Consequences of Deforestation

• Environmental Impact:
  • Increases temperature and pollution levels.
  • Raises carbon dioxide levels.
  • Lowers ground water levels.
  • Disturbs natural balance.
• Effects on Rainfall and Soil:
  • Decreases rainfall and soil fertility.
  • Increases chances of floods and droughts.
• Global Warming:
  • Less carbon dioxide used by plants.
  • More carbon dioxide leads to global warming.
  • Disturbs water cycle, reducing rainfall and causing droughts.
• Soil Erosion and Desertification:
  • Less vegetation leads to more soil erosion.
  • Fertile land turns into deserts (desertification).
• Water Holding Capacity:
  • Reduced, leading to floods.
  • Changes in soil properties like nutrient content and texture.

Activities

Conservation of Forest and Wildlife

• People Concern: Worried about deforestation effects.
• Visit to Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve:
  • Plants and animals here are similar to the Himalayas and Western Ghats.
  • Biodiversity here is unique and important.
  • Madhavji, a forest employee, guides them.
• Government Efforts:
  • Rules and policies for conservation.
  • Protected areas: wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves.

Types of Protected Areas

• Wildlife Sanctuary: Protects animals and their habitats.
• National Park: Reserved for wildlife to use natural resources freely.
• Biosphere Reserve: Large areas for conservation of wildlife, plants, animals, and tribal life.

Biosphere Reserve

• Definition: Areas for conservation of biodiversity.
• Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve:
  • Contains Satpura National Park and two wildlife sanctuaries: Bori and Pachmarhi.

Flora and Fauna

• Flora: Plants specific to an area.
• Fauna: Animals specific to an area.
• Examples:
  • Flora in Pachmarhi: Sal, teak, mango, jamun, silver ferns, arjun.
  • Fauna in Pachmarhi: Chinkara, blue bull, barking deer, cheetal, leopard, wild dog, wolf.

Endemic Species

• What are Endemic Species?
  • Plants and animals found only in a specific area.
  • Not naturally found anywhere else.
• Examples in Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve:
  • Flora: Sal and wild mango.
  • Fauna:
    • Giant squirrel
    • Bison
    • Flying squirrel
• Why Endemic Species are Important:
  • Unique to their habitat.
  • Destruction of habitat, increasing population, and introduction of new species can endanger them.
• Fun Fact:
  • Species Definition:
    • Group of populations that can interbreed.
    • Members can reproduce fertile offspring only within their own species.

Wildlife Sanctuary

• What is a Wildlife Sanctuary?
  • Protected area where killing or capturing animals is prohibited.
  • Provides protection and suitable living conditions for wild animals.
  • People can do some activities like grazing livestock, collecting medicinal plants, and firewood.
• Challenges:
  • Encroachment and destruction by people living nearby.
• Examples of Protected Animals:
  • Black buck, white-eyed buck, elephant, golden cat, pink-headed duck, gharial, marsh crocodile, python, rhinoceros.
• Zoo Visit Reminder:
  • Zoos also protect animals.

National Park

• What is a National Park?
  • Large areas preserving entire ecosystems, including flora, fauna, landscapes, and historic objects.
  • Over 100 National Parks in India.
  • Example: Satpura National Park, the first Reserve Forest of India, famous for Indian teak.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve:
  • Part of Project Tiger to protect and increase the tiger population.
  • Significant increase in tigers seen here.
• Endangered Animals:
  • Species like lions, elephants, wild buffaloes, and barasingha once found here.
  • Endangered animals are at risk of extinction due to habitat disturbances.
• Protection Rules:
  • Strict rules in National Parks to protect plants and animals.
  • No grazing, poaching, hunting, capturing animals, or collecting firewood and medicinal plants.
• Importance of Small Animals:
  • Small animals like snakes, frogs, lizards, bats, and owls are crucial for the ecosystem.
  • They are often in more danger of extinction.
  • Part of food chains and food webs.
• Ecosystem:
  • Made of plants, animals, microorganisms, and non-living components like climate, soil, and rivers.
• Rock Shelters in Satpura National Park:
  • Evidence of prehistoric human life.
  • Rock paintings show animals, men fighting, hunting, dancing, and playing musical instruments.
  • 55 rock shelters identified in Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve.
  • Many tribals still live in the area.

Red Data Book

• What is the Red Data Book?
  • A record of all endangered animals and plants.
  • Maintained internationally.
  • India has its own Red Data Book for its plants and animals.

Migration

• What is Migration?
  • Birds flying to different parts of the world at specific times.
  • Reason: Climatic changes and need to lay eggs.
  • Example: Birds near the Tawa Reservoir.

Recycling of Paper

• Why Recycle Paper?
  • Making paper uses 17 full-grown trees per tonne.
  • Recycling paper saves trees, energy, and water.
  • Each student saving one sheet of paper daily helps a lot.

Reforestation

• What is Reforestation?
  • Planting new trees to replace cut ones.
  • Should plant the same species found in that forest.
  • Can happen naturally if the area is left undisturbed.
  • Importance:
    • Helps preserve our green wealth for future generations.
    • India has the Forest (Conservation) Act to protect forests.
• Takeaway:
  • Plant more trees to combat deforestation.
  • Respect and conserve forests.

Chapter Summary:

• Wildlife sanctuary, national park, and biosphere reserve are areas for conservation and preservation of forests and wild animals.
• Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms in a specific area.
• Plants and animals of a particular area are known as the flora and fauna of that area.
• Endemic species are found only in a particular area.
• Endangered species are those which are facing the danger of extinction.
• Red Data Book contains a record of endangered species.
• Migration is the movement of a species from its own habitat to another for a specific purpose like breeding, for a particular time period every year.
• We should save, reuse, and recycle paper to save trees, energy, and water.
• Reforestation is the restocking of destroyed forests by planting new trees.

KEYWORDS

1. BIODIVERSITY
2. BIOSPHERE RESERVE
3. DEFORESTATION
4. DESERTIFICATION
5. ECOSYSTEM
6. ENDANGERED SPECIES
7. ENDEMIC SPECIES
8. EXTINCT
9. FAUNA
10. FLORA
11. MIGRATORY BIRDS
12. NATIONAL PARK
13. RED DATA BOOK
14. REFORESTATION
15. SANCTUARY