NCERT Book Class 10 Social Science (Geography) Chapter 2 Forest and Wildlife Resources

Flora and Fauna in India
Narak! My Lord, you are the creator of music
If you look around, you will be able to find
in the world of Lepchas
that there are some animals and plants which
Oh Narak! My Lord, let me dedicate are unique in your area. In fact, India is
myself to you one of the world’s richest countries in terms
Let me gather your music from the of its vast array of biological diversity. This
springs, the rivers, the mountains, the forests, is possibly twice or thrice the number yet
the insects and the animals to be discovered. You have already studied
Let me gather your music from the sweet in detail about the extent and variety of
breeze and offer it to you forest and wildlife resources in India. You
Lepcha folk song may have realised the importance of
these resources in our daily life. These
div erse flora and fauna are so well
integrated in our daily life that we take
We share this planet with millions of other these for granted. But, lately, they are
living beings, starting from micro-organisms under great stress mainly due to insensitivity
and bacteria, lichens to banyan trees, to our environment.
elephants and blue whales. This entire
habitat that we live in has immense
biodiversity. We humans along with all Find out stories prevalent in your region
living organisms form a complex web of which are about the harmonious relationship
ecological system in which we are only a between human beings and nature.
part and very much dependent on this
system for our own existence. For example,
Conservation of Forest and Wildlife in India
the plants, animals and micro-organisms
re-create the quality of the air we breathe, Conservation in the background of rapid
the water we drink and the soil that decline in wildlife population and forestry has
produces our food without which we become essential. But why do we need to
cannot survive. Forests play a key role in conserve our forests and wildlife?
the ecological system as these are also the Conservation preserves the ecological diversity
primary producers on which all other living and our life support systems – water, air and
beings depend. soil. It also preserves the genetic diversity of
plants and animals for better growth of species
and breeding. For example, in agriculture,
we are still dependent on traditional crop
Biodiversity or Biological Diversity is varieties. Fisheries too are heavily dependent
immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated on the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity.
species, diverse in form and function but In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists
closely integrated in a system through demanded a national wildlife protection
multiple network of interdependencies. programme. The Indian Wildlife (Protection)