NCERT Book Class 9 Social Science (Geography) Chapter 5 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE
5
H
ave you observed the type of trees, TYPES OF V EGETATION
bushes, grasses and birds in the fields
and parks in and around your school? The following major types of vegetation may
Are they similar or there are variations? India be identified in our country (Figure 5.4).
being a vast country you can imagine the (i) Tropical Evergreen Forests
types of bio-forms available throughout the (ii) Tropical Deciduous Forests
country. (iii) Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs
Our country India is one of the 12 mega (iv) Montane Forests
bio-diversity countries of the world. With (v) Mangrove Forests
about 47,000 plant species India occupies
tenth place in the world and fourth in Asia in
plant diversity. There are about 15,000
flowering plants in India, which account for
6 per cent in the world’s total number of
flowering plants. The country has many non-
flowering plants, such as ferns, algae and
fungi. India also has approximately 90,000
species of animals, as well as, a rich variety of
fish in its fresh and marine waters.
Natural vegetation refers to a plant
community, which has grown naturally
without human aid and has been left
undisturbed by humans for a long time. This
is termed as a virgin vegetation. Thus,
cultivated crops and fruits, orchards form part
of vegetation but not natural vegetation.

The virgin vegetation, which
are purely Indian are known as endemic or
indigenous species but those which have come
from outside India are termed as exotic plants.

The term flora is used to denote plants of
a particular region or period. Similarly, the
species of animals are referred to as fauna. Figure 5.1 : Tropical Evergreen Forest

NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE 39