Class 9 : Social Science (In English) – Lesson 15. Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
EXPLANATION & SUMMARY
Elephants in Munnar forests ,Kerala
🌟 Detailed Explanation (~900 words)
🌍 1. Introduction: Natural Vegetation in India
🌱 Natural vegetation → plant cover that grows naturally without human help.
🐾 Wildlife → animals living freely in their habitats.
🌍 India is mega-diverse: from evergreen forests to deserts, due to varied climate, soils, relief.
🌦️ 2. Factors Affecting Natural Vegetation
🌡️ Relief → mountains = forests; plains = crops; deserts = sparse shrubs.
🌧️ Climate → rainfall & temperature control vegetation type.
🏞️ Soil → alluvial = fertile crops; laterite = tropical forests.
👥 Human impact → deforestation, farming, urbanisation → shrinking forests.
🌳 3. Major Vegetation Types of India
🌴 (i) Tropical Evergreen Forests
🌧️ Location: Western Ghats, Andaman–Nicobar, NE states.
🌡️ Conditions: High temp, heavy rain (>200 cm).
🌲 Characteristics: Dense, multi-layered, evergreen.
🌿 Trees: Rosewood, Ebony, Mahogany.
🐾 Wildlife: Elephants, Monkeys, Lemurs, Malabar civet.
🌲 (ii) Tropical Deciduous Forests
🍂 Most widespread in India.
🌧️ Rainfall: 100–200 cm. Shed leaves in dry season.
🟢 Moist deciduous → NE states, Chhattisgarh, Odisha.
🟡 Dry deciduous → MP, UP, Rajasthan, Bihar.
🌿 Trees: Teak, Sal, Neem, Shisham.
🐾 Wildlife: Tigers, Lions, Wolves, Pythons.
🌵 (iii) Tropical Thorn Forests
🌵 Location: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Deccan plateau.
🌡️ Climate: <70 cm rainfall, hot/dry.
🌿 Plants: Acacia, Cactus, Palms, Ber.
🐾 Wildlife: Rats, Rabbits, Foxes, Camels.
🌲 (iv) Montane Forests
🏔️ Found in Himalayas.
🌡️ Temperature decreases with altitude.
🌿 Up to 1500 m → Tropical, Sub-tropical.
🌿 1500–3000 m → Coniferous (Pine, Deodar, Fir).
🌿 >3600 m → Alpine vegetation (mosses, lichens).
🐾 Wildlife: Snow leopard, Yak, Tibetan fox.
🏞️ (v) Mangrove Forests (Tidal)
🌊 Found in coastal deltas → Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna.
🌿 Salt-tolerant trees with aerial roots.
Famous tree: Sundari → name Sundarbans.
🐾 Wildlife: Royal Bengal Tiger, Crocodile, Turtles, Birds.
🐅 4. Wildlife in India
India has rich fauna → elephants, tigers, lions, leopards, deer, rhinos, crocodiles, gharials.
Birds: Peacocks, Hornbills, Parakeets, Cranes.
Insects: Butterflies, Honeybees, Lac insects.
Fish varieties in rivers, lakes, seas.
⚔️ 5. Deforestation & Threats
🌳 Clearing for farming, mining, urbanisation.
🌡️ Overgrazing, shifting cultivation.
⚠️ Hunting and poaching.
🌍 Climate change → forest degradation.
🛡️ 6. Conservation Efforts
🏞️ 104 National Parks, 566 Wildlife Sanctuaries.
🌱 Biosphere reserves (Nilgiri, Nanda Devi, Sundarbans).
🦁 Project Tiger (1973) & Project Elephant (1992).
📜 Laws: Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
🌍 Afforestation, Social forestry, Chipko Movement.
🌱 7. Importance of Forests & Wildlife
🌿 Maintain ecological balance, check soil erosion.
💨 Provide oxygen, absorb CO₂.
🌧️ Influence rainfall & climate.
🐾 Support biodiversity.
🏭 Provide timber, medicine, raw materials.
🎭 Cultural significance in rituals, traditions.
🌐 8. Way Forward
🌱 Promote sustainable forestry.
🌳 Afforestation & reforestation.
👥 Community participation in conservation.
📡 Use of GIS/remote sensing to monitor forests.
🌍 Balance development with ecological protection.
📝 Summary (~200 words)
India’s natural vegetation is highly diverse due to its varied climate, relief, and soil. The five major types are: tropical evergreen, tropical deciduous, thorn, montane, and mangrove forests. Evergreen forests grow in wet regions like the Western Ghats; deciduous forests, the most widespread, occur in central and northern India; thorn forests in dry regions like Rajasthan; montane forests in the Himalayas; and mangroves in coastal deltas.
India’s wildlife is equally rich: elephants, tigers, lions, rhinos, crocodiles, birds like peacocks and hornbills, and countless insects and fish. Forests and wildlife provide ecological balance, biodiversity, and resources.
However, deforestation, urbanisation, poaching, and climate change threaten them. Conservation efforts include national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, and projects like Project Tiger and Project Elephant. The future lies in sustainable forestry, afforestation, and community participation.
⚡ Quick Recap (~100 words)
🌴 Evergreen forests → dense, rainy areas.
🌲 Deciduous forests → widespread, teak & sal.
🌵 Thorn forests → arid, cactus & acacia.
🏔️ Montane forests → Himalayan belts.
🌊 Mangroves → deltas, Sundarbans.
🐅 Wildlife → tigers, lions, elephants, rhinos, birds.
⚠️ Threats → deforestation, hunting, climate change.
🛡️ Conservation → national parks, biosphere reserves, Project Tiger.
➡️ Forests & wildlife = essential for ecology, climate, and livelihoods.
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QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK
🔵 Question 1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) To which one of the following types of vegetation does rubber belong to?
(A) Tundra
(B) Tidal
(C) Himalayan
(D) Tropical Evergreen
🟢 Answer: (D) Tropical Evergreen
(ii) Cinchona trees are found in the areas of rainfall more than:
(A) 100 cm
(B) 50 cm
(C) 70 cm
(D) less than 50 cm
🟢 Answer: (A) 100 cm
(iii) In which of the following states is the Simlipal bio-reserve located?
(A) Punjab
(B) Delhi
(C) Odisha
(D) West Bengal
🟢 Answer: (C) Odisha
(iv) Which one of the following bio-reserves of India is not included in the world network of bio-reserves?
(A) Manas
(B) Nilgiri
(C) Gulf of Mannar
(D) Panna
🟢 Answer: (D) Panna
🔵 Question 2. Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) What is a bio-reserve? Give two examples.
🟢 Answer:
🏞️ A bio-reserve is a protected area to conserve biodiversity and culture.
🌳 Provides long-term conservation of plants and animals.
📍 Examples: Nilgiri, Nanda Devi, Sundarbans.
(ii) Name two animals having habitat in tropical and montane type of vegetation.
🟢 Answer:
🌴 Tropical forests → 🐘 Elephant, 🐒 Monkey.
🏔️ Montane forests → 🐆 Snow leopard, 🐂 Yak.
🔵 Question 3. Distinguish between:
(i) Flora and Fauna
🟢 Answer:
🌱 Flora → natural plant life of a region.
🐾 Fauna → natural animal life of a region.
(ii) Tropical Evergreen and Deciduous Forests
🟢 Answer:
🌴 Evergreen: Dense, no shedding, >200 cm rainfall, rosewood & mahogany.
🌲 Deciduous: Shed leaves in dry season, 100–200 cm rainfall, teak & sal.
🔵 Question 4. Name different types of vegetation found in India and describe the vegetation of high altitudes.
🟢 Answer:
🌳 Types: Tropical evergreen, tropical deciduous, thorn, montane, mangroves.
🏔️ High altitudes (Montane):
Up to 1500 m → Tropical/subtropical trees.
1500–3000 m → Coniferous (pine, deodar, fir).
Above 3600 m → Alpine vegetation (mosses, lichens).
🔵 Question 5. Quite a few species of plants and animals are endangered in India. Why?
🟢 Answer:
🌳 Deforestation & habitat loss.
⚠️ Hunting, poaching, overexploitation.
🏭 Industrialisation & urbanisation.
🌡️ Pollution & climate change.
🔵 Question 6. Why has India a rich heritage of flora and fauna?
🟢 Answer:
🌍 Diverse relief → Himalayas, plains, deserts, coasts.
🌡️ Varied climate → tropical to alpine.
🌱 Wide soil types → alluvial, laterite, black, desert.
🐾 Long history of coexistence with culture & traditions.
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OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMS
🌟 SECTION A — Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)
🔵 Q1. To which type of vegetation does rubber belong?
(A) Tundra
(B) Tidal
(C) Himalayan
(D) Tropical Evergreen
🟢 Answer: (D) Tropical Evergreen
🔵 Q2. Cinchona trees are found in areas of rainfall more than:
(A) 100 cm
(B) 50 cm
(C) 70 cm
(D) Less than 50 cm
🟢 Answer: (A) 100 cm
🔵 Q3. In which state is the Simlipal bio-reserve located?
(A) Punjab
(B) Delhi
(C) Odisha
(D) West Bengal
🟢 Answer: (C) Odisha
🔵 Q4. Which bio-reserve of India is not included in the world network of biosphere reserves?
(A) Manas
(B) Nilgiri
(C) Gulf of Mannar
(D) Panna
🟢 Answer: (D) Panna
🔵 Q5. Which type of vegetation grows in regions of less than 70 cm rainfall?
(A) Thorn forests
(B) Evergreen forests
(C) Deciduous forests
(D) Montane forests
🟢 Answer: (A) Thorn forests
🔵 Q6. The Sundarbans are famous for which tree species?
(A) Rosewood
(B) Sundari
(C) Teak
(D) Sal
🟢 Answer: (B) Sundari
🔵 Q7. Which one is the most widespread forest type in India?
(A) Tropical Evergreen
(B) Tropical Thorn
(C) Tropical Deciduous
(D) Montane
🟢 Answer: (C) Tropical Deciduous
🔵 Q8. Which of the following is a salt-tolerant tree?
(A) Acacia
(B) Sundari
(C) Deodar
(D) Sal
🟢 Answer: (B) Sundari
🔵 Q9. Which forest is also called Monsoon forest?
(A) Tropical Evergreen
(B) Tropical Deciduous
(C) Tropical Thorn
(D) Mangrove
🟢 Answer: (B) Tropical Deciduous
🔵 Q10. In which state is the Gir National Park located?
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Gujarat
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Maharashtra
🟢 Answer: (B) Gujarat
🔵 Q11. Which is India’s national aquatic animal?
(A) Crocodile
(B) Gharial
(C) River Dolphin
(D) Hilsa Fish
🟢 Answer: (C) River Dolphin
🔵 Q12. Which bird is the national bird of India?
(A) Hornbill
(B) Peacock
(C) Parrot
(D) Sparrow
🟢 Answer: (B) Peacock
🔵 Q13. Which animal is found in montane forests?
(A) Camel
(B) Yak
(C) Elephant
(D) Lion
🟢 Answer: (B) Yak
🔵 Q14. Which forest type is commercially most exploited for timber?
(A) Evergreen
(B) Deciduous
(C) Montane
(D) Mangrove
🟢 Answer: (B) Deciduous
🔵 Q15. The Great Indian Desert mainly has which type of vegetation?
(A) Tropical Deciduous
(B) Tropical Thorn
(C) Montane
(D) Mangrove
🟢 Answer: (B) Tropical Thorn
🔵 Q16. Which project was started in 1973 to protect tigers?
(A) Project Elephant
(B) Project Lion
(C) Project Tiger
(D) Wildlife Act
🟢 Answer: (C) Project Tiger
🔵 Q17. Which biosphere reserve is in Tamil Nadu?
(A) Nanda Devi
(B) Nilgiri
(C) Manas
(D) Nokrek
🟢 Answer: (B) Nilgiri
🔵 Q18. Which animal is endemic to Gir Forest?
(A) Asiatic Lion
(B) Bengal Tiger
(C) Snow Leopard
(D) Wild Ass
🟢 Answer: (A) Asiatic Lion
🔵 Q19. Which of the following is NOT a use of forests?
(A) Oxygen supply
(B) Soil erosion control
(C) Tourism
(D) Desert formation
🟢 Answer: (D) Desert formation
🌟 SECTION B — Very Short Answer (2 marks each)
🔵 Q20. What is a bio-reserve? Give two examples.
🟢 Answer:
🏞️ Protected area conserving plants, animals & culture.
📍 Examples: Nilgiri, Nanda Devi.
🔵 Q21. Name two animals found in tropical and montane forests.
🟢 Answer:
🌴 Tropical → Elephant, Monkey.
🏔️ Montane → Yak, Snow Leopard.
🔵 Q22. Distinguish between flora and fauna.
🟢 Answer:
🌱 Flora → Plant life of a region.
🐾 Fauna → Animal life of a region.
🔵 Q23. Which is the most widespread forest type in India? State two features.
🟢 Answer:
🌲 Tropical Deciduous forests.
🍂 Shed leaves in dry season.
🌧️ Found in 100–200 cm rainfall areas.
🌟 SECTION C — Short Answer (3 marks each)
🔵 Q24. Distinguish between Tropical Evergreen and Deciduous forests.
🟢 Answer:
🌴 Evergreen: Dense, >200 cm rainfall, always green.
🌲 Deciduous: Widespread, 100–200 cm rainfall, shed leaves.
🔵 Q25. Distinguish between Thorn and Mangrove forests.
🟢 Answer:
🌵 Thorn: Arid areas, cactus & acacia, <70 cm rainfall.
🌊 Mangrove: Coastal deltas, Sundari tree, salt tolerant.
🔵 Q26. Name five types of natural vegetation in India.
🟢 Answer:
🌴 Tropical Evergreen
🌲 Tropical Deciduous
🌵 Tropical Thorn
🏔️ Montane
🌊 Mangroves
🔵 Q27. Describe vegetation of high altitudes.
🟢 Answer:
🏔️ Up to 1500 m → Tropical/Subtropical.
🌲 1500–3000 m → Coniferous (pine, deodar).
❄️ Above 3600 m → Alpine (mosses, lichens).
🔵 Q28. Why are some species of plants & animals endangered in India?
🟢 Answer:
🌳 Deforestation & habitat loss.
⚠️ Poaching & hunting.
🏭 Industrialisation, pollution.
🌡️ Climate change.
🌟 SECTION D — Long Answer (5 marks each)
🔵 Q29. Explain India’s rich heritage of flora and fauna.
🟢 Answer:
🌍 Varied relief: mountains, plains, deserts, coasts.
🌡️ Diverse climate: tropical → alpine.
🌱 Multiple soils: alluvial, laterite, desert.
🐾 Supports elephants, tigers, rhinos, lions, unique birds.
👥 Cultural respect & traditional conservation.
🔵 Q30. What are the major threats to natural vegetation and wildlife?
🟢 Answer:
🌳 Deforestation & overgrazing.
🏗️ Urbanisation, mining, farming.
⚠️ Poaching & illegal trade.
🌡️ Climate change, pollution.
🐅 Endangerment of species (tiger, lion, rhino).
🔵 Q31. What steps has India taken to conserve forests & wildlife?
🟢 Answer:
📜 Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
🏞️ 100+ National Parks, 500+ Sanctuaries.
🌱 Biosphere reserves (Nilgiri, Sundarbans).
🐅 Project Tiger (1973), 🐘 Project Elephant (1992).
👥 Social forestry, afforestation, Chipko Movement.
🔵 Q32. Why are forests important for human beings?
🟢 Answer:
🌱 Oxygen supply, CO₂ absorption.
🌍 Balance climate & rainfall.
💧 Prevent soil erosion, recharge groundwater.
🏭 Provide timber, fuel, medicines.
🐾 Support biodiversity.
🌟 SECTION E — Case/Source-Based (4 marks each)
🔵 Q33. Case: A farmer in Sundarbans reports salt-tolerant trees and tigers.
(i) Which forest type is this? (1)
(ii) Name the main tree. (1)
(iii) Mention two animals found here. (2)
🟢 Answer:
(i) 🌊 Mangrove forests.
(ii) 🌴 Sundari tree.
(iii) 🐅 Royal Bengal Tiger, 🐊 Crocodile.
🔵 Q34. Case: A tourist in Gir observes lions in dry deciduous forest.
(i) Which animal is this region famous for? (1)
(ii) In which state is Gir located? (1)
(iii) Give two features of this forest. (2)
🟢 Answer:
(i) 🦁 Asiatic Lion.
(ii) 📍 Gujarat.
(iii) 🍂 Shed leaves in dry season, Teak & Sal common.
🔵 Q35. Source: Nilgiri biosphere reserve protects elephants & rich biodiversity.
(i) What is a biosphere reserve? (1)
(ii) Which states share Nilgiri? (1)
(iii) Name two animals conserved here. (2)
🟢 Answer:
(i) 🏞️ Protected biodiversity zone.
(ii) 📍 Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala.
(iii) 🐘 Elephant, 🐅 Tiger.
🌟 SECTION F — Map/Skill (5 marks)
🔵 Q36. On an outline map of India, locate and label:
🟢 Answer:
📍 Gir National Park
📍 Sundarbans
📍 Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
📍 Simlipal Biosphere Reserve
🔵 Q37. For visually impaired candidates: Write names of any four wildlife sanctuaries of India.
🟢 Answer:
🏞️ Kaziranga (Assam)
🏞️ Gir (Gujarat)
🏞️ Periyar (Kerala)
🏞️ Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh)
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