Natural Vegetation And Wildlife

The Himalayan Forests are found in the Himalayan mountain ranges found in India. They can further be subdivided into three types of forests depending on their altitude.

Mediterranean forests are found in places with the Mediterranean climate. India does not have Mediterranean climate and therefore, does not have Mediterranean forests.

Red Panda is native to the Himalayan region in India and China. It is not found in Brazil. Lions are also not found in Brazil. They are found majorly in Africa and Asian regions like India.

B

Deodar, Orchid and Banyan are all trees and plants that form the flora of India.

a) Evergreen Forests – iii) Pau Brasil, vi) Orchid

b) Deciduous Forests – v) Teak

c) Coastal Forests – i) Sundar trees

d) Himalayan Forests – ii) Pine, vii) Sal

e) Thorny and bush type vegetation – iv) Khejadi

Note:

Evergreen forests: usually occur in areas receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall and having a temperature of 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.

Deciduous forests: They are a variety of temperate forest dominated by trees that lose their leaves each year.

Coastal forests: They are terrestrial habitats which consists of different forms of plants that grow near shores, ranging from creepers to tall trees.

Himalayan forests: They are a large subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion covering portions of Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Thorny and bush type vegetation: They are found in regions where the rainfall is less than 70cm.

Relation between the wildlife and natural vegetation in India and Brazil:

1. Vegetation: Both are highly diverse in terms of flora with common species like mahogany, orchids, thorny shrubs etc. depending on the type of forests.

2. Wildlife: Both are Mega-diverse countries with common animals like monkeys, crocodiles, birds like parrots, insects, fishes etc.

Environmental issues:

1. Commercial activities like poaching and habitat destruction has led to the extinction of many species.

2. Deforestation is the leading cause for the destruction of forests which in turn effects the environment badly.

3. Other issues include deforestation in the Amazon basin, illegal wildlife trade, air and water pollution, land degradation caused by mining activities, wetland degradation and severe oil spills, among others.

Causes of degradation of forests:

1. Deforestation is the major cause for degradation of forests. It is done for mining, building dams, expanding agriculture etc.

2. Industrial development has caused degradation of forests through pollution, over-exploitation, encroachments etc.

Rainforests have decreased in size primarily due to deforestation. Despite reductions in the deforestation rate over the last ten years, the Amazon rainforest will be reduced by 40% by 2030 at the current rate.

Deciduous forests require foll. conditions ot grow which are found in most parts of India:

1. Rainfall between 70-200 cm.

2. hot and humid climate.

Common trees are teak, mulberry, bamboo, sandal wood, etc. It is found majorly in Northern, Central and Southern India.

The northern part of Brazil is closest to the equator and therefore receives maximum rainfall. Evergreen forests are found in this region around the Amazon basin as it rains throughout the year. These are highly dense in terms of both vegetation and wildlife. Because of the deposition of sediments brought up by the river amazon and as the amazon canal is 150km in width, it forms ideal conditions in terms of soil and water for the growth of dense forests. Also, there is plenty of sunlight in Brazil as the Tropic of Capricorn passes through it.

Vegetation is scarce in the high altitudes of Himalayas because of two reasons:

1. extremely cold weather.

2. top is covered with snow.

Only seasonally flowering trees are found in the high altitudes.

A wide variety of insects is found in Brazil because it has a high diversity and density of wildlife in the Amazon rainforests. Evergreen forests are found in this region around the Amazon basin as it rains throughout the year. Because of the deposition of sediments brought up by the river amazon and as the amazon canal is 150km in width, it forms ideal conditions in terms of soil and water for the growth of dense forests. Apart from the numerous species found in the tropical rainforests of north, they are also found in the swamps, grasslands, deciduous forests etc.

Wildlife in India is decreasing day by day due to many reasons which are as below:

1. habitat destruction through deforestation and pollution.

2. Illegal activities like poaching.

3. Human animal conflict

Government is taking various initiatives to protect the wildlife of India by bringing in laws against poaching and creating awareness on animal protection like the ‘Project Tiger’, etc.

A wide variety of wildlife is found in Brazil because it has a high diversity especially in the Amazon rainforests. Evergreen forests are found in this region around the Amazon basin as it rains throughout the year. Because of the deposition of sediments brought up by the river amazon and as the amazon canal is 150km in width, it forms ideal conditions in terms of soil and water for the growth of dense forests. Apart from the numerous species found in the tropical rainforests of north, they are also found in the swamps, grasslands, deciduous forests etc.

Forests in Brazil also need conservation like India because they are under the threat of commercial activities like deforestation and pollution. Traditional agricultural practice like slash and burn is also a cause of destruction. In India, government is taking various initiatives to protect the wildlife of India by bringing in laws against poaching and creating awareness on animal protection like the ‘Project Tiger’, etc.

The animals and plants which are on the verge of extinction are called Endangered species.

Endangered animals:

Endangered Plants:

Causes for the decline in the population of flora and fauna:

Illegal human activities such as poaching, hunting and destruction of the natural habitats of these plant and animal species are the major reasons.

Steps to conserve the endangered species:

The following are some of the steps that can be taken to conserve the rich flora and fauna of India from getting extinct:

1. Creating awareness among the public about the importance of animals and plants.

2. Making sure that the laws regarding wildlife are implemented properly.

3. Visiting national parks.

4. A boycott of products made of animal skin, leather and horns etc.,

5. Afforestation.

Many wildlife habitats can be created in hilly and mountainous regions where we can find dense forests gifted by nature.