Natural Vegetation And Soils

Option (b) is correct because National forest policy had a target of keeping 33% of land area under forest in India so as to maintain ecological balance in a country. Forests help in the conservation of the natural environment so it is suggested that the one third of total land area should be covered with forests.

Option (a) is not correct because 22% is the actual percentage of forest area and according to forest policy it will reach up to 33% in future.

Option (c) is not correct because 10% is very less to maintain ecological balance in a country.

Option (d) is not correct because 20% is also less as we know minimum one third of total land area should be covered with forests to maintain ecological balance.

Option (c) is correct because evergreen forests are found in area with rainfall 200 cm or more. They are found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Western Ghats and the greater Assam region in the north- east.

Option (a) is not correct because drier deciduous forests are found in area with rainfall 100 cm.

Option (b) is not correct because dry thorny scrub forests are found in area with rainfall 50 cm.

Option (d) is not correct because monsoon deciduous forests are found in area with rainfall 100-150 cm.

Option (d) is correct because Dehradun has the forest research centre in India. It is among the oldest centre in India which was established in 1906.

Option (a) is not correct because Jaipur has research centre for medical.

Option (b) is not correct because Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand state.

Option (c) is not correct because Nagpur has research centre for mining and fuel.

Option (a) is correct because Khejri Movement is led by Amrita Devi. Khejri was the name of tree. In this 363 Bishnois sacrificed their lives in protecting green Khejri tree.

Option (b) is not correct because Ramoji had not done any movement.

Option (c) is not correct because Khejri Devi had not done any movement.

Option (d) is not correct because Amrita Devi is the appropriate answer.

Option (b) is correct because black soil is best for cotton as cotton is a rainfed crop and it requires high moisture retention and black soil can retain water and moisture both so it is the most suitable soil for cotton.

Option (a) is not correct because mountain soil is suitable for cultivating tea, spices and coffee.

Option (c) is not correct because red soil is suitable for cultivating rice, wheat and potato.

Option (d) is not correct because Laterite is suitable for cultivating coconut and rubber.

Option (b) is correct because black soil is swampy as it has more water holding capacity and it also has moisture retentive power.

Option (a) is not correct because black soil cannot be easily displaced because it is moisture retentive.

Option (c) is not correct because slag is the glass like by product left over after a desired metal from its raw ore.

Option (d) is not correct because black soil does not get leached because it is moisture retentive.

Mangroves are salt tolerant trees. They are also known as halophytes. They are shrub or small trees that grow in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangrove forest is also known as tidal forest.

The two places where Mangrove forests are found:

*West Bengal

*Orissa

The Great Sundarbans is the largest Mangroves region in the world and it is found in West Bengal.

Bhitarkanika Mangroves is India’s second largest forest located in Orissa. It is created by the two river delta of Brahmani and Baitarani River.

According to constitution, three categories of forests are there in India and these are mentioned below:

*State forest- These are the forest under the full control of government. It includes almost all important forest area of the country.

*Community forest- These forests are owned and administered by local people like Municipal Corporation.

*Personal forest-These are the forest which is owned by private people. These are the forest mainly found in Orissa, Punjab and Meghalaya.

The tropical evergreen forests are dense and multilayered. These forests usually occur in areas receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall and having a temperature of 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.

In India, Tropical evergreen forests are found in western slopes of the Western Ghats in states such as Kerala and Karnataka.

Biodiversity is the term popularised by the sociobiologist Edward Wilson. Biodiversity refers to variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is also known as biological diversity. It is a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. It is very important because it boosts ecosystem productivity. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.

Biodiversity means different variety of plants, animals and many other life forms on earth. The term Biodiversity was popularised by Edward Wilson. It includes microorganism, plants, animals and ecosystems such as coral reefs, forests, deserts etc.

Different causes of the destruction of biodiversity are:

*Pollution: It is a major threat to biodiversity. It is one of the most difficult problems to overcome.

*Hunting: Wild animals are hunted for the commercial utilization of their products such as meat, fur, hides and many more things. This led to great loss of animals.

*Habitat loss and fragmentation: A habitat is the place where a plant or animal naturally lives. The factors responsible for habitat loss are deforestation, fire and urbanization.

Other causes of the destruction of biodiversity are population growth, over-consumption, invasive species, species extinction and many more.

Wildlife conservation is the practice of protecting animal species and their habitats. It plays an important role in balancing the ecosystem.

Following remedies for the conservation of wildlife:

* Do not participate in sport hunting.

*Live harmoniously with wild animals.

*We need to establish more and more national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves etc.

*We should make aware to people about importance of wildlife animal and plants.

The goal of wildlife conservation is to ensure that nature will be around for future generation to enjoy and it will help in protecting the endangered plants and animal species.

Environment is the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives. It is everything that is around us. It can be living or non-living things. It includes physical, chemical and other natural forces.

Environment Consciousness means being aware of environment. By being environment friendly this simply means having a lifestyle that is better for the environment. We can become environment friendly by conserving water, buying recycled products, creating less waste, planting more trees and many more.

National park is an area which is strictly reserved for the betterment of the wildlife and biodiversity.

Main national parks of Rajasthan:

*Ranthambore National Park: It is 40^th largest national park in northern India. This national park is mainly famous for Bengal tigers.

*Sariska National Park: The Park lies in the Alwar district of Rajasthan and was announced to be a tiger reserve in 1978.

*Desert National Park: It lies near a town of Jaisalmer. It is one of the most famous parks for birdlife.

Different Sanctuaries of Rajasthan:

*Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary: It is located in the Aravalli range. It is very rich and as a variation in floral diversity with 112 plant families with 449 genera and 820 species. Orchids can be found only in Mount Abu Sanctuary.

*Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary: It is home to variety of wildlife and some of the highly endangered species.

*National Chambal Sanctuary: It is situated on river Chambal. Critically endangered species of red crowned roof turtles, gharials and dolphins are found.

Black soil are very fine grained and dark, contain a high proportion of calcium and magnesium carbonates. Black soils are rich in montmorillontic and beidellitic group of clay minerals. Cotton cultivation requires high moisture retention and black soil has moisture retention property due to its clayey nature. Cotton is a rainfed crop. It grows in area where irrigation is not possible. Black soil can retain water which is very useful property for rainfed crops to grow.

Black soil is also known as black cotton soil as it is the most suitable for cotton growth. Hence black soil is best for cotton.

Forest is the large area dominated by trees. It is home to many animal and plant species. It contains many tree species within a small area. Biomass per unit area is high compared to other vegetation communities.

Different type of forests in India:

*Tropical Evergreen Forests

*Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests

*Tropical Deciduous Forests

*Tropical Thorn Forests

*Montane Forests

*Littoral and Swamp Forests

1. Tropical Evergreen Forest: These forests are found in the warm and humid areas. They have an average rainfall of over 250 cm and temperature ranges above 25 degree Celsius. Mahogany, Jamun, Bamboo and Canes are found in these forests.

2. Tropical Semi- Evergreen Forest: These are less dense compared to tropical wet evergreen forests. They have an average rainfall ranges between 200-250 cm. Hollock, Kail and White celar are important species found in these forests.

3. Tropical Deciduous Forest: These are also known as Monsoon Forests. They have an average rainfall ranges between 70-200 cm and temperature is about 25 degree Celsius. On the basis of availability of water, these are further divided into following-

*The moist deciduous forests

*The dry deciduous forests

4. Tropical Thorn Forests: These have widely scattered vegetation of shrubs, grasses and trees with height less than 10 m. These forests have rainfall below 70 degree Celsius and temperature ranges between 25- 30 degree Celsius.

5. Montane Forest: These forests are found in mountain areas. These forests cover about 900 million hectares of the world’s land surface, constituting 20 % of the world’s forest cover.

6. Mangrove Forest: These forests are also known as littoral and swamp forest. They are found near flood plains, freshwater lakes, wetlands and estuaries.

Forest Conservation in India: It is mainly done to meet the rising demands and to save from environmental hazards. Many movements were done to protect the forest such as Chipko movement, Appiko movement. It is done because forest produces mass amount of oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis and forests are home to many animals, birds and insects.

The first forest policy in India was adopted in 1894. A new forest policy was declared in 1954 specifying that there should be 33% part of land for forest. In 1988, a new forest policy was declared with three objectives and they are:

*Environmental stability

*Conservation of plants and wildlife

*To meet out the basic needs of the common people.

Types of forest in Rajasthan:

*Sub-tropical Evergreen forests: They are spread over 32 km around Abu Mountains. The main trees found here are Bamboos, Siris, Jamun, and Mango

*Tropical dry deciduous forests: These forests are found mainly in Banswara and Udaipur. The main trees found here are Dhokda, Tendu, Bamboo and Gular.

*Tropical thorny scrubby forests: These forests are found mainly in Bikaner, Jaipur, Sikar and Ajmer etc. The main trees found here are Ber, Rohira, and Kair etc.

*Dry teakwood forests: These forests are found in Udaipur, Chittore and Banswara. Mango, Gular and Bargad are famous tree of this forest.

*Mixed deciduous forests: These forests are found in Udaipur, Kota, Bundi and Sirohi. The main trees found here are Jamun, Mango and Babul.

*Salar forests: These forests are found in Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaipur.

The animals which live in natural habitat are a part of wildlife. It plays an important role in balancing the ecosystem. There are 22 wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan. Wildlife consists of national park and sanctuaries.

Different national parks found in Rajasthan are Ranthambore National park, Sawai Madhopur National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Sariska National Park, and Machiya Safari Park etc.

Different sanctuaries found in Rajasthan are Desert National Sanctuary, Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, and Darrah Sanctuary etc.

Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, broken rocks, gases, liquids, humus and organisms that support life. Soil is the topmost layer of the earth’s surface. Soil is formed when forces of nature such as temperature, rain, wind, waves, animals and plants act on rocks and break them into tiny pieces over a long period of time.

Rajasthan is agriculturally based state. The whole agricultural production depends upon soil. Soil is one of the most important natural resources as mankind is dependent on soil for food.

On the basis of colour, texture and fertility, Rajasthan soil is classified into 5 types:

*Desert Soil

*Red-Yellow Soil

*Laterite Soil

*Black Soil

*Loamy Soil

Desert Soil – It is found in western Rajasthan in Jodhpur, Bikaner, Churn, etc. It is formed due to physical weathering. It is saline, less fertile and has less capacity to hold water.

Red-Yellow Soil- It is found in western part of Sawai Madhopur, Rajsamand, and Udaipur etc. It lacks in lime and nitrogen. It is less fertile. It is formed due to disintegration of granite sheets and rocks. It is used for growing groundnut and cotton.

Laterite Soil- It is found in East part of Banswara, Udaipur, Chittorgarh and Bhilwara. It also lacks in lime and nitrogen but rich in potash. It is fertile and useful for growing cotton, sugarcane and maize.

Black Soil- It is found in south eastern part of Rajasthan in Kota, Bundi and Jhalawar. It lacks in nitrogen but rich in potash and calcium. It is fertile and good for growing cotton, rice and soyabean.

Loamy Soil- It is light red and brown in colour. It is fertile and rich in potash, iron, and phosphorus lime. It lacks in nitrogen. It is found in North- eastern part of Rajasthan in Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, and Alwar etc.

Soil is the topmost layer of earth surface. It is composed of organic and inorganic material. It is the biologically active and porous medium developed in the uppermost layer of Earth’s crust.

There are basic three types of soil: sand, silt and clay.

*Sand: It is actually small particles of weathered rock. It is coarse and loose so water is able to drain through it easily.

*Silt: It has water holding capacity better than sand.

*Clay: It is very fine grained soil. Its particles are smaller than silt.

Importance of soil:

*It is habitat for many insects and other organisms. Insects and microbes live in the soils and depend on soils for food and air.

*Soil support roots and keep them upright for growth.

*Soils provide air for gaseous exchange between roots and atmosphere.

*Soils hold water and maintain adequate aeration.

*It is medium for plant growth.

*It supports animal life.

*It provides sites for agricultural activities.