DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL RANIPUR
CLASS VIII
NOTES-CH-CONSERVATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS
DEFORESTATION:
Clearing of forests and using that land for other purposes like cultivation, building
houses and furniture, making furniture or using wood as fuel.
NATURAL CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION :
Forest Fires and Severe Droughts.
EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION:
1. Deforestation increases the temperature and pollution level on the earth. It also
increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
2. Ground water level also gets lowered. It reduces rainfall and fertility of soil .
3. Deforestation leads to desertification .In the absence of trees, soil erosion occurs more
rapidly exposing the lower hard and rocky layers. This soil has less humus and is less
fertile .
CONVERSION OF FERTILE SOIL INTO INFERTILE SOIL IS CALLED
DERSERTIFICATION.
4. Desertification leads to droughts as increase in temperature on the earth disturbs the
water cycle and reduces rainfall .This leads to droughts.
5. Desertification decreases water holding capacity of soil.
BIOIDIVERSITY: The measure of variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms
on the earth is called biodiversity.
Forests contain maximum Biodiveresity.
BIOSPHERE: The part of the earth in which living organisms exists and which
supports life is called biosphere.
CAUSES OF EXTINCTION OF WILDLIFE:
1. Killing of animals for food, pleasure and skin.
2. Cutting of forests
3. Large scale mining and raising huge buildings and dams.
ECOSYSTEM:
A community of organisms consisting of producers, consumers and decomposers
interracting with each other and with the environment consitutes an ecosystem.
For example a pond, a forest and a desert.
PROTECTED AREAS: To protect our flora and fauna and their
habitats ,protected areas have been marked such as
1. Wildlife Sanctuary: Areas where animals are protected from any disturbance to
them and their habitats. Killing and poaching is strictly prohibited. Animals live
and feed themselves in their natural surroundings.
2. National Park: Areas reserved for wild life where they can freely use the
habitats and natural resources.
3. Biosphere reserve: Large areas of protected land for conservation of wildlife,
plant and animal resources and traditional life of tribals living in that area.
4. Zoo: A place where animals are kept away from their natural habitat and are
provided proper care, shelter and care. Beating or harrasement of animals is not
allowed
ENDEMIC SPECIES: Species which are exclusively found in a particular area.
Factors that affect the natural habitat of endemic species ;
1. Destruction of their natural habitat.
2. Increasing human population
3. Introduction of new species.
SPECIES: A group of population capable of interbreeding.
Members of a species have common characterstics.
EXTINCT SPECIES : Animals that no longer exists are called Extinct. For
Example Dodo, Dinosauors.
ENDANGERED SPECIES: Animals whose numbers are diminishing to a level
that they might face extinction are known as endangered species.
For example Tiger.
PROJECT TIGER was launched by the government to ensure the survival and maintenance
of the tiger population in the country.
THREATENED WILD ANIMALS like Black Buck, white eyed buck, elephant, golden
cat,pink headed duck, gharial, marsh crocodile, python, rhinoceros etc are protected in wild
life sanctuaries.
SATPURA NATIONAL PARK
It is the first reserve forest of the India.
The finest Indian teak is found in the forest.
Rock shelters are also found in the Satpura National Park .These are the evidences of the
prehistoric human life in these jungles. They give an idea of the life of the primitive people.
Rock paintings are also found in these shelters. Figures of animals and men dancing,
fighting, hunting and playing musical instruments are depicted in these paintings.
A total of 55 rock shelters are found in the Pachmarhi Biosphere reserve
RED DATA BOOK: It is a source book which keeps record of all the endangered plants and
animals. It gives a statistics of their population so that the immediate conservation
programme those species can be intiated. It is published by the IUCN (International Union
for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).
MIGRATION: The movement of animals from one place to another which may be seasonal
or for a part of single life cycle due to
1.Climatic Changes
2.For laying eggs at safer places
3.To find areas which can take care of their feeding and breeding.
REFORESTATION : It is the restocking of destroyed forests by planting new trees. The
planted trees should generally be of the same species which were found in that forest.
Reforestation also takes place naturally if a deforested area is left undisturbed.
Forest conservation act in India aims at conservation of natural forests and meeting the basic
needs of people living in or near the forests.
RECYCLING OF PAPER : 17 full grown trees are needed to make one tonne of paper.
Paper can be recycled FIVE TO SEVEN TIMES FOR USE.
1. we should save , reuse used paper by this we save energy and water needed for
manufacturing paper.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
( IUCN), now known as the World Conservation Union( WCU) is an
international body to study and assess the global conservation status of plant
and animal species.
IUCN maintains a comprehensive list known as the IUCN Red list of
threatened species.
The main aim of the IUCN Red list is to focus the attention of conservationists
towards species that are under threat of becoming extinct and therefore, promote
their conservation processes.
SOME ENDANGERED SPECIES:
Key words:
1. The diverse variety of plants, animals along with microorganisms living in a
particular region is called biodiversity.
2. A species refers to a group of organisms (plants or animals) that have
common characteristics and can interbreed among themselves.
3. An ecosystem is made of all the plants, animals and microorganisms in an
area along with the non-living components such as climate, soil, water, etc.
4. The natural environment of a plant or animal species where it lives and
reproduces is called its habitat.
5. The clearing of forests by cutting down forest trees over a wide area is
called deforestation.
6. Due to gradual erosion of fertile topsoil, the land gets converted into a
desert. This is called desertification.
7. Increase in the concentration of carbon-dioxide may lead to an increase in
global temperature which is called global warming.
8. The illegal hunting of wild animals for commercial uses is called poaching.
9. Animals and plants that do not belong to a place originally and are
introduced from elsewhere are called exotic. Eg. Water hyacinth.
10. All the different kinds of plants living in their natural surroundings are
called the flora of that place.
11. All the different kinds of animals living in their natural surroundings
are called the fauna of that place.
12. The species of plants and animals which are not found now but once
lived on the earth are called extinct species. Eg. Dinosaurs, dodo bird etc.
13. Species that are at a high risk of getting extinct, in near future, due to
decline in their number and a drastic change in habitat are called
endangered species. Eg. Asian elephant, Bengal tiger, snow leopard etc.
14. Endemic species are those species of plants and animals that are found
exclusively in a particular geographical area. Eg. The Ganga river dolphin
is an endemic aquatic animal that lives only in the river Ganga.
15. Conservation of forests and wildlife by afforestation, preventing forest
fires, prevent overgrazing, habitat protection and hunting regulations.
16. National park is large area protected and maintained by the
government to preserve wildlife where other activities like grazing and
cultivation of crops are not allowed. Only tourism is permitted.
There are 102 national parks in India.
17. Wildlife Sanctuary: It is an area which is strictly reserved for the
protection of wildlife in their natural habitat.
18. Biosphere Reserve: A multi-purpose protected area which is
developed to conserve biodiversity and also to educate, train and create
awareness about environmental aspects and eco-friendly living is called a
biosphere reserve.
There are 18 biosphere reserves in India. A biosphere reserve may also
contain other protected areas in it. Eg. Pachmarhi biosphere reserve consists
of one national park named Satpura and two wildlife sanctuaries named
Bori and Pachmarhi.
19. Red Data Book: The book which keeps a record of all endangered
animals, plants and other species is called Red Data Book.
20. The seasonal movement of birds and other animals in large numbers
from one place to another to overcome unfavourable conditions and
returning back to original habitat when conditions become favourable is
called migration.
