NCERT Class 9th Geography chapter 5 Natural vegetation and Wildlife Notes by Vibha Maam CBSE | English

(Some terms are important to understand before continuing the chapter. Let define the words)

Flora – Plants of a particular region of period 

Fauna – The species of animals 

Biome – A very large ecosystem on land having distinct types of vegetation and animal life

Natural Vegetation

       Natural vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without human help and disturbance for a long time.

Factors affecting the natural vegetation land relief, type of  soil, temperature, humidity, latitude, altitude, precipitation.

Ecosystem

       The interdependence of species of plants and animals in a given area forms a single ecosystem. Human beings are also an integral part of the ecosystem.

Land affects the natural vegetation

• The nature of land influence the type of vegetation
• The fertile land is generally devoted to agriculture
• Grasslands and Woodlands are developed in undulating and rough terrain
• Mangroves are found in muddy and silty areas 
• Acacia, cacti and thorny plants found in desert soil 

Type of Forests

1) Tropical evergreen forest or equatorial forests

• These forests are found in the area having more than 200cm of rainfall with the short dry season
• Trees have broad leaves and hardwood 
• They do not shed their leaves 
• Forests are thick and luxuriant with plenty of trees 
• Trees – Mahogany, ebony, Rosewood, rubber, cinchona
• Wildlife – Crocodile, elephants, one horned  rhinoceros, monkey, lemur, deer, alligator, hippopotamus, scorpions and snails
• Regions – These forests are found in heavy rainfall areas of Western ghats, Lakshadweep, Andaman, Nicobar Islands and Assam and Tamil Nadu coast.

2)Tropical Deciduous Forests or Monsoon forest

• They are not as dense as evergreen forest
• They shed their leaves during the dry season 
• On the basis of the availability of water these forests are divided into two categories i.e.,

             Moist & Dry deciduous forests

a) Moist deciduous forests

• These forests are found in the area of 100 to 200cm of rainfall
• They shed their leaves during the dry season
• Trees – Teak, bamboo, shisham, sandalwood and sal, khair, mulberry are the common trees.
• regions – Northeastern states, Foothills of Himalayas, Orissa, Chattisgarh.

b) Dry deciduous forests

• These forests are found in areas having rainfall between 100 cm and 70 cm
• Regions – These are found wetter parts of the plateau, Bihar, UP
• Trees – Teak, sal, peepal, Neem
• This region is not rich in wildlife
• Common animals – Lion, tiger, pig, deer, elephant ,snakes, tortoises.

3)The Thorn Forests and Scrubs or Desert Thorn Forests 

• Rainfall less than 70 cm
• Plant have long roots and succulent stem, tiny, waxy and leathery leaves,
• Regions – North Western part of the country, semi-arid areas of Gujarat Haryana, Rajasthan some part of Madhya Pradesh.
• Plants – Acacia, palm, euphorbias, cacti, Babul, kikar 
• Common animals – Camel, snake, lizards

4) Mountain Forest or Coniferous forest (Taiga Forests)

• Trees are long about 30m and more
• Trees are tall and straight
• Trees leaves are needle like-shaped curve downward branches 
• Little or less rainfall 
• Regions – Southern slopes of Himalaya, North- East India
• Trees – Deodar, spruce, cedar, fir, pine.
• Evergreen broadleaf trees like oaks and chestnuts predominate.
• Animals – Panda, deer, yak, snow leopard, squirrels, Shaggy horned wild ibex, bear, red panda, sheep and goat with thick hair 
• Mosses and lichens are the tundra vegetation (coldest biomes)

5) Mangrove Forests or Tidal forests

• These forests are found in areas of the coast or marshy regions.
• Regions – the delta of the Ganga ,the Mahanadi ,the Krishna, the Godavari, and the Kaveri,
• Sundari trees are found in the Ganga -Brahmaputra Delta which provide durable hard Timber
• Trees – Palm, coconut, agar, also growing in some part of the delta.
• Wildlife – Royal Bengal tiger is a famous animal in this forest. Turtles, crocodile gharials and snakes are also found in these Forests.

Importance of forests and needs for conservation of natural vegetations

• Forests are renewable resources and play a major role in enhancing the quality of environment
• Forests control soil erosion and also modify the local climate
• Forests support a variety of industries providing raw material
• Forests provide livelihood for many communities
• It controls wind force and temperature and cause rainfalls
• It provides soil to human  and shelters to the wildlife
• Forests also balance the ecological system for plants and animals.
• For proper ecological balance nature maintains a balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen 
• The Forests also help in the conservation of soil.

Steps Taken by Various Governments

• Biosphere reserves are being established
• Periodic census are undertaken of endangered species 
• In order to preserve wildlife in its natural habitat, national parks and sanctuaries have been set up
• Hundreds of government as well as non- government agencies are working to conserve the wildlife

IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature

UNESCO – The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation

WWF –  World Wide Fund for nature 

• Education can also play a vital role in conserving wildlife and vegetation.