Quick Revision Notes & Formula Sheet

Class: 10th | Subject: Social Science (Geography)
Chapter: Forest and Wildlife Resources
Board: MP Board (NCERT Based)

Flora: Plants of a particular region or period are referred to as flora.
Fauna: Species of animals of a given region or period are termed fauna.
Biodiversity / Biological Diversity: It is immensely rich in wildlife and cultivated species, diverse in form and function, but closely integrated in a system through multiple networks of interdependencies.
Why are Forests Important? Forests are primary producers on which all other living beings depend. They provide oxygen, regulate climate, prevent soil erosion, and are home to diverse wildlife.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies plant and animal species into the following categories:

Normal Species: Species whose population levels are considered to be normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine, rodents, etc.
Endangered Species: These are species which are in danger of extinction. Example: Black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion-tailed macaque.
Vulnerable Species: These are species whose population has declined to levels from where it is likely to move into the endangered category in the near future if the negative factors continue to operate. Example: Blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin.
Rare Species: Species with a small population may move into the endangered or vulnerable category if the negative factors affecting them continue to operate. Example: Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox, and hornbill.
Endemic Species: These are species which are only found in some particular areas usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers. Example: Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, mithun in Arunachal Pradesh.
Extinct Species: These are species which are not found after searches of known or likely areas where they may occur. A species may be extinct from a local area, region, country, continent, or the entire earth. Example: Asiatic cheetah, pink head duck.

Deforestation: Clearing of forests for agriculture, housing, and industrial projects.
Shifting Cultivation (Jhum): A type of slash-and-burn agriculture practiced in parts of North-East and Central India, leading to forest degradation.
Mining: Large-scale mining projects (e.g., Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal due to dolomite mining) destroy the natural habitat.
Infrastructure Development: River valley projects (dams), railway expansion, and road construction.
Poaching & Hunting: Illegal hunting for skins, horns, tusks, and bones.
Environmental Pollution: Air, water pollution, and forest fires.
Unequal Access: Unequal consumption of resources and over-population.

Conservation preserves the ecological diversity and our life support systems—water, air, and soil.

Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act: Implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats. An all-India list of protected species was published.
Project Tiger: Launched in 1973 to save the endangered tiger population in the country. (Important Tiger Reserves: Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand, Sundarbans in West Bengal, Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Sariska in Rajasthan).

Reserved Forests: More than half of the total forest land has been declared reserved forests. They are regarded as the most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources are concerned.
Protected Forests: Almost one-third of the total forest area is protected forest, as declared by the Forest Department. This forest land is protected from any further depletion.
Unclassed Forests: These are other forests and waswlands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities.

Conservation strategies are not new in India. Local communities are struggling to conserve these habitats along with government officials.

Chipko Movement: Successfully resisted deforestation in the Himalayas and showed that community afforestation can be successful.
Beej Bachao Andolan: In Tehri, farmers showed that adequate levels of diversified crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals are economically viable.
Joint Forest Management (JFM): A program in India for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests. Formally started in 1988 by the state of Odisha.
Sacred Groves: Nature worship is an age-old tribal belief based on the premise that all creations of nature have to be protected. Such patches of forest or parts of large forests have been left untouched by tribals and are called Sacred Groves (Sarnas, Deorais, etc.).

Wildlife Protection Act Year: 1972
Project Tiger Year: 1973
First state to pass JFM resolution: Odisha (1988)
Famous Tiger Reserve in MP: Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Pench.
Key Terms to Define in 2 Marks: Flora, Fauna, Endangered Species, Sacred Groves, JFM.

Geography: Forest and Wildlife Resources