Important Questions: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife - UPSC

A wide variety of mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles can be found in a deciduous forest biome. Mammals that are commonly found in a deciduous forest include bears, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, wood mice, and, in the U.S., deer can be found in these forests.

Citrus fruits such as oranges, figs, olives and grapes are commonly cultivated in Mediterranean Region because people have removed the natural vegetation in order to cultivate what they want to. 

Coniferous forest, vegetation composed primarily of cone-bearing needle-leaved or scale-leaved evergreen trees, found in areas that have long winters and moderate to high annual precipitation.

Conservation means usage, improvement, protection of human and natural resources in a wise manner.

Anacondas are the largest and heaviest known snakes. They can be found in tropical rainforests, lakes and swamps of South America. Anacondas are especially numerous near Amazon and Orinoco rivers.

Tropical evergreen forests are found in those regions which receive more than 200 cm of rainfall whereas tropical rain forest grow in the region of heavy rainfall over 200 cm per annum

The animals in polar region have thick fur and thick skin. Answer: Thick fur and thick skin help these animals in fighting the extremely cold climate. Tropical deciduous trees shed their leaves in the dry season.

Temperate grasslands are found in mid-latitudinal regions and interior parts of countries, and the grass there is short and nutritious. Wild buffaloes, bisons and antelopes are the common animals found in these regions.

Tropical deserts are mostly found in the western margins of the country because the rainfall rate of that region is well to support the growth of tropical forests. The fertility of the soil is also good.

The moist deciduous forests are found in the regions, which record rainfall between 100 and 200 cm. The moist deciduous forests are found in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal.

Savannas - also known as tropical grasslands - are found to the north and south of tropical rainforest biomes. Savanna vegetation includes scrub , grasses and occasional trees, which grow near water holes , seasonal rivers or aquifers . Plants and animals have to adapt to the long dry periods.

The growth of vegetation depends on temperature and moisture. It also depends on factors like slope and thickness of soil. The type and thickness of natural vegetation varies from place to place because of the variation in these factors. these factors, dense and open forests are grown.

Only mosses, lichens and very small shrubs are found in Tundra vegetation. It grows during the very short summer. This is called Tundra type of vegetation. This vegetation is found in the polar areas of Europe, Asia, and North America.

The Pampas of South America are a grassland biome. They are flat, fertile plains that covers an area of 300,000 sq. miles or 777,000 square kilometers, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains. It is found primarily in Argentina and extends into Uruguay.

The Thorn Forests are found in the semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The Thorn Forests and Scrubs are found in regions where the rainfall is less than 70cm. The vegetation in these forests are thorny trees and bushes. Acacias, palms, euphorbias and cacti are the main plants found in these forests. Trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get moisture. The stems are succulent to conserve water Leaves are modified into spines (thorns) and are small to minimize transpiration.  

Tundra is the coldest of all the biomes. Tundra comes from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless plain. It is noted for its frost-molded landscapes, extremely low temperatures, little precipitation, poor nutrients, and short growing seasons.