NCERT Summary: Forest & Wildlife Resources | Geography (Prelims) by Valor Academy - UPSC PDF Download

Facts about Wildlife Conservation in India

• Lepcha folk song from northern West Bengal.
• Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.
• Himalayan Yew ( Taxus wallichii ), a medicinal plant found in Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.

Protected Areas in India (Tiger Reserves)

• Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand
• Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal
• Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh
• Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan
• Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam
• Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala

Biodiversity or Biological Diversity

• Rich in wildlife and cultivated species.
• Diverse in form and function, closely integrated in a system through multiple networks of interdependencies.

Flora and Fauna in India

• India is among the richest countries in the world regarding biological diversity.
• It is home to nearly 8 percent of the total species found globally.
• Some examples of rare species include the cheetah, pink-headed duck, mountain quail, forest spotted owlet, and plants like Madhuca insignis (a wild variety of Mahua) and Heptapleurum (a species of grass).

Categories of Existing Plant and Animal Species According to the IUCN

• Normal Species: These are species whose population levels are stable and sufficient for their survival. Examples include cattle, sal trees, pine trees, and various rodents
• Endangered Species: These species are at a high risk of extinction. Examples include the blackbuck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion-tailed macaque, and the Sangai (Brow-antlered deer) found in Manipur.
• Vulnerable Species: These species have experienced a decline in their populations and may soon become endangered. Examples include blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, and Gangetic dolphin.
• Rare Species: These species have small populations and are at risk of becoming endangered or vulnerable. Examples include the Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox, and hornbill.
• Endemic Species: These species are found only in specific areas, often isolated by natural barriers. Examples include the Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, and Mithun (a type of cattle) found in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Extinct Species: These are species that have not been found despite extensive searches. Examples include the Asiatic cheetah and pink-headed duck.

Negative Factors Affecting Flora and Fauna

• Expansion of railways, agriculture, and commercial activities, including scientific forestry and mining.
• Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, pollution, poisoning, and forest fires.
• Unequal access and consumption of resources, along with unequal responsibility for environmental health.
• Over-population in developing countries.

Enrichment plantation 

• This involves planting native species in degraded areas to restore the ecosystem and enhance biodiversity.

Conservation of Forests and Wildlife in India

1. Reserved Forests

• Reserved forests make up about half of the total forest land in India.
• They are crucial for conserving forest and wildlife resources.
• States with large areas of reserved forests include Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Maharashtra.

2. Protected Forests

• Protected forests account for roughly one-third of the total forest area in India.
• These areas are safeguarded from further depletion.
• States such as Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan have significant protected forest areas.

3. Un-classed Forests

• Un-classed forests include other forests and wastelands that are owned by both the government and private individuals or communities.

4. Permanent Forests

• Permanent forests include reserved and protected forests that are maintained not only for timber production but also for various protective purposes.
• Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, constituting about 75 percent of its total forest area.
• All Northeastern states and parts of Gujarat have a high percentage of unclassed forests managed by local communities.

5. Sacred Groves

• Sacred groves are areas with a wealth of diverse and rare species.
• For example, the Mundas and Santhal tribes in the Chota Nagpur region worship mahua and kadamba trees, while tribal communities in Odisha and Bihar worship tamarind and mango trees during weddings.

Community Afforestation

The Chipko Movement and Forest Conservation

• The Chipko movement is well-known for its role in forest conservation and took place in the Himalayas.
• Groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown that it is possible to produce a variety of crops without synthetic chemicals, and this method can be economically viable.

Joint Forest Management

• Besides the Chipko movement, Joint Forest Management emphasizes the importance of local participation in forest conservation.
• This approach involves setting up local village institutions that carry out protection activities, primarily on degraded forest land managed by the forest department.