Short & Long Questions: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife | Footprints Class 7: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

Q1: What is a forest ecosystem?
Ans: A forest ecosystem is an extensive, continuous area of land dominated by trees. It is a natural environment where plants and animals interact with each other and their surroundings.

Q2: Name three types of forests and describe the climate of tropical evergreen forests.
Ans: The three types of forests are tropical evergreen forests, tropical deciduous forests, and temperate evergreen coniferous forests. Tropical evergreen forests have a hot and humid climate with heavy rainfall throughout the year.

Q3: What kind of vegetation is found in tropical deciduous forests, and why do these trees shed their leaves?
Ans: In tropical deciduous forests, trees are medium in height, less dense, allowing sunlight penetration, and include species like teak and bamboo. These trees shed their leaves in the dry season to conserve moisture.

Q4: Explain how the vegetation in temperate evergreen coniferous forests (Taiga) is adapted to survive the harsh climate.
Ans: The vegetation in Taiga, such as spruce and pine trees, has adaptations like horizontal root spreading to cope with frozen subsoil, and branches designed to shed snow and ice without breaking to survive the bitterly cold winters and short summers.

Q5: Describe the wildlife found in Mediterranean forests and how it adapts to the climate.
Ans: Wildlife in Mediterranean forests, such as wild goats and rabbits, adapts to the hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters through behaviors and physiological adaptations suited to conserve water and avoid extreme temperatures.

Q6: What are grasslands, and how are they classified?
Ans: Grasslands are large open areas of country covered with grass. They are classified into tropical and temperate grasslands based on their location and climate.

Q7: Describe the climate and vegetation of tropical grasslands.
Ans: Tropical grasslands experience hot and wet summers, dry and warm winters, with rainfall inadequate for forests. Vegetation mainly includes tall, coarse grass that can grow over 2 m in height, with few scattered trees like baobab and acacia.

Q8: How does the vegetation in temperate grasslands adapt to the climate?
Ans: The vegetation in temperate grasslands, consisting mainly of short, soft grasses, adapts to the climate by being practically treeless, which helps them survive in conditions with extremes of temperature and inadequate rainfall.

Q9: What types of wildlife are found in the savannas of Africa, and how do they adapt to the dry season?
Ans: The savannas of Africa are home to a variety of wildlife including carnivores like lions, herbivores like elephants, and omnivores. These animals adapt to the dry season by migrating to forest margins or congregating near waterholes to find food and water.

Q10: Compare the wildlife in temperate grasslands with that in tropical grasslands.
Ans: Temperate grasslands host animals like bison and pronghorn, adapted to cold winters and warm summers, whereas tropical grasslands support a richer diversity of large mammals and birds that are adapted to a more variable climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Q11: What defines a desert ecosystem?
Ans: A desert ecosystem is defined by its aridity, with scanty rainfall and extreme temperature conditions, supporting specialized vegetation and wildlife adapted to the harsh environment.

Q12: Describe the types of vegetation found in tropical deserts and their adaptations.
Ans: Vegetation in tropical deserts includes cactus and acacia, which are drought-resistant. Adaptations include long tap roots, fleshy stems to hold water, and waxy surfaces to reduce water evaporation.

Q13: How do animals in temperate deserts adapt to their environment?
Ans: Animals in temperate deserts, such as gerbils and mountain goats, adapt by living in underground burrows to escape extreme temperatures, and have physiological adaptations to minimize water loss.

Q14: Explain the climate conditions of polar deserts and the type of vegetation that can survive there.
Ans: Polar deserts have very low precipitation, extremely cold temperatures, and permafrost. Only hardy vegetation like moss and lichen can survive, along with a few bushes and dwarf willows in sheltered areas.

Q15: What adaptations do wildlife in the tundra region have to survive the cold climate?
Ans: Wildlife in the tundra, such as reindeer and polar bears, have thick fat layers and fur to insulate against the cold. Many species have behavioral adaptations like migration to warmer areas during the coldest months.