NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography - Natural Vegetation

Q1: Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below. 
(i) Sandalwood is an example of:
(a) Evergreen forest
(b) Deciduous forest
(c) Deltaic forest
(d) Thorny forest
Ans: (b)

(ii) Which one of the following was the purpose of Project Tiger?
(a) to kill tigers
(b) to put tigers in the Zoo
(c) to protect tigers from illegal hunting
(d) to make films on tigers
Ans: (c) 

(iii) In which one of the following states is the Nandadevi Biosphere reserve
 situated?
(a) Bihar
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Uttarakhand
(d) Odisha
Ans: (c)

(iv) How many of the Biosphere reserves from India are recognised by the UNESCO?
(a) One
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) Four
Ans: (d)

(v) Which one of the following proportion of area of the country was targeted to be under forest in Forest Policy of India?
(a) 33
(b) 44
(c) 55
(d) 22
Ans: (a)

Q2: Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) What is natural vegetation? Under what climatic conditions are tropical evergreen forests develop?
Ans: Natural vegetation refers to a plant community that has been left undisturbed over a long time, so as to allow its individual species to adjust themselves to climate and soil conditions as fully as possible.
Tropical evergreen forests develop in warm and humid areas with an annual precipitation of over 200 cm and mean annual temperature above 22°C.

(ii) What do you understand by social forestry?
Ans: Social forestry means the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development.

(iii) Define Biosphere reserves?
Ans: A Biosphere Reserve is a unique and representative ecosystem of terrestrial and coastal areas which are internationally recognised within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

(iv) What is the difference between forest area and forest cover?
Ans: The forest area and forest cover are not the same.

• The forest area is the area notified and recorded as the forest land irrespective of the existence of trees, while the actual forest cover is the area occupied by forests with canopy.
• The forest area is based on the records of the State Revenue Department, while the forest cover is based on aerial photographs and satellite imageries.
• According to state records, the forest area covers 23.28 per cent of the total land area of the country while the actual forest cover in India is only 21.05 percent.

Q3: Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words.
(i) What steps have been taken up to conserve forests?
Ans: There are various steps taken based on the forest conservation policy. These are:

• Social forestry: It means the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands to help in the environmental, social and rural development. The National Commission on Agriculture (1976) has classified social forestry into three categories. These are Urban forestry, Rural forestry and Farm forestry.
• Urban forestry: It pertains to the raising and management of trees on public and privately owned lands in and around urban centres such as green belts, parks, roadside avenues, industrial and commercial green belts, etc.
• Rural forestry: It lays emphasis on promotion of agro-forestry and community-forestry.
• Agro-forestry: It is the raising of trees and agriculture crops on the same land inclusive of the waste patches.
• Community forestry: It involves the raising of trees on public or community land such as the village pasture and temple land, roadside, canal bank, strips along railway lines, and schools etc.

Farm forestry is a term applied to the process under which farmers grow trees for commercial and non-commercial purposes on their farm lands.

(ii) How can people’s participation be effective in conserving forests and wildlife?
Ans: 

• People’s participation can be very effective in conserving forests and wildlife. It is the common people who harm the wildlife and forests the most. They cut trees for shifting cultivation. They kill animals for entertainment. Therefore in 1972, the government of India has passes Wildlife Protection Act whereby it is illegal to do hunting. Since then the hunting and poaching ease has reduced to a great extent.
• The two main objectives of the Act are; to provide protection to the endangered species listed in the schedule of the Act and to provide legal support to the conservation areas of the country classified as National parks, sanctuaries, and closed areas. This Act has been comprehensively amended in 1991, making punishments more stringent, and has also made provisions for the protection of specified plant species and conservation of endangered species of wild animals. There are 105 National parks and 514 wildlife sanctuaries covering an area of 15.67 million hectares in the country.

These actions are taken by the government but their implementation and maintenance depend on the participation and cooperation of the people.