• Deforestation and its causes:
The variety of plants and animals existing on earth are essential
for the well being and survival of mankind. Today a major threat to survival of
mankind is deforestation.
Deforestation means clearing of forests and using that land for
other purposes, i.e. for industries set up or making building for rehabitation.
The causes of deforestation may be:
- Procuring land
for cultivation.
- Building houses and factories.
- Making furniture,
using wood as fuel and
- Natural causes
such forest fires and draughts.
•
Effects of deforestation:
- Deforestation causes increase of atmospheric temperature due to
increase in concentration of carbon dioxide leading to global warming, Severe draughts and floods.
- Deforestation changes the nature of soil, water holding capacity and
soil erosion. Gradually, the fertile land gets converted into deserts. It is
called desertification.
Deforestation causes the destruction of habitat of
wildlife, its survival becomes difficult.
•
Biosphere: The part of the
earth in which living organisms exist or that supports life is known as
biosphere.
•
Biodiversity or
Biological diversity: It refers to the variety or organisms existing on
the earth. Their interrelationships and their relationship with the environment. It includes variety of
plants, animals and microorganisms.
•
Flora and Fauna: The plants found
in a particular area are termed as flora area. The animals found in a
particular area are termed as fauna of that
area.
•
Endemic Species: Those species of
plants arid animals which are found exclusively in a particular area are called
endemic species to a zone, a state or a country. For example, sal and wild mango endemic flora of the Pachmarhi
Biosphere Reserve. Animals such as Bison, Indian giant squirrel and fly squirrel are endemic fauna of this area.
•
Species:
A group of population or populations whose members have
common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding among themselves to
produce fertile off-springs. Normally, members of a species breed amongst
themselves and not with members of other species
•
National parks, sanctuaries and biospheres reserves are maintained to conserve forests and wildlife.
•
Biosphere Reserve: AA larger protected area meant for conservation of biodiversity and
culture of that area is called Biosphere Reserve. A biosphere may consists of
other protected areas such as National Parks and Sanctuaries. For example,
Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve consists of one National Park called Satpura and
two Wildlife Sanctuaries known as Bori and Pachmarhi.
•
Wildlife
Sanctuaries: These are the protected areas which provide protection and suitable
living conditions to wild animals. Sanctuaries are places
where killing (poaching) or capturing of animals is strictly prohibited.
A sanctuary may be a reserved natural area meant for the
preservation and development of threatened/endangered species. For example,
there is the Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary for Rhinoceros in Assam.
•
National Park: A national park
reserve is large and diverse enough to protect
whole set of ecosystem. National Parks preserve flora, fauna, landscape and
historic objects of an area. For example. In the Satpura National Park, Rock
shelters and Rock paintings are also
preserved along with flora and fauna.
•
Endangered
Animals: Animals whose numbers are diminishing to a level that they might face
extinction are known as the endangered animals. For example, dinosaurs became extinct a long time ago.
• Ecosystem: All the living components,
such as plants, animals and microorganisms and non-living components such as
climate, soil, river, deltas etc. constitute an ecosystem. An ecosystem can be
as small as a pond or as big as an ocean or a
forest.
•
Red
Data Book: The source book which keeps a record of all the
endangered animals and plants. There
are different Red Data Books.
•
Migration:
The phenomenon of movement
of a species from its own habitat to some other for a
particular time period every year for a specific purpose like breeding is known
as migration.
• Reuse and
recycling of paper save trees, energy and water.
• Reforestation is
restocking of the destroyed forests by planting new trees.
