Forest & Water Resources Class 10 CBSE Notes Geography

PART – I

Different categories of  existing plants & animal species

Figer 

Flora & Fauna in India

                India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity and has nearly 8 per cent of the total number of species in the world (estimated to be 1.6 million). This is possibly twice or thrice the number yet to be discovered. These diverse flora and fauna are so well integrated in our daily life that we take these for granted. But, lately, they are under great stress mainly due to insensitivity to our environment.

                Some estimates suggest that at least 10 per cent of India’s recorded wild flora and 20 per cent of its mammals are on the threatened list. Many of these would now be categorised as ‘critical’, that is on the verge of extinction like the  pink-headed duck, mountain quail, forest spotted owlet, and plants like Madhuca insignis (a wild variety of mahua) and Hubbardia heptaneuron, (a species of grass).

Depletion of the flora and fauna

1. We have transformed nature into a resource obtaining directly and indirectly from the forests and wildlife-wood, barks, leaves, rubber, medicines, dyes, food, fuel, fodder, manure, etc. So it is we ourselves who have depleted our forests and wildlife.
2. The greatest damage inflicted on Indian forests was during the colonial period due to the expansion of the railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific forestry and mining activities.
3. Even after Independence, agricultural expansion continues to be one of the major causes of depletion of forest resources. Between 1951 and 1980, according to the Forest Survey of India, over 26,200 sq. km. of  forest area was converted into agricultural land all over India. Substantial  parts of the tribal belts, speically in the northeastern and central India, have been deforested or degraded by shifting cultivation (Jhum), a type of  ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
4. Large-scale development projects have also contributed significantly to the loss of forests. Since 1951, over 5,000 sq km of forest was cleared for river valley projects.
5. Mining is another important factor behind deforestation. The Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal is seriously threatened by the ongoing dolomite mining. It has disturbed the natural habitat of many species and blocked the migration route of several others, including the great Indian elephant.
6. Many foresters and environmentalists hold the view that the greatest degrading factors behind the depletion of forest resources are grazing and fuel-wood collection.
7. Habitat destruction, hunting, poaching, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, poisoning and forest fires are factors, which have led to the decline in India’s biodiversity.
8. Other important causes of environmental destruction are unequal access, inequitable consumption of resources and differential sharing of responsibility for environmental well-being. Over-population in third world countries is often cited as the cause of environmental degradation.
9. The destruction of forests and wildlife is not just a biological issue. The biological loss is strongly correlated with the loss of cultural diversity. Such losses have increasingly marginalised and impoverished many indigenous and other forest-dependent communities, who directly depend on various components of the forest and wildlife for food, drink, medicine, culture, spirituality, etc.
10. The indirect impact of degradation such as severe drought or deforestation-induced floods, etc. also hits the poor hardest. Poverty in these cases is a direct outcome of environmental destruction. Therefore, forest and wildlife, are vital to the quality of life and environment in the subcontinent. It is imperative to adapt to sound forest and wildlife conservation strategies.

Conservation of forest and wild life  in India

1. Conservation preserves the ecological diversity and our life support systems-water, air and soil. It also preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth of species and breeding.
2. The Indian Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats. An all-India list of protected species was also published. The thrust of the programme was towards protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species by banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats, and restricting trade in wildlife.
3. The central government announced several projects for protecting specific animals, which were gravely threatened, including the tiger, the one horned rhinoceros, the Kashmir stag or hangul, three types of crocodiles-fresh water crocodile, saltwater crocodile and the Gharial, the Asiatic lion, and others. Most recently, the Indian elephant, black buck (chinkara), the Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow leopard, etc. have been given full or partial legal protection against hunting and trade throughout India.
4. The conservation projects are now focusing on biodiversity rather than on a few of its components. There is now a more intensive search for different conservation measures.
5. In the notification under Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986, several hundred butterflies, moths, beetles, and one dragonfly havebeen added to the list of protected species. In 1991, for the first time plants were also added to the list, starting with six species.

Types & distribution of Forest & Wildlife Resources

Table

Reserved Forests	Protected Forests	Unclassed Forests
These are forests which are permanently earmarked either for production of timber or other forest produce.	Grazing and cultivation rights are allowed subject to a few restrictions.	This consists of  inaccessible forests or unoccupied wastes.
Grazing and cultivation rights are not allowed.	Almost 1/3 of the total forest land is declared as protected forests.	They belong to both government and private individuals and communities
More than 50% of the total  forest lands has been declared as reserved forest.	As the name indicates these forests are protected from further depletion.	These are mostly found in the north-eastern states and parts of Gujarat where these are managed by the local communities.
These are important for forest and wildlife conservation.	The forests of Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Hiamchal Pradesh, Orissa and Rajasthan fall under this category.
The forests of Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and  Maharashtra fall under this cateogry.

Community and conservation

                Many local communities struggle to devise ways and means to conserve their habitats with the help of government officials. They are aware that this will certainly secure their long term livelihood.

1. In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers have fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act.
2. In many areas, villagers themselves are protecting habitats and explicitly rejecting government involvement. The inhabitants of five villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’, declaring their own set of rules and regulations which do not allow hunting, and are protecting the wildlife against any outside encroachment.
3. The famous chipko movement in the Himalayas has not only successfully resisted deforestation in several areas but has also shown the community afforestation with indigenous species can be enormously successful.
4. Attempts to revive the traditional conservation methods or developing new methods of ecological farming are now widespread. Farmers and citizen’s groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri have shown that adequate levels of diversified crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals are possible and economically viable.
5. In India joint forest management (JFM) programme furnishes a good example for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forest. The programme has been in formal existence since 1988 when the state of Orissa passed the first resolution for joint forest management. JFM depends on the formation of local (village) institutions that undertake protection activities mostly on degraded forest land managed by the forest department. In return, the members of these communities are entitled to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest produce and share in the timber harvested by ‘successful protection’

Sacred groves

1. Nature worship is an age old tribal belief based on the premise that all creations of nature have to be protected. Such beliefs have preserved several virgin forests in pristine form called sacred Groves (the forests of God and Goddesses). These patches of forest or parts of large forest have been left untouched  by the local people and any interference with them is banned.
2. Certain societies revere a particular tree which they have preserved from time immemorial. The Mundas and the Santhal of Chhota Nagpur region worship mahua (Bassia latifolia) and kadamba (Anthocaphalus cadamba) trees, and the tribals of Orissa and Bihar worship the tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and mango (Mangifera indica) trees during weddings. To many of us, peepal and banyan trees are considered sacred.
3. In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbuck (Chinkara), nilgai and peacocks can be seen as an integral part of the community and nobody harms them.

PART – II

Water resources

            Water resources include surface water and ground water resources mainly. The source of both the water resources,whether surface water resources or ground water resources, all are available through hydrological cycle. In India annual average rainfall is 114 cm. But the amount of rainfall received in India varies from one region to another. East, North – East India and Western Ghats receive more than 200 cms. of rainfall annually, while Thar Desert receives less than 20 cm. of rainfall. The rest of the country receives annual rainfall between 20 cms. and 200 cms.

            Water : Some facts and Figures

•         96.5 per cent of the total volume of world’s water is estimated to exist as oceans and only 2.5 per cent as freshwater. Nearly 70 per cent of this freshwater occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctia, Greenland and the mountainous regions of the world, while a little less than 30 per cent is stored as ground water in the world’s aquifers.

•         India receives nearly 4 per cent of the global precipitation and ranks 133 in the world in terms of water availability per person per annum.

WATER SCARCITY

1. The availability of water resources varies over space and time, mainly due to the variations in seasonal and annual precipitation, but water scarcity in most cases in caused by over-exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water among different social groups.
2. A large population means more water not only for domestic use but also to produce more food. Hence, to facilitate higher food-grain production, water resources are being overexploited to expand irrigated areas and dry-season agriculture.
3. Post-independent India witnessed intensive industrialization and urbanisation, creating vast opportunities for us. Today, large industrial houses are as common place as the industrial units of many MNCs (Multinational Corporations). The ever increasing number of industries has made matters worse by exerting pressure on existing freshwater resources.
4. The multiplying urban centres with large and dense populations and urban lifestyles have not only added to water and energy requirements but have further aggravated the problem.
5. The housing societies or colonies in the cities, you would find that most of these have their own groundwater pumping devices to meet their water needs. Not surprisingly, we find that fragile water resources are being over-exploited and have caused their depletion in several of these cities.
6. Another situation where water is sufficiently available to meet the needs of the people, but the area still suffers from water scarcity. This scarcity may be due to bad quality of water. Lately, there has been a growing concern that even if there is ample water to meet the needs of the people, much of it may be polluted by domestic and industrial wastes, chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers used in agriculture, thus making it hazardous for human use.
7. To safeguard ourselves from health hazards, to ensure food security, continuation of our livelihoods and productive activities and also to prevent degradation of our natural ecosystems, over exploitation and mismanagement of water resources will have to be checked, otherwise it will impoverish this resource and cause ecological crisis that may have profound impact on our lives.

Multi Purpose River Projects

1. A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundments. “Dam”  refers to the reservoir rather than the structure.                
2. Dams are now referred to as multi-purpose projects where the many uses of the impounded water are integrated with one another. For example, in the Satluj-Beas river basin, the Bhakra-Nangal project water is being used both for hydel power production and irrigation. Similarly, the Hirakud project in the Mahanadi basin integrates conservation of water with flood control.
3. Multi-purpose projects, launched after Independence with their integrated water resources management approach, were thought of as the vehicle that would lead the nation to development and progress, overcoming the handicap of its colonial past. Jawaharlal Nehru proudly proclaimed the dam as the temples of modern India. : the reason being that it would integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialisation and growth of the urban economy.
4. In recent years, multi-purpose projects and large dams have come under great scrutiny and opposition for a variety of reasons.

                (a)   Regulating and damming of rivers affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rockier stream beds and poorer habitats for the river’s aquatic life.

                (b)   Dams also fragment rivers making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate, especially for spawning.

                (c)   The reservoirs that are created on the floodplains also submerge the existing vegetation and soil leading to its decomposition over a period of time.

                (d)   Multi-purpose projects and large dams have also been the cause  of  many new social movements like the ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’  and the ‘Tehri Dam Andolan’ etc.  Resistance to these projects has primarily been due to the large- scale displacement of local communities. Local people often had to give up their land, livelihood and their meagre access and control over resources for the greater good of the nation.

                (e)   The dams did create conflicts between people wanting different uses and benefits from the same water resources.

                (f)    Inter-state water disputes are also becoming common with regard to sharing the costs and benefits of the multi-purpose project.

                (g)   Ironically, the dams that were constructed to control floods have triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir. Moreover, the big dams have mostly been unsuccessful in controlling floods at the time of excessive rainfall.

Hydraulic Structures in Ancient India

            In the first century B.C., Sringaverapura near Allahabad had sophisticated water harvesting system channelling the flood water of the river Ganga.

                During the time of Chandragupta Maurya, dams, lakes and irrigation systems were extensively built.

                Evidences of sophisticated irrigation works have also been found in Kalinga, (Orissa), Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh), Bennur (Karnataka), Kolhapur (Maharashtra), etc.

                In the 11th Century, Bhopal Lake, one of the largest artificial lakes of its time was built.

                In the 14th Century, the tank in Hauz Khas, Delhi was constructed by Iltutmish for supplying water to Siri Fort area.

Conservation of Water Resources

              The first step in this direction is to collect the rainwater and stop it from draining off. Second step consists of scientifically managing the water resources of all the river watersheds–minor to major. And the third step calls for keeping the water unpolluted.

                Rainwater Harvesting.

                It is a technique of increasing the recharge of groundwater by capturing and storing rainwater locally in subsurface water reservoirs to meet the household needs. Objectives of the rainwater harvesting are to :

1. meet the ever increasing demand for water.
2. reduce the run-off which chokes drains.
3. avoid the flooding roads.
4. augment the groundwater storage and raise the water table.,
5. reduce groundwater pollution,
6. improve the quality of groundwater,
7. reduce the soil erosion, and
8. supplement domestic water requirement during summer and drought.

                Several low cost techniques are available to recharge the groundwater aquifers. Among them mention may be made of roof water harvesting, refilling of dug wells, recharging of hand pumps, construction of percolation pits, trenches around fields, and bunds and stop dams on small rivulets.

Ancient techniques to harvest Rain Water :

1. In ancient India, along with the sophisticated hydraulic structures, there existed an extraordinary tradition of water-harvesting system. People had in depth knowledge of rainfall regimes and soil types and developed wide ranging techniques to harvest rainwater, groundwater, river water and flood water in keeping with the local ecological conditions and their water needs.
2. In hills and mountainous regions, people build diversion channels like the ‘guls’  or ‘kuls’ of the Western Himalayas for agriculture.
3. Rooftop rain water harvesting was commonly practised to store drinking water, particularly in Rajasthan.
4. In the flood plains of Bengal, people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields.
5. In arid and semi-arid regions, agricultural fields were converted into rain fed storage structures that allowed the water to stand moisten the soil like the ‘khadins’ in Jaisalmer and ‘Johads’ in other parts of Rajasthan.
6. In the semi-arid and arid regions of Rajasthan, particularly in Bikaner, Phalodi and Barmer, almost all the houses traditionally had underground tanks or tankas for storing drinking water. The tanks could be as large as a big room. One household in Phalodi had a tank that  was 6.1 meters deep, 4.27 meters long and 2.44 meters wide.
7. Rain falling on the rooftops would travel down the pipe and was stored in these underground ‘tankas’. The first spell of rain was usually not collected as this would clean the roofs and the pipes. The rainwater from the subsequent showers was then collected.
8. The rainwater can be stored in the tankas till the next rainfall making it an extremely reliable source of drinking water when all other sources are dried up, particularly in the summers. Rainwater, or palar pani, as commonly referred to in these parts, is considered the purest form of natural water. Many houses constructed underground rooms adjoining the ‘tanka’ to beat the summer heat as it would keep the room cool.

Bamboo Drip Irrigation System

              In Meghalaya, a 200 – year – old system of tapping stream and spring water by using bamboo pipes, is prevalent. About 18 – 20 litres of water enters the bamboo pipe system, gets transported over hundreds of metres, and finally reduces to 20 – 80 drops at the site of the plant.

Add to your Knowledge

(1)           Mercalli scale is a scale for rating the power of an earthquake.

(2)           The plants that have moderate water requirement are known as Mesophyte.

(3)           A rocky desert landscape is known as Reg.

(4)           A large region of sand and sand dunes is commonly known as Erg Desert.

(5)           Steppe is a Russian term  for mid-latitude grassland.

(6)           Sial is a layer or part of crust that forms the continents and is composed of relatively light rocks.

(7)           Snow Line is a altitudnal or latitudnal limit seperating zones where snow does not melt during the summer season from areas in which it does. 

 

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