Download forest wildlife

A SHORT NOTE FOR YOU ALL
• TODAY WE ARE GOING TO DO A PROJECT
ON THE FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
SO LISTEN WELL WHILE WE ARE SPEAKING.
NO SHOUTING, NO GOSSIPING, JUST
MAINTAIN A PIN DROP SILENCE.
NOW, WE WILL START OUR PRESENTATION.
• We humans along with the other living
organisms form a complex web of ecological
system in which we are only a part and very
much dependent on this system for our own
existence. Forests play a key role in the
ecological system as they are the primary
producers on which all other living beings
depend.
Flora
And
fauna
+
Human
beings
=
• Biodiversity means inherited variations within species, the
variety of species in an area, and the variety of habitat types
within a landscape. In other words it refers to the variety of
living organisms. It is an interconnected web in which every
organisms has a role. Various organisms play different roles
of producers, consumers, and decomposers. It is on these
roles that other organisms, including humans, depend for
their existence. The existence of millions of living beingsanimals, plants and human beings simultaneously is known
as BIODIVERSITY.
IMPORTANCE OF BIO
DIVERSITY
• Human beings depend on biodiversity for their
very survival.
• Without plants and animals we cannot survive.
• Plants create the quality of air we breathe in.
• India is one of the world’s richest countries in
the terms of its vast range of biological
diversity and has nearly 8 per cent of the total
number of species in the world (estimated to
be 1.6 millions)
Fauna or Animal life
More than 81,000 species
Flora or Plant life
More than 47,000 species
Indigenous Flowering Plant
About 15,000 species
Endangered Wild floors
About 10%
Endangered Mammals
About 20%
FOREST
WILDLIFE
WILDLIFE
CLASSIFICATIONS BASED ON THE INTERNATIONAL
UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND NATIONAL
RESOURCES (IUCN)
NORMAL SPECIES- Species whose population levels are considered to be
normal for their survival, such as cattle, sal, pine, rodents, etc.
ENDANGERED SPECIES- These are species which are in danger of
extinction. The survival of such species is difficult if their population
continue to operate. The examples of such species are black buck,
crocodiles, Indian rhinos, lion tailed macaque, sangai (brown anter
deer in Manipur), etc.
VULNERABLE SPECIES- These are species whose population has declined
to levels from where it is likely to move into the endangered category
in the near future if the negative factors continue to operate. The
examples of such species are blue sheep, Asiatic elephants, Gangetic
dolphins, etc.
RARE SPECIESSpecies with small population may move into the endangered or
vulnerable category if the negative factors affecting them continue to
operate. The examples of such species are the Himalayan brown bear,
wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and horn bill, etc.
ENDEMIC SPECIESThese are species which are only found in some particular areas
usually isolated by nature or geographical barriers. Examples of such
species are the Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig,
mithun in Arunachal Pradesh.
EXTINCT SPECIESThese are species which are not found after searches of known or
likely areas where they may occur. A species may be extinct from a
local area, region, country, continent or the entire earth. Examples of
such species are the Asiatic cheetah, pink head duck.
The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Government of India enacted wild life protection act of 1972 with
the objective to control poaching and illegal trade in wild life. The
act provides for the protection of wild animals, birds, and plants by
banning hunting, giving legal protection to their habitats, and
restricting trade in wildlife. Subsequently, central and many state
governments established national parks and wild life sanctuaries.
• The problem of overcrowding is one of the major reasons
for the depleting population of wild animals in India. The
wildlife sanctuaries of India have become overcrowded and
their capacity has decreased to quite an extent.
• With the increase in tourism, the parks have witnessed an
increase in wildfires also. Innocent campfires started by
visitors have, more often than not, led to menacing
wildfires. These fires not only kill animals, but also destroy
their natural habitat.
• Last but not the least, the threat of poaching has been
haunting the wildlife of India since ages. Even after the
establishment of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks,
the threat of poaching has not been totally eliminated.
WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN INDIA
FOREST
WILDLIFE
FORESTS
VANISHING FORESTS
• Forests cover 637,293 sq km, which is 19.39% of the
total geographical area.
• Dense forests 11.48%
• Open Forests 7.76%
• Mangrove 0.15%
The main causes of depletion of flora and
fauna are:
1.Agricultural Expansion
2.Enrichment Plantation
3.Development Project
Agricultural Expansion
• Between 1951 and 1980, according to the forest survey of India, over 26,200 sp km
of forest area was converted into agricultural land all over India. Especially in the
north eastern and central India have been deforested or degraded by shifting
cultivation (Jhun), a type of ‘slash and burn’ agriculture
ENRICHMENT PLANTATION
• Promotion of a few favored species, in many parts of India, has been carried
through the ironically termed ‘Enrichment Plantation’, in which a single
commercially valuable species was extensively planted other species eliminated.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
• Large scale development projects have also contributed significantly to the loss
of forest. Since 1951, over 5,000 sp km of forest was cleared for river valley
projects. Clearing of forests is still continuing with projects like the Narmada
Sagar Project in Madhya Pradesh, which would inundate 40,000 hectares of
forests.
SOCIAL EFFECTS OF RESOURCE
DEPLETION
In many societies, women bear the major responsibility of
collection of fuel fodder, water, and other basic subsistence needs.
As these resources are depleted, the drudgery of women
increases and sometimes they have to walk for more than 10 kms
to collect these resources. This causes serious health problems
for women and negligence of home and children because of the
increased hours of work, which often has serious social
implications. The indirect impact of degradation such as severe
drought or deforestation- induced floods, etc. Also hits the poor
the hardest. Poverty in these cases is a direct outcome
environmental destruction.
BENEFITS OF CONSERVATION
Conservation preserves the ecological diversity and our life
support system- water, air and soil. It also preserves the genetic
diversity of plants and animals for their better growth of species
and breeding. For e.g, in agriculture, we are still dependent on
traditional crop varieties. Fisheries too are heavily dependent on
the maintenances of aquatic bio-diversity.
THE EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION ARE:
It accelerates soil erosion and affects underground flow of
water adversely.
Depletion of forests leads to disappearance of wildlife as well as
many wild varieties of plants.
AFFORESTAION PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN
ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF ENVIRONMENT
It modifies local climate. It influences air
temperature and reduces wind force.
A forestation helps in controlling soil erosion
A forestation provides natural environment for
wild life.
A forestation helps in enhancing the quantity of
rain
CLASSIFICATION OF FORESTS
• RESERVED FORESTS:
Reserved forests are the forests that are regarded as the most valuable as
far as the conservation of forest and wild life resources are concerned.
More than half of the total forest land has been declared reserved forest.
• PROTECTED FORESTS:
This forest land is protected from any further depletion. Almost 1/3 of the
total forest area is protected forest, as declared by the Forest
Department(FD) of the total forest covers 29.2% are the protected forests.
• UNCLASSED FORESTS:
These are other forest of waste land that belongs to both government and
private individual and communities. Here no restriction are imposed but
because of the inaccessibility and hostile terrain, nobody can easily make
use of them. Of the total forest cover 16% are the unclassed forests.
RARE SPECIES-