2. Temperature and moisture determine the growth of vegetation in a
particular region. Forests, grasslands, scrubs and tundra are the major
vegetation types in the world.
Huge trees can thrive in areas of heavy rainfall. Thus, dense forests are
present in areas which have abundant supply of water. The size and
density of trees decreases with relative decrease in moisture.
Short stunted trees and grasses grow in the regions of moderate
rainfall. Thorny shrubs and scrubs grow in dry areas which get low or
negligible rainfall. The Tundra vegetation is found in cold Polar Regions
and comprises of mosses and lichens.
Evergreen Forests: Trees of evergreen forests do not shed their leaves
at a particular time in a year. Evergreen forests are found in tropical
regions which get plenty of sunshine and rainfall.
Deciduous Forests: Trees of deciduous forests shed their leaves at a
particular time in a year. Deciduous forests are found in subtropical
regions which get moderate sunshine and rainfall.
3. Deforestation, soil erosion, construction activities, forest fires, tsunami and
landslides are some of the factors which are causing extinction of forest and
wildlife resources. Poaching is another concern which is leading to extinction
of valuable wildlife.
The government has made national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere
reserves to protect the natural vegetation and wildlife.
Many awareness programmes; like social forestry and Vanamahotsava are also
encouraged to conserve the wildlife and forests.
Many laws have been passed to make poaching an illegal and punishable
offence. In India, killing of lions, tigers, deer, etc. have been banned.
An international convention CITES has been established that lists several
species of animals and birds in which trade is prohibited. CITES stands for
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora. About 5,000 animal species and 28,000 plant species are being protected
under the CITES.
4. Forest:-Land that has a dense cover of trees and shrubs
is called forest.Forest grow well in regions where there
is abundant sunlight,temperatureand rainfall.
Grass land:-Land where grass and grass like plants are
the dominant form of plant life is cis called
grassland.Grassland grow in regions of moderate
rainfall.
Shrubs:-Shrubs are low woody perennial plants.Thorny
shrubs and scrubs grow in the dry regions of the
world,like the desert.
5.
6.
7.
8. What Is Deforestation?
Deforestation refers to the decrease in forest areas
across the world that are lost for other uses such as
agricultural croplands, urbanization, or mining
activities. Greatly accelerated by human activities
since 1960, deforestation has been negatively affecting
natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the climate. The
UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the
annual rate of deforestation to be around 1.3
million km2 per decade.
9. Multiple factors, either of human or natural origin,
cause deforestation. Natural factors include natural
forest fires or parasite-caused diseases which can result
in deforestation. Nevertheless, human activities are
among the main causes of global deforestation.
According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), the expansion of agriculture
caused nearly 80% of global deforestation, with the
construction of infrastructures such as roads or dams,
together with mining activities and urbanization,
making up the remaining causes of deforestation.
Related: How Is Coffee Related To Deforestation?
10. 1. Agriculture is the Number 1 Cause of Deforestation :-
Why is deforestation happening? According to the FAO,
agriculture causes around 80% of deforestation. And how does
agriculture cause so much deforestation? According to the same
report, 33% of agriculture-caused deforestation is a consequence
of subsistence agriculture – such as local peasant agriculture in
developing countries.
Commercial or industrial agriculture (field crops and livestock)
cause around 40% of forest loss – in the search for space to grow
food, fibers or biofuel (such as soybeans, palm oil, beef, rice,
maize, cotton and sugar cane). It is also particularly interesting
to note livestock is believed to be responsible for about 14% of
global deforestation. The main reasons why have to do with the
large areas require both to raise livestock but also to grow its
(soy-based) food.
11. 2. Deforestation Caused By New Constructions (~15%)
The construction of human infrastructures has also been driving
deforestation. More specifically, 10% of deforestation can be
attributed to new infrastructures that serve the current human
lifestyle in four main ways: transportation, transformation and
energy generation.
On one hand, roads, rails, ports or airports have been built to
move all sorts of goods – from cereals and fruits to spices,
minerals or fossil fuels – either directly to trade centers or to
transformation sites. So while at first there were only fruit trees,
roads soon arrived to allow transporting fruit to other regions.
And while some goods were and are collected manually, others
such as coal, oil, natural gas, biomass, but also meat, dairy or
spirits, required the construction of large extraction,
transportation and/or transformation infrastructures.
12. 3. How Urbanization Is Causing Deforestation
(~5%)
The populational shift that is leading people to move
from rural areas to urban areas is also contributing to
deforestation (5%, according to FAO). This urban
growth – in which 68% of the world’s population is
expected to live in cities by 2050 – is leading to an
exponential growth of housing and consumption sites.
And as cities become larger so they can host more
people, they challenge the natural boundaries
surrounding them, often leading to deforestation. This
is one of the reasons why deforestation is happening
13. Loss of Habitat
One of the most dangerous and unsettling effects of deforestation is the loss of animal
and plant species due to their loss of habitat. 70% of land animals and plant species live
in forests. Not only does deforestation threaten species known to us, but also those
unknown.
The trees of the rainforest that provide shelter for some species also provide the
canopy that regulates the temperature. Deforestation results in a more drastic
temperature variation from day to night, much like a desert, which could prove fatal for
many inhabitants.
Increased Greenhouse Gases
In addition to the loss of habitat, the lack of trees also allows a greater amount of
greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. Healthy forests absorb carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere, acting as valuable carbon sinks. Deforested areas lose that
ability and release more carbon.
Water in the Atmosphere
The trees also help control the level of water in the atmosphere by helping to regulate the
water cycle. In deforested areas, there is less water in the air to be returned to the soil.
This then causes dryer soil and the inability to grow crops.
14. Soil Erosion and Flooding
Further effects of deforestation include soil
erosion and coastal flooding. Trees help the land to
retain water and topsoil, which provides the rich
nutrients to sustain additional forest life.
Without forests, the soil erodes and washes away,
causing farmers to move on and perpetuate the cycle.
The barren land which is left behind in the wake of
these unsustainable agricultural practices is then more
susceptible to flooding, specifically in coastal regions.
15. Destruction of Homelands
As large amounts of forests are cleared away, allowing
exposed earth to whither and die and the habitats of
innumerable species to be destroyed, the indigenous
communities who live there and depend on the forest
to sustain their way of life are also under threat.
The loss of forests has an immediate and direct effect
on their lifestyle that we in the highly industrialized
parts of the world, despite our own dependency on
what the rainforest provides, will never know. The
level of immediacy is exponentially greater for
indigenous peoples.
16. Wildlife Sanctuary National Park
Human activities are allowed. No human activities are allowed
Human activities are allowed. Can include flora, fauna or any other
objects of historical significance.
There are no fixed boundaries. Boundaries are fixed and defined.
It is open to the general public Not usually open to the public.
Sanctuaries are usually formed by the
order of Central or the State
Government
National Parks are formed by the State
or central Legislature.
A sanctuary can be upgraded to a
national park A national park cannot be downgraded
to a Sanctuary.
