ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank Chapter 6 Natural Vegetation

ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank Chapter 6 Natural Vegetation

 Questions Based on Natural Vegetation

I. Short Answer Questions:

Question 1.
What is meant by natural vegetation?
Answer:
Natural vegetation refers to the plant cover that has not been disturbed over a long time, so as to allow its individual species to adjust themselves fully to the climate and soil conditions. Grasses, shrubs and trees, which grow on their own without any interference, constitute the natural vegetation of an area.

Question 2.
Name the area where tropical rain forests are found.
Answer:
The Western Ghats, the Island groups of Lashad weep and the Andaman Nicobar Islands are marked with tropical rain forests.

Question 3.
Mention two main characteristics of Tropical Rain Forests.
Answer:

• These forests are dense, multi-layered and have many types of trees and shrubs.
• In these forests, trees reach great heights of more than 45 m or above.
• The carpet layer of herbs and grasses cannot grow because of the dense canopy of trees which do not allow enough sunlight to reach the ground.

Question 4.
Mention two reasons why Tropical Evergreen Forests are difficult to exploit for commercial purposes.
Answer:
Because these forests are:

1. Very dense forests and great heights of more than 60 m or above.
2. The carpet layer of herbs and grasses cannot grow because of the dense canopy of trees which do not allow enough sunlight to reach the ground.

Question 5.
Name two varieties of the Tropical Deciduous Forests.
Answer:

1. The moist deciduous forests; and
2. The dry deciduous forests.

Question 6.
Give two characteristic features of Alpine Forests.
Answer:
(i) The wet temperature forests between an altitude of 1000- 2000m. In the higher mountain ranges of northe a stemindia, hilly areas of West Bengal and Uttarakhand, evergreen broad leaf trees like chestnut and oak are found. Between an altitude of1500 and 1750m, pine forests are found with Chir pine as an important tree. Blue pine and spruce occur at altitutdes of 2250 and 3000m.

(ii) Temperate grasslands also occur at many places in this zone. In the higher reaches, Alpine forests and pastures are found.

Question 7.
What are ‘Tidal forests’? Name two typical trees found there.
Answer:
Littoral or swampy forests are also known as Tidal forests. These forests are found in and around the deltas, estuaries and creeks prone to tidal influence and as such are also known as delta or swampy forests.
The trees found here are Sundri, Keora, Amur.

Question 8.
Name the type of forests found in the western part of the Western Ghats. Give two reasons why these forests are so named.
Answer:
Tropical Evergreen forests.
Reasons:

1. Since it receives rainfall of about more than 250 cm, therefore, these forests are dense, multi layered & hence many types of trees and shrubs are found.
2. Trees of such forests do not have fixed time to shed their leaves, to flower or for fruition. That is why these forests appear green all the year round.

Question 9.
Give two characteristics of tidal forests.
Answer:
Characteristics of Tidal forests are:

• Trees can survive in fresh as well as brackish water,
• Aerial, stilt like roots.
• Can be about 30 metres high,
• Trees grow in muddy and marshy areas,
• They can occur in tidal and coastal areas.

Question 10.
Why are the Sunderbans so called?
Answer:
Littoral forests have Sundri trees after the name of which these forests are known as ‘ Sunderbans’ in the Ganga Delta.

Question 11.
Why are the forests grown around the cities having the Iron and Steel Industries?
Answer:
The level of pollution is much higher in the cities having Iron and Steel Plants, pollution generated is more than the cities not having these plants. This is because during the manufacture of steel, air emissions from the manufacturing plants emit particulate matter, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and hydrogen fluoride which pollute the air.

Besides, these steel plants emit significant dust levels of about 20 kilograms per metric ton of steel. To prevent pollution, trees are planted around the cities having Iron and Steel Industries. The trees act as a barrier for the dust and purify the air.

Question 12.
What is Social Forestry?
Answer:
Social forestry means the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with a purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development.

Question 13.
What is meant by Agro-Forestry?
Answer:
Agro-forestry refers to “the sustainable system of managing a piece of land through combined production of agricultural crops and forest crops and animal rearing, to ensure the most efficient land use under a management system in accorded with socio¬cultural practices of the local people”.

Question 14.
Briefly explain two reasons for forests being an important natural resource.
Answer:

1. Forests supply timber for building purposes, furniture making, ship building, etc.
2. Soft wood like bamboos and grasses supply raw materials for wood pulp, paper and rayon industries.

Question 15.
Mention three methods for the conservation and development of forests in India.
Answer:

1. Increasing area under forest.
2. Stop indiscriminate felling of trees,
3. Using alternative sources of energy.

Question 16.
Mention three reasons why forests must be conserved.
Answer:
Forests must be conserved because of many utility of forests. Some of them are as:

• Forests provide favorable influence on temperature and rainfall,
• It helps to control air Pollution.
• It controls soil erosion,
• It helps in water percolation and so maintains groundwater levels.
• It supplies oxygen.

Question 17.
Name any two trees that grow in the Tropical Deciduous Forests which provides Timber.
Answer:
(i) Teak:
Its wood is moderately hard, durable and easy to work. It is used for construction purposes, ship building, furniture making, railway carriages, sleepers and bridges.

(ii)Shisham:
Its wood is hard,heavy with great strength,elasticity and durability. It is used for construction purposes, for making furniture, bullock-carts, agricultural implements, musical instruments and railway sleepers. It can be worked into decorative ornamental carvings.

Question 18.
Name a tree, leaves of which have commercial value.
Answer:
Tendu leaves are used as wrappers for bidi making.

Question 19.
Name the tree the timber of which could be used for the following:
(a) A soft and white timber used for making toys and match boxes.
(b) A hard durable timber used for ship building and furniture making.
(c) A sweet smelling timber which yields an oil, used for making handicrafts.
Answer:
(a) Semul or Chir
(b) Teak
(c) Sandal wood.

Question 20.
Name the two trees found in Tropical Evergreen Forests and give their economical value.
Answer:

• Chaplas:
  It provides strong and durable timber and is used for ship-building, furniture making and packing boxes.
• Rosewood:
  It is used in furniture-making floorboards, wagon parts, etc. It is used as decorative wood for carving and ornamental ply-boards and veneers.

II. Complete the Table:

Answer:

III. Distinguish between the following :

(a) Vegetation and Forest.
Answer:

Vegetation	Forests
1.Vegetation includes trees,grasses, shrubs and found in an ecological framework. The term vegetation is not limited to forests only, it is something more than the forests.	Forests are one of the several types of vegetation.
2.The type of vegetation depends on the appearance of plant cover, such as forests, woodland, grassland and shrubs.	The type of forest is determined by the amount of temperature, precipitation, topography, soils and its terrain.
3.The vegetation gives a distinct type of landscape to a region such as woodland, grassland etc.	Such landscapes are not possible in forests

(b) Tropical Evergreen and Tropical Deciduous Forests.
Answer:

Evergreen Forests	Deciduous Forests
1. These forests are found in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland and on Western Ghats.	These forests are found in Northern and Central India.
2. These are found in heavy rainfall (above 200 cm,) regions.	These forests are found in average rainfall area (100 cm – 200 cm)
3. The trees are Rosewood, Mahogani, Cinchona and   Sandal, Palm.	The trees are Sal, Teak, Sandal, Shisham etc.
4. The useful trees are found in short numbers. Mostly bushes are found.	The trees are very useful.

(c) The Northern Mountain Forests and the Southern Mountain Forests.
Answer:

Northern Mountain Forests	Southern Mountain Forests
(i)These forests include the Himalayan ranges which show a succession of natural vegetation from the tropical to tundra with change in altitude.	These forests thrive in the areas which experience annual rainfall of more than 150 cm, average annual temperature between 18°C and 24°C and humidity from 51 to 81 percent.
(ii)These forests cover the entire Himalayan zone from Kashmir to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh between 1500 m and 3300 m altitude.	These forests are found in three distinct areas of Peninsular India : (i) the Vindhyas, (ii) the Nilgiris (ii) the Western Ghats.
(iii) Oak, fir, spruce, deodar, chestnut, cedar, maple, kail, yew and birch are important tree varieties of these forests.	Magnolia, laurel, cinchona, wattle, jamun, plum, etc. are important tree varieties of these forests.

(d) Social Forestry and Agro-Forestry.
Answer:

• Social forestry is people-oriented, value based joint management of forests with a major objective of satisfying the needs, wants and aspirations of both the people and the government.
• It embraces almost a limitless range of activities on uncultivated land and thus, reduces the pressure on the nation’s forest resources.
• Social Forestry is also known as extension forestry, mined forestry, urban forestry, tree farming, Vanamahotsava, recreation forestry, livestock forestry, etc.
• Most of these names indicate utility of the forest features of Social Forestry.
• Agro-forestry is different from the traditional forestry in the sense that it is not vulnerable to population stresses.
• It is created in accordance with the socio-cultural practices of the population.
• In fact, agro-forestry co-ordinates with local population and reduces the pressure of population on traditional forestry.

III. Structured Questions.

Question 1.
(a) What are the climatic conditions under which Tropical Evergreen Forests develop?
Answer:
These forests are developed in the areas where the amount of annual rainfall is more than250 cm, average annual temperature is between 25°C and 27°C and average annual humidity exceeds 77 percent.

(b) Name the two type of deciduous forests.
Answer:

1. The moist deciduous forests; and
2. The dry deciduous forests.
   The common trees of such forests are sal, teak, arjun, shisham, mahua, mulberry, palas, semul, sandalwood, etc.

(c) What are the characteristic features of deciduous forests?
Answer:
These forests have a transition into moist deciduous, while on the drier margins they degrade into thorn forests. During the dry season, the trees in these forests shed their leaves completely and give the forests a look of a vast grassland with naked trees.

(d) Give a geographical reason for the following:
(i) The Western Ghats covered with thick evergeen forests while the Eastern Ghats are covered by deciduous forests.
Answer:
Western Ghats receives more rainfall as it is one the windward side, so Western Ghats is covered with thick evergreen forests whereas eastern side of the Western Ghats is on the leeward side which receives less rainfall so Eastern Ghats are covered by deciduous forests.

(ii) Forests appear green all the year round?
Answer:
The trees in these forests do not have a fixed time to shed their leaves, to flower or for fruition. That is why these forests appear green all the year round.

(iii) Deciduous forests commercially the most exploited ones?
Answer:
The trees of these forests provide timber, fruits and other useful products. Large tracts of these forests have been cleared for agricultural activities.

Question 2.
(a) Mention the areas where Tropical Desert Vegetation thrives.
Answer:
These forests are chiefly distributed in south-western Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, central and eastern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

(b) Under what climatic conditions do Littoral forests develop?
Answer:
These forests are developed in wet marshy areas, in river deltas, in saline or ther swampy areas and along the sea coasts.

(c) What are the characteristic features of tropical desert vegetation?
Answer:
Due to paucity of rainfall, the trees are stunted with large patches of coare grasses. In these forests, plants remain leafless for most part of the year and look like scrub vegetation.

(d) What are the characteristic features of Littoral forests?
Answer:
These forests have mainly evergreen species of varying density and height, usually associated with wetness. The tree trunks are supported by a number of stilt like roots which are submerged under water and profuse growth with tangle of climbers.

Question 3.
Describe the methods of protecting forests under the following heads:
(a) Increasing the area under forest.
(b) Afforestation
(c) Using alternative source of energy.
(d) People’s participation.
Answer:
(a) Increasing the area under forest –
Loss of forests can be remedied by a massive programme of tree plantation. Planting trees on degraded lands and land that is unfit for agriculture will not only help in improving the environment but will also relieve, harvesting pressure on these forests.

(b) Afforestation –
There should be a strict ban on felling of naturally growing trees. If a tree has to be cut, necessary permission has to be obtained. Besides, proper replacement of trees by planting saplings at least in the ratio of 1:10(1 tree to 10 saplings) should be undertaken.

(c) Using alternative source of energy.
Answer:
In many parts of the world including India, trees are felled for providing firewood. So, in order to conserve forests, we must use non-conventional or renewable sources of energy, like solar energy, tidal energy, hydel energy, etc.

(d) People’s participation.
Answer:
Participation of the people (local community) is of utmost significance if any plan has to be enforced since the local inhabitants are the ultimate users. Most programmes now involve local communities in planning, decision-making and implementation.

Question 4.
(a) What is agro-forestry?
Answer:
(a) Agro-forestiy is an ideal eco-friendly system of occupation for solving various problems in agriculture and forestry and promoting new scientific methods to cherish both agriculture and forest realm with respect to the increasing demands of human life.The definition of agro-forestry is the sustainable system of managing a piece of land through combined production of agricultural and forest crops. It may include animal rearing, forest based industries on the basis of available resources and efficiency of the local people.

(b) What is social forestry?
Answer:
It refers to the management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development.

(c) What are the objectives of agro-forestry?
Answer:
The objectives of agro-forestry are the best utilisation ofavailable resources by scientific farming, soil and forest conservation, healthy animal rearing, promote crop yields and variety, forest based industries tourist industry recreation parks in order to get best result for human health, wealth and prosperity.

(d) What is the difference between agro-forestry and traditional forestry.
Answer:

Agro-forestry	Traditional-forestry
(i) It is the scientific method to maintain agricultural output and forests products	It is old method to use the forests recklessly for settlement and agriculture.
(ii) Agriculture and forests are maintained side by side.	Forests are burnt or cleared for agriculture and settlement.
(iii) It is an ideal method to get best results out of the limited land.	It is a wasteful method to destroy forests for settlements.
(iv) Japan has developed very good system of agro-forestry by growing mulberry trees on the borders of the fields	Shifting agriculture is an example of traditional forestry by clearing the forest resulting in damaging deforestation.

ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank