These DAV Class 8 SST Notes and DAV Class 8 SST Chapter 3 Notes – Natural Resources: Vegetation and Wildlife hold significant importance as study material for students.
Natural Resources: Vegetation and Wildlife Class 8 DAV Notes
→ Natural vegetation includes forests, grasses and shrubs. Thick forests grow in the areas of heavy rainfall. Shrubs and short trees are common in the areas of low rainfall or in desert areas. In cold regions, the growing season is very short, so plants occur in scattered patches in the form of mosses and lichens.
→ There are three broad types of forests- Tropical Hardwood Forests, Mediterranean Forests and Temperate Softwood Forests.
→ Tropical Hardwood Forests are further sub-divided into- Tropical Evergreen Forests and Tropical Deciduous Forests.
→ Tropical Evergreen Forests are confined to tropical regions where heavy rainfall occur throughout the year. The trees of these forests do not shed their leaves at the same time. Hence, the forests always appear green.
→ Tropical Hardwood trees are very tall in height. They have broad leaves. Example- mahogany, ebony, rosewood, etc. Animals found in these forests are elephant, lengur, monkey and deer.
→ Tropical Deciduous Forests thrive in regions where the climate is hot, with distinct wet and dry seasons. These forests have predominantly broad-leafed trees and they shed their leaves during the dry season. Typical trees are sal, teak, shesham etc.
→ Mediterranean Forests are located in regions around the Mediterranean sea. Trees of these forests are widely scattered and have spiny, waxy, small and leathery textured leaves. Important trees of these forests are corcle, olive, and citrus fruit trees.
→ Temperate Softwood Forests are found in regions where the winters are long and severe and the summer season is very short. Most of the trees are tall and conical in shape. Pine, fur, spruce, cedar, etc. are commonly found here.
→ Forests are precious resources on the earth. Deforestation on a large scale has depleted them which has led to the loss of habitat for wildlife.
→ Afforestation should be encouraged to maintain the forest cover.
→ Animals, birds and insects (wildlife) are also helpful in a lot of ways. Wildlife varies from place to place due to climatic variations. For example in India, there is a rich variety of birds and animals.
→ Wildlife is essential to maintain the ecological balance on the earth’s surface. Unfortunately wild animals are hunted in various parts of the world for selfish purposes like meat, skin, horns, etc. This disturbs the ecological balance of the environment.
→ There is great need for the preservation of wildlife. We must contribute for this. National parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biospheres reserves have been established in order to protect vegetation and wildlife.
→ Project Tiger was launched in 1973 in Corbett National Park. This project aims at tiger conservation in India.
→ Natural Vegetation: The assemblage of plant species in an environment is known as natural vegetation.
→ Wildlife: The animal kingdom which consists of animals, birds, acquatic creatures and insects, is called wildlife.
→ Evergreen Forests: The forests which do not shed their leaves at the same time are called evergreen forests.
→ Deciduous Forests: The forests which shed their leaves once at a particular time of the year are called deciduous forests.
→ Coniferous Forests: Softwood forests are commonly known as coniferous forests as the shape of the trees is conical.
→ National Park: A national park is a natural area supposed to be used to protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for the present and future generations.
→ Wildlife Sanctuary: A wildlife sanctuary is similar to a national park, but it is supposed to protect a particular animal, in some cases, or wildlife in general, in other cases.