NCERT Notes Class 9 Geography: Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

NCERT Notes Class 9 Geography: Chapter 5: These NCERT notes for Class 9 Geography, Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife, are really helpful. These notes talk about the different kinds of plants and animals we have in India. They explain how the weather and land affect where plants grow and where animals live. These notes are great for understanding more about nature and why it is important to protect it.

They’re easy to understand and provide all the key information students need to know. With these notes, students can study effectively and feel confident when answering exam questions. They’re a great resource for students aiming to do well in their Geography exams.

Introduction

Natural vegetation is the plants that grow without any help from humans and have been left alone for a long time. We call this virgin vegetation.

The word “flora” refers to all the plants in a specific area or time period, while “fauna” refers to all the animals. The wide variety of plants and animals we see is because of a few reasons:

1. Land: The shape of the land affects vegetation directly and indirectly.

• Flat, fertile land is often used for farming.
• Areas with hills and rough terrain become grasslands and woodlands, which provide homes for many animals.

2. Soil: Different soils support different kinds of plants.

• Sandy soil in deserts helps cacti and thorny bushes grow.
• Wet, marshy soils in deltas support mangroves and other water-loving plants.
• Soil on hillsides helps coniferous trees grow.

3. Climate: Temperature, sunlight, and rainfall affect the type and amount of vegetation.

• Temperature: Plants grow differently depending on how hot or cold it is, and whether it is wet or dry.
• Sunlight: How long the sun shines each day affects how fast plants grow. Longer days mean faster growth, especially in summer.
• Rainfall: More rain usually means denser vegetation, while less rain means less greenery.

Types of Vegetation

The following major types of vegetation may be identified in our country are:

(i) Tropical Evergreen Forests

(ii) Tropical Deciduous Forests

(iii) Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs

(iv) Montane Forests

(v) Mangrove Forests

Tropical Evergreen Forests

• These forests are found in regions with heavy rainfall, such as the Western Ghats, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and upper parts of Assam and Tamil Nadu coast.
• They grow in areas receiving more than 200 cm of rainfall annually, with a short dry season.
• The trees in these forests can grow to towering heights, reaching up to 60 meters or even higher.
• Due to the warm and wet climate year-round, these forests have rich vegetation, including trees, shrubs, and creepers, creating a multi-layered canopy.
• Unlike deciduous forests, there’s no specific time for trees to shed their leaves here, so these forests remain green throughout the year.
• Commercially important trees found in these forests include ebony, mahogany, rosewood, rubber, and cinchona.
• Common animals in these forests include elephants, monkeys, lemurs, and deer. Various birds, bats, sloths, scorpions, and snails inhabit these areas.

Tropical Deciduous Forests

• These forests are known as the most widespread in India and are also called monsoon forests.
• They are found in regions receiving rainfall between 200 cm and 70 cm.
• Trees in these forests typically shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks during the dry summer season.
• Based on water availability, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous forests.
• Moist deciduous forests are found in areas receiving rainfall between 200 cm and 100 cm, mainly in the eastern part of the country such as northeastern states, along the Himalayan foothills, Jharkhand, West Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
• Teak is the dominant species in these forests, with other commercially important species including bamboo, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun, and mulberry.
• Dry deciduous forests are found in areas with rainfall between 100 cm and 70 cm, mainly in the rainier parts of the Peninsular plateau and the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
• These forests often have open stretches with trees like teak, sal, peepal, and neem. Much of this region has been cleared for cultivation and grazing.
• Common animals found in these forests include lions, tigers, pigs, deer, and elephants. A variety of birds, lizards, snakes, and tortoises inhabit these areas.

The Thorn Forests and Scrubs

1. In regions receiving less than 70 cm of rainfall, the natural vegetation consists of thorny trees and bushes.
2. This type of vegetation is predominant in the north-western part of the country, including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
3. Main plant species in these areas include acacias, palms, euphorbias, and cacti.
4. Trees are scattered and have long roots that penetrate deep into the soil to access moisture.
5. Stems of these plants are succulent to conserve water, while leaves are typically thick and small to minimize evaporation.
6. These forests transition into thorn forests and scrubs in arid areas.
7. Common animals found in these forests include rats, mice, rabbits, foxes, wolves, tigers, lions, wild asses, horses, and camels.

Montane Forests

In mountainous regions, the temperature decreases as altitude increases, resulting in a corresponding change in natural vegetation. This leads to a succession of vegetation belts similar to those seen from tropical to tundra regions.

• Wet temperate forests are typically found at elevations between 1000 and 2000 meters. These forests are dominated by evergreen broad-leaf trees like oaks and chestnuts.
• Between 1500 and 3000 meters, temperate forests containing coniferous trees such as pine, deodar, silver fir, spruce, and cedar are prevalent. They mainly cover the southern slopes of the Himalayas and high-altitude areas in southern and northeastern India.
• At higher elevations, temperate grasslands become more common. Generally, above 3600 meters, these forests and grasslands transition into Alpine vegetation. Common trees in Alpine forests include silver fir, junipers, pines, and birches. However, as they approach the snow-line, they become progressively stunted. Eventually, they merge into Alpine grasslands, extensively used for grazing by nomadic tribes like the Gujjars and Bakarwals.
• At even higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of tundra vegetation.

Common animals found in these mountain forests include the Kashmir stag, spotted deer, wild sheep, jackrabbit, Tibetan antelope, yak, snow leopard, squirrels, shaggy horn wild ibex, bears, rare red pandas, and sheep and goats with thick hair.

Mangrove Forests

• Mangrove tidal forests are located in coastal areas influenced by tides, where mud and silt accumulate.
• These forests are characterized by dense mangrove vegetation, with roots submerged underwater.
• Commonly found in the deltas of rivers like the Ganga, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and Kaveri.
• Sundari trees, known for their durable hard timber, are prevalent in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
• Other species such as palm, coconut, keora, and agar also grow in certain parts of the delta.
• Notable animals in these forests include the Royal Bengal Tiger, turtles, crocodiles, gharials, and snakes.

Wildlife

• India is home to a diverse range of animals, birds, and fish, with approximately 90,000 animal species, 2,000 species of birds, and 2,546 species of fish.
• Elephants are found in hot wet forests like those in Assam, Karnataka, and Kerala.
• One-horned rhinoceroses live in swampy lands of Assam and West Bengal.
• The Rann of Kachchh is home to wild ass, while camels are found in the Thar Desert.
• Other animals found in India include Indian bison, nilgai, chousingha, gazelles, and various species of deer.
• India is the only country with both tigers and lions, with lions in Gir forest, Gujarat, and tigers in places like Madhya Pradesh and the Sundarbans.
• The Himalayas host animals adapted to extreme cold, including yak, Tibetan antelope, and snow leopards.
• Ladakh has animals like the shaggy-horned wild ox, Tibetan wild ass, and red panda.
• Rivers, lakes, and coastal areas are home to turtles, crocodiles, and gharials.
• Forests and wetlands are inhabited by birds like peacocks, pheasants, and cranes.

Conservation Efforts

• Overexploitation by humans has endangered many plant and animal species, with about 1,300 plant species and some animal species facing extinction.
• Causes of threats include hunting, pollution, introduction of alien species, and deforestation.
• The government has taken steps to protect flora and fauna, including setting up biosphere reserves, providing assistance to botanical gardens, and introducing projects like Project Tiger and Project Rhino.
• India has 89 national parks, 490 wildlife sanctuaries, and zoological gardens to protect its natural heritage.
• Biosphere reserves in India include the Sunderbans, Nanda Devi, Gulf of Mannar, and Nilgiris, among others.

List of fourteen bio-reserves in India are:

1. Sunderbans (West Bengal)
2. Simlipal (Odisha)
3. Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu)
4. Dihang-Dibang (Arunachal Pradesh)
5. The Nilgiris in South India (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala)
6. Dibru-Saikhowa (Assam)
7. Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand)
8. Agasthyamalai (Kerala and Tamil Nadu)
9. Nokrek (Meghalaya)
10. Kanchenjunga (Sikkim)
11. Great Nicobar (Bay of Bengal)
12. Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh)
13. Manas (Assam)
14. Achanakmar-Amarkantak (Chhattisgarh)

Related Links

• Wild Life in India
• Wildlife Sanctuaries of India
• Wildlife Tourism in India
• Depletion of Forest and Wildlife in India

Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and Wildlife- FAQs

What is natural vegetation?

Natural vegetation refers to plant communities that grow naturally without human intervention and have been undisturbed by humans for a long time. It is often termed as virgin vegetation.

What are the major types of natural vegetation in India?

The major types of natural vegetation in India include tropical evergreen forests, tropical deciduous forests, tropical thorn forests and scrubs, montane forests, and mangrove forests.

Where are tropical evergreen forests found in India?

Tropical evergreen forests are found in areas with heavy rainfall, such as the Western Ghats, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, upper parts of Assam, and the Tamil Nadu coast.

Which animals are commonly found in tropical evergreen forests?

Common animals found in tropical evergreen forests include elephants, monkeys, lemurs, deer, rhinoceroses, various bird species, bats, sloths, scorpions, and snails.

Where are thorn forests and scrubs found in India?

Thorn forests and scrubs are found in regions with less than 70 cm of rainfall, predominantly in the northwestern part of the country, including semi-arid areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.