Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources

SIGNIFICANCE

1. A thin zone exists between lithosphere hydrosphere and atmosphere is called the biosphere where variety of organisms exists. In the biosphere living beings are inter-related and interdependent on each other for survival. This life supporting system is known as the ecosystem.
2. The plant cover is of great importance because all forms of life depend on them for survival, Plants are the only form of life which is able to convert solar energy into food energy.
3. Vegetation and wildlife are valuable resources. Plants provide us with timber, give shelter to animals, produce oxygen we breathe, protects soils so essential for growing crops, act a shelter belts, help in storage of underground water, give us fruits, nuts, latex, turpentine oil, gum, medicinal plants and also the paper which is essential for studies.
4. Wildlife includes animals, birds, insects as well as the aquatic life forms. They provide us milk, meat, hides and wool. Insects like bees provide us honey, help in pollination of flowers and have an important role to play as decomposers in the ecosystem. The birds feed on insects and act as deoomposers as well. Vulture due to its ability to feed on dead livestock is a scavenger and considered a vital cleanser of the environment. So animals big or small, all are integral to maintaining balance in the ecosystem.
5. There are about 300,000 plant species and 10,00,000 animal species known to exist on earth.

FACTORS INFLUENCING PLANT AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES

1. The distribution of plants and animals on the earth is determined by the climate of an area. Plants are rooted to soil and cannot move. They have to make adjustments to seasonal change and if there is a major change in climate, the plant may not survive. Animals are able to move from one place to another and have better chances of survival.
2. If the vegetation. changes, the animal life also changes. All plants and animals in a given area are interlinked and interdependent on each others and the physical environment. They together form an ecosystem.
3. The kind of soil: Soil component decide plant growth as well as animal life. For example earthworms are not found in every type of soil.
4. Wind : it controls the growth of plants through increase in the rate of transpiration.
5. Relief: Slope of a place, intensity of water and sunlight determine kind of soil.

DISTRIBUTION OF NATURAL VEGETATION

• The plant species living in association with each other in a given environmental frame work is known as vegetation.
• A very large ecosystem on land having distinct types of vegetation and animal life is called a biome.
• Major vegetation types of the world may be grouped as forests, grasslands, scrubs and tundra. The global pattern of their distribution depends upon the availability of moisture. Forests are found in areas having abundant water supply, grasslands are found in regions of moderate rainfall. Thorny shrubs are found in dry regions. in such areas plants have deep roots and leaves have thorny and waxy surface to reduce loss of moisture by transpiration. Tundra vegetation of cold Polar Regions has only mosses and lichens.
• Every plant needs optimum temperature. Forests are found from the equator to 60° North and South of equator. Plants growth ceases when temperature fails below 6°C. in Polar Regions and on mountains plants occur in scattered patches.

TYPES OF FORESTS

• Evergreen forest - Trees in these forests don't shed their leaves simultaneously during any season of the year. In hot and humid climate they have broad leaves and in cold climate they have needle like leaves and bear cones.
• Deciduous Forests - They are found in Tropical, sub tropical and mid latitude areas. Trees of the forest shed leaves in a particular season in order to conserve loss of moisture through transpiration.

USE

• Norway, Sweden, Finland and Canada are exporters of several forest products like paper, wood pulp and newsprint.
• In India and other monsoon countries of south and south eastAsia, rosewood, sandalwood, teak and mahogany are the important species which have been used economically to a large extent.

CONSERVATION OF FORESTS

Forests are an important resource, so we need to conserve this renewable resource. Some important ways of conserving forests are:

1. Afforestation : The most important measure is to plant more trees.
2. Check on Urban growth : Unplanned expansion of big cities have led to destruction of forest areas.
3. Grazing : There should be control on grazing by domestic animals.
4. Creating awareness : Awareness programs like social forestry and Vanamohatasava should be encouraged at the regional and community level, School children should be encouraged for bird watching and visiting nature camps so that they appreciate the habitat of varied species.
5. Preventing Forest fires : By making people living in and around forests more vigilant and cautious.

WILD LIFE RESOURCES

Wild life refers to plants, animals, birds and other organisms, which live in a natural habitat. If the existence of any species is threatened then a state of imbalance is created in the environment which adversely affects the food chain and the food web.

Conservation of natural vegetation and wildlife

1. Forests are our wealth.
2. Plants give shelter to the animals and together they maintain the ecosystem.
3. Changes of climate and human interferences can cause the loss of natural habitats for the plants and animals.
4. Many species have become vulnerable or endangered and some are some are on the verge of extinction.
5. Deforestation, soil erosion, constructional activities, forest fires, tsunami and landslides are some of the human made and natural factors which together accelerate the process of extinction of these great natural resources.
6. One of the major concerns is the increasing incidents of poaching that result in a sharp decline in the number of particular species. The animals are poached for collection and illegal trade of hides, skins, nails, teeth, horns as well as feathers.
7. Some of these animals are tiger, lion, elephant, deer, black buck, crocodile, rhinoceros, snow leopard, ostrich and peacock. These can be conserved by increasing awareness.
8. National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries have been established to protect and conserve wildlife.
9. Many countries have passed laws declaring the trade as well as killing of several birds and animals illegal.
10. In India, killing of lions, tigers, deers, great Indian bustards and peacock have been banned.
11. An international convention cities (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) has been established that lists several species of animals and birds in which trade is prohibited.
12. Cities is an international agreement between governtments. Its aim to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.Roughly 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are protected. Bears, dolphins, cacti, corals, orchids and abes are some examples.