Wildlife and Conservation
NCERT Class 9 • Contemporary India I • Chapter "Natural Vegetation and Wildlife" | NCERT Class 10 • Contemporary India II • Chapter "Forest and Wildlife Resources"
Wildlife and Conservation
India holds a very large share of the world's known species in a relatively small area, which makes it one of the mega diverse nations. Habitat loss, hunting, pollution and the spread of farming have pushed many species towards extinction, so the state runs a layered system of protected areas and species projects.
Categories of Forest and Species
- Reserved forests are the most protected; protected forests allow limited use; unclassed forests include forests on private and community land.
- Species are graded as normal, endangered, vulnerable, rare, endemic and extinct.
- Endangered species face extinction if the causes continue; examples include the great Indian bustard.
- Endemic species are found only in one area, such as the Andaman wild pig.
- The Asiatic lion survives only in the Gir forest of Gujarat.
- The one horned rhinoceros is found in Kaziranga in Assam and in West Bengal.
Protected Areas and Projects
- National parks give the strictest protection and allow no grazing or private rights.
- Wildlife sanctuaries protect species but permit some regulated human activity.
- Biosphere reserves protect a whole ecosystem and have a core, a buffer and a transition zone.
- Project Tiger was launched in 1973 to save the tiger and its habitat.
- Project Elephant was launched in 1992 for elephant corridors and habitat.
- Joint Forest Management involves village communities in protecting and sharing forest produce, an approach started in Odisha in 1988.
- The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 created the legal basis for national parks and sanctuaries.
- Community conservation has protected the blackbuck near Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan for generations.
- Loss of habitat corridors is now as serious a threat as direct hunting.
| Protected Area | Protection Level | Example |
|---|---|---|
| National park | Strictest | Kaziranga, Assam |
| Wildlife sanctuary | Regulated use allowed | Many across states |
| Biosphere reserve | Whole ecosystem | Nilgiri, Sundarbans |
| Tiger reserve | Under Project Tiger | Valmiki, Bihar |
Biosphere reserve — a large protected area with a core, buffer and transition zone that conserves an entire ecosystem along with local livelihoods.
Hindi me samjhein
राष्ट्रीय उद्यान में मानवीय गतिविधि लगभग पूरी तरह वर्जित है, जबकि अभयारण्य में कुछ नियंत्रित गतिविधि की अनुमति रहती है। जीवमंडल निचय पूरे पारितंत्र की रक्षा करता है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
- Project Tiger was launched in — 1973
- Asiatic lion is found in — Gir forest, Gujarat
- One horned rhinoceros is found in — Kaziranga, Assam
- Project Elephant was launched in — 1992
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- A biosphere reserve's core zone allows no human activity, the buffer allows research and education, and the transition zone allows regulated settlement and farming.
- Joint Forest Management works because it links community income to the health of the forest rather than to its clearance.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Sanctuary protection is stricter than a national park | A national park is stricter | ✓
✗ Project Tiger started in 1992 | Project Tiger started in 1973; Project Elephant in 1992 | ✓
✗ The Asiatic lion is found in Rajasthan | It is found in Gir, Gujarat | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Forests: reserved, protected and unclassed.
- Species grades: normal, endangered, vulnerable, rare, endemic, extinct.
- National park strictest, then sanctuary, then biosphere reserve for whole ecosystems.
- Project Tiger 1973, Project Elephant 1992, Joint Forest Management from Odisha.
Ab practice karein
Mitti, van aur wildlife se har exam me seedhe factual questions aate hain. ExamAtlas ke mock test se abhi practice karein.