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VIII -SCIENCE- CONSERVATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS - SOLUTIONS FOR TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
CONSERVATION OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS
TEXTBOOK EXERCISES
I. Choose the best answer
1. The plants found in a particular area are known as ________
a) fauna
b) flora
c) endemic
d) rare
Ans: c) endemic
2. Deforestation means ______
a) cleaning of forest
b) to grow plants
c) to look after plants
d) None of these
Ans: d) None of these
3. The Red Data Book gives a list of _________
a) endemic species
b) extinct species
c) natural species
d) None of these
Ans: d) None of these
4. In-situ conservation is________
a) off site conservation
b) on site conservation
c) Both a and b
d) None of these
Ans: b) on site conservation
5. Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in ________
a) 1986
b) 1972
c) 1973
d) 1971
Ans: b) 1972
II. Fill in the blanks.
1. WWF stands for ___________.
Ans: World Wildlife Fund
2. The animal found in a particular area is known as ___________.
Ans: endemic
3. Red Data Book is maintained by ___________.
Ans: International Union for Conservation of Nature
4. Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in ___________ district.
Ans: Nilgiris
5. ___________ is observed as ‘World Wildlife Day’
Ans: March, 3
III. Match the following.
Ans:
IV. Answer very briefly
1. What is global warming?
Global warming is a dangerous condition in which earth’s average temperature rises alarmingly due to various human activities.
2. What is known as extinct species?
Species which no longer exist on earth are called extinct species.
3. Give few examples for extinct species.
◼️ Dinosaurs
◼️ Dodo
4. Name two endangered animals.
◼️Snow leopard
◼️ Bengal tiger
5. What is IUCN?
IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature
V. Answer briefly
1. What is biosphere reserve?
Biosphere is a protected area where the human population also forms part of the system. The area of these places will be around 5000 square kilometers. They conserve the ecosystem, species and genetic resources.
Eg.Nilgiri, Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu
2. What is tissue culture?
Tissue culture technique of growing plant cells, tissues, organs, seeds or other plant parts in a sterile environment on a nutrient medium.
3. What is endangered species? Give two examples.
An endangered species is an animal or a plant that is considered to be at the risk of extinction. It means that there are only a few of them left on the earth and soon they might go extinct.
Snow leopard, Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion, Purple frog and Indian giant squirrel are some of the endangered animals in India.
4. Write the advantages of the Red Data Book.
Advantages of the Red Data Book
◼️ It helps to evaluate the population of a particular species.
◼️ The data given in this book can be used to evaluate the species at the global level.
◼️ The risk of a species becoming globally extinct can be estimated with the help of this book.
◼️ It provides guidelines for implementing measures for protecting endangered species.
5. Mention four main reasons for the conservation of forests.
◼️ Conservation is the protection, preservation, management of wildlife and natural resource such as forest and water.
◼️ Conservation of biodiversity helps us to protect, maintain and recover endangered animals and plant species.
◼️ Conservation is of two types.
They are:
• In-situ conservation (within habitat)
• Ex-situ conservation (outside the habitat)
6. What do you understand by the term biomagnification?
Biomagnification is the increase in contaminated substances due to the intoxicating environment.
◼️ The contaminants might be heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and pesticides such as polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT (Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane).
◼️ These substances are taken up by the organisms through the food they consume.
◼️ These compounds aren't digested, they accumulate within the animals that ingest them, and become more and more concentrated when it is passed along the food chain as animals eat and then are eaten in turn.
◼️ Higher-level organisms like birds,fish and marine mammals build up more and more dangerous amounts of toxic materials than animals lower on the food chain.
7. What is PBR?
PBR (People’s Biodiversity Register)
◼️ People’s Biodiversity Register is a document which contains comprehensive information on locally available bio-resources including landscape and demography of a particular area or village.
◼️ Bio-resources mean plants, animals and microorganisms or parts thereof, their genetic material and by-products with actual or potential use or value.
VI. Answer in detail
1. What is deforestation? Explain the causes and effects of deforestation.
◼️ Destruction of forests in order to make the land available for different uses is known as deforestation.
◼️ Deforestation has resulted in several ecological imbalances such as increase in temperature, deficiency in rainfall etc.
◼️ It has also resulted in the extinction of several species of animals and plants.
Causes of Deforestation
Deforestation may be caused by nature or it may be due to human activities.
Some of them are;
a. Agricultural Expansion
With increasing population, there is an overgrowing demand for food production.
Hence, large amounts of trees are chopped down for crop production and for cattle grazing.
b. Urbanization
With the expansion of cities more land is needed to establish housing and settlement.
Forests are destroyed to meet all these needs
c. Mining
Mining of coal, diamond and gold require a large amount of forest land. So, a large number of trees is cut down to clear the forest area.
d. Construction of dams
To provide water supply to the increasing population, large size dams are constructed. Hence, a great extent of forest area is being cleared.
e. Timber Production
We need wood to meet the needs of our daily life.
A large number of trees are being cut down for fuel supplies.
f. Forest fire
In many forests, fires are usually expected from time to time.
They may be caused by humans, accidents or natural factors.
g. Cyclones
Cyclones destroy the trees on a massive scale.
They not only destroy the trees but also affect the livelihood of so many people who depend on them.
Effects of Deforestation
◼️ Our survival without forest will be very difficult.
◼️ They supply us the oxygen we need, cause rainfall and provide so many things needed for our life.
◼️ In India alone 10 lakh hectares of forests are destroyed which has resulted in so many harmful effects.
a. Extinction of species
Deforestation has resulted in the loss of many wonderful species of plants and animals and many are on the verge of extinction.
b. Soil Erosion
Widespread trees in the forests protect the soil from the heat of the sun.
When the trees are cut down, soil is eroded and washed away along with the nutrients.
c. Water cycle
Trees suck the water from the roots and release the water into the atmosphere in the form of vapour during transpiration. When trees are cut down the amount of water vapour released decreases and hence there is a decrease in the rainfall.
d. Floods
Trees absorb and store a large amount of water with the help of their roots. When the trees are cut down, the flow of water is disrupted and it leads to flooding in some areas.
e. Global warming
Global warming is a dangerous condition in which earth’s average temperature rises alarmingly due to various human activities.
2. Discuss the advantages of in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
Advantages of In-situ conservation
◼️ Species can be adapted to their habitat.
◼️ Species can interact with each other.
◼️ Natural habitat is maintained.
◼️ It is less expensive and easy to manage.
◼️ Needs of indigenous people are protected.
Advantages of Ex-situ conservation
◼️ It prevents the decline of species.
◼️ Endangered animals can be breeded in these ways.
◼️ Threatened species are breeded and released in natural environments.
◼️ It is useful for conducting research and scientific work.
3. Write about the types of conservation.
Conservation is of two types.
They are:
◼️ In-situ conservation (within habitat)
◼️ Ex-situ conservation (outside the habitat)
In-situ conservation:
◼️ It is nothing but conservation of living resources within the natural ecosystem in which they occur.
◼️ This is achieved by protection of natural habitat and maintenance of endangered species in certain protected areas such as national parks, wildlife or bird sanctuaries and biosphere reserves.
a. National Parks:
◻️ National park is an area which is strictly reserved for the betterment of the wildlife.
◻️ Here, activities like forestry, grazing or cultivation are not permitted.
b. Wildlife sanctuaries:
◻️Sanctuary is a protected area which is reserved for the conservation of animals only.
◻️Human activities like harvesting of timber, collection of forest products and private ownership rights are allowed here.
◻️Controlled interference like tourist activity is also allowed.
c. Biosphere reserves:
◻️Biosphere is a protected area where the human population also forms part of the system.
◻️The area of these places will be around 5000 square kilometers.
◻️They conserve the ecosystem, species and genetic resources.
Ex-situ Conservation:
It is the conservation of wildlife outside their habitat.
Establishing zoos and botanical gardens, conservation of genes, seedling and tissue culture are some of the strategies followed in this method.
a. Botanical gardens:
◻️It is a place where flowers, fruits and vegetables are grown.
◻️These places provide a healthy and calm environment.
b. Zoological parks
◻️Zoological parks are the areas where wild animals are conserved.
◻️In India there are about 800 zoological parks.
c. Tissue Culture:
◻️ It is a technique of growing plant cells, tissues, organs, seeds or other plant parts in a sterile environment on a nutrient medium.
d. Seed bank:
◻️ The seed bank preserves dried seeds by storing them in a very low temperature.
◻️ The largest seed bank in the world is the Millennium Seed Bank in England.
e. Cryo Bank:
◻️ It is a technique by which a seed or embryo is preserved at a very low temperature.
◻️ It is usually preserved in liquid nitrogen at –1960C. This is helpful for the conservation of species facing extinction.
4. Write a note on Blue Cross.
◼️ Blue Cross is a registered animal welfare charity in the United Kingdom, founded in 1897 as ‘Our Dumb Friends League’.
◼️ The vision of this charity is that every pet will enjoy a healthy life in a happy home.
◼️ The charity provides support for pet owners who cannot afford private veterinary treatment, helps to find homes for unwanted animals, and educates the public in the responsibilities of animal ownership.
◼️ Captain V. Sundaram founded the Blue Cross of India, the largest animal welfare organization of Asia in Chennai in 1959.
◼️ Blue Cross of India is the country's largest animal welfare organizations and it runs several animal welfare events like pet adaptation and animal right awareness.
◼️ Blue Cross of India has received several international and national awards.
◼️ This organization is entirely looked after by volunteers.
◼️Activities of the organization include, providing shelters, re-homing, adoption, animal birth control, maintaining hospitals and mobile dispensary and providing ambulance services.
VII. Higher Order Thinking Questions
1. Is it possible to find dinosaurs today? Why?
No, it is not possible to find the dinosaurs.
We don't know exactly why most dinosaur species are extinct.
The fossil record doesn’t offer enough information to pinpoint why these species are eventually extinct.
But, most paleontologists view today that birds are living dinosaurs. In other words, the traits that we accept as defining birds — key skeletal features as well as behaviors including nesting and brooding — actually arose first in some dinosaurs.
2. Animals are affected by deforestation. How?
Deforestation has real consequences for animals.
The most serious impacts are
a direct loss of wildlife habitat as well as a general degradation of their habitat.
climatic changes which will not only affect local populations, but also on wildlife populations.
threats such as wildfires, which may reduce the remaining forest areas resilience also.
3. Why did the numbers of tiger and black buck decrease?
The number of tiger and black buck have decreased due to deforestation, hunting and habitat degradation.
Because of habitat loss and prey depletion rather than being killed directly.
A tiger needs to eat about 50 deer-sized animals of living prey every year.
