OPEN TEXT MATERIAL

CLASS- VIII

SUBJECT- SCIENCE
THEME- IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS
A variety of plants and animals live on earth, mostly in the forests. Forests
provide them with home and food. These are essential for maintaining the
ecological balance and important for survival of mankind.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the cutting of trees to clear the forests and using that land
for other purposes. Deforestation is done for the following reasons
1.
2.
3.
4.

Procuring land for cultivation

Building houses & factories
Using wood as fuel.
Using wood for making furniture

Consequences of Deforestation
The following are the consequences of Deforestation
1. It increases the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
2. It increases temperature & pollution level on the earth leading to
global warming.
3. Ground water level is lowered as trees hold the ground water close to
surface.
4. Ecological balance is disturbed.
5. Rainfall & the fertility of soil is decreased.
6. Chances of natural calamities such as Droughts, Desertification and
Floods increase.
The following are the natural calamities associated with deforestation
1. Droughts Drought is a period when a particular region faces water
shortage mainly due to the lack of rainfall. Deforestation leads to less
number of trees on earth. Plants consume carbon dioxide from
atmosphere for photosynthesis. Lesser number would mean less
amount of carbon dioxide will be used up resulting in increased
amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere. Carbon dioxide traps the

heat rays reflected by earth leading to global warming. As the

temperature on the earth increases, it disturbs the water cycle &
reduces rainfall. This causes Drought.
2. Desertification Trees prevent soil erosion. Due to deforestation fewer
trees are left which results in soil erosion. Removal of the top layer of
the soil exposes the lower, hard and rocky layers. This soil is less
fertile which slowly gets converted into deserts. It is called as
Desertification.
3. Floods Due to deforestation, the water holding capacity of the soil
reduces. During heavy rains, the movement of water from the soil
surface into the ground is reduced, so most of the water remains on
the ground leading to floods.
Conservation of Forest & Wildlife
To conserve the various varieties of plants and animals, we need to conserve
their habitat forests. A variety of organisms exist on earth. Their
relationship with each other and the environment is called BioDiversity
Classification of Forests
Forest areas are classified into the following, so that we can focus on the
needs of species residing in that habitat. The plants & animals found in a
particular area are termed Flora (plants) & Fauna (animals) of that particular
area
1. Wildlife Sanctuaries They are protected areas which provide
protection & suitable living conditions to wild animals. These provide
them protection from capturing as well as killing (poaching) by
humans
There are about 550 animal wildlife sanctuaries in India. Some of the
popular ones are
Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh
Gir wildlife sanctuary, Gujarat
Periyar wildlife sanctuary, Kerala
2. National Parks It is a large and diverse protected area to protect the
whole gamut of ecosystem. They preserve flora, fauna, landscape and
historic objects of an area.
o
o
o

There are about 100 national parks in India. Some of the popular ones are
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Satpura national park, Madhya Pradesh

Corbett national park, Uttarakhand
Kaziranga national park, Assam

3. Biosphere Reserves Biosphere is that part of the earth in which living

organisms exist or which supports life. A biosphere reserve is a large
area of protected land for conservation of wild life, plant & animal
resources & the traditional life of the tribes living in the area
There are about 15 biosphere reserves in India. Some of the popular ones
are
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o
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Sunderbans, West Bengal

Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Madhya Pradesh
Nilgiri biosphere reserve, Tamil Nadu/ Kerala/ Karnataka

These are protected areas where it is prohibited to cut tree and harm the
animals
Preserving the Ecosystem
An ecosystem comprises of all the plants, animals and microorganisms of an
area along with non-living components like climate, soil, rivers etc
In an ecosystem, all the components depend on each other for survival.
Species is a group of population which are capable of interbreeding i.e., the
members of species can reproduce fertile offspring only with the members of
their own species & not with members of other species.
Endemic Species The species of plants and animals that are found
exclusively in a particular area & are not found anywhere else naturally are
called Endemic Species. These are obviously more valuable. Introducing
newer species in their habitat may endanger their habitat and make them
extinct. For example
1. Sal and Wild Mango Trees are endemic plants of Pachmarhi Biosphere
Reserve
2. Bison, Indian Giant Squirrel and Flying Squirrel are endemic animals of
Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve
Endangered Species Animals whose number are diminishing to a level that
they might face extinction are called as endangered species. Survival of
these endangered species has become difficult due to disturbances in their
natural habitat.
The endangered species are further classified into 3 categories based on the
magnitude of the issues surrounding their survival
1. Critically Endangered. For example

1. Ganges Shark
2. Himalayan Wolf
3. Indian Vulture
2. Endangered. For example
1. Asiatic Black Bear
2. Asiatic Lion
3. Ganges River Dolphin
3. Vulnerable
1. Andaman Horseshoe Bat
2. Andaman Rat
3. Bare-bellied Hedgehog
Migration & Migratory birds These birds cover long distances to reach
another land as the weather in their natural habitat becomes very cold &
inhospitable are called Migratory birds & this process is called as Migration.
Examples of migratory birds coming to India are
1.
2.
3.
4.

Siberian Cranes
Greater Flamingo
Asian Koel
Cuckoos

Other ways of conservation of forests

There are simple ways in which we can contribute to the conservation of
forests and the flora and fauna of that region.
1. Recycling of Paper Huge quantity of wood is required to make paper.
Trees are being cut to obtain wood from which paper can be made. So,
to save tree, we should save paper & recycle it. Paper can be recycled
5-7 times.
2. Reforestation It is restocking of the destroyed forests by planting
new trees. Reforestation can be done by man as well as it can happen
on its own if the deforested area is left undisturbed.