Hi Everyone!! This article will share Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Questions & Answers.
In one of my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of Our Environment and Motions of The Earth so, you can check these posts as well.
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Questions & Answers
Question 1: Define the following:
(a) Natural vegetation
Answer: Also known as virgin vegetation, it refers to plant life on the Earth’s surface that has grown without any human intervention.
(b) Desert ecosystem
Answer: It is a community of organisms that live together in an environment that seems to be deserted wasteland. In desert ecosystem, the plant and animal life that lives there will have evolved so that they can combat the harsh conditions.
(c) Xerophytes
Answer: They are the plants that are capable of withstanding extended periods of dry conditions as they have deep wide spreading roots and capacity to store water. For example: Cacti, Sagebrush or juniper.
Question 2: List four things made from softwood?
Answer: Sports, matchsticks, furniture, doors, papers etc.
Question 3: What is elephant grass? Where is it found?
Answer: During winters, the grass dries up and turns brown in appearance. They are often referred to as elephant grass. It is found at Tropical grass lands.
Question 4: What is a canopy?
Answer: The branches of larger taller trees tend to overlap each other, thus forming a canopy or cover that prevents even penetration of sunlight.
Question 5: Difference between evergreen and deciduous forests.
Answer: Evergreen trees as the name suggests, do not shed their leaves in any fixed time of the year. On the contrary deciduous trees shed all their leaves during a particular time of the year and become leafless.
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Questions & Answers
Question 6: Give reasons:
(a) Vegetation is scarce in the tundra region.
Answer: Vegetation is scarce in the tundra region because the permafrost does not allow growth of trees in this region. However, during the brief summer months when the snow thaws, plants such as willow, birch, sedges, mosses, lichens and grasses grow.
(b) Mediterranean forests are referred to as ‘Orchards of the Earth’.
Answer: Mediterranean forests are referred to as ‘Orchards of the Earth’ because of the fruit-bearing trees found in this region.
(c) Temperate grasslands are known for their thriving dairy industry.
Answer: Except for a few trees such as willows, alders and poplars the grasslands are treeless and are an ideal grazing ground. The grasses are short but loaded with nutrients and that is why these regions have a flourishing dairy industry.
Question 7: Write a short note on Natural vegetation and wildlife of rainforests.
Answer: Natural vegetation, also known as virgin vegetation, refers to plant life on the Earth’s surface that has grown without any human intervention. It includes all kinds of grass, herbs or shrubs that grow under natural conditions in a particular region. However, natural vegetation is being constantly modified by human intervention. The distribution of natural vegetation depends on several factors such as sunlight, temperature, rainfall, altitude, type of soil, latitude and slope of land.
Wildlife of rainforests: The rainforests are home to tigers, elephants, hippopotamuses, nilgai, deer, bears, rhinos, fox, monkeys, lions, sparrows, parrots, ducks, cranes, herons, snakes, crocodiles, etc.
Question 8: Plant life can be categorised on the basis of their water requirement. Explain.
Answer: Plant life can be classified into three categories based on the amount of water required:
- Xerophytes such as cacti, sagebrush, or juniper are capable of withstanding extended periods of dry conditions as they have deep wide-spreading roots and capacity to store water. The leaves are waxy and thorny that prevents loss of moisture. Even their fleshy stems can store water.
- Hygrophytes such as water lilies, hydrilla, poison ivy, pondweeds, duckweeds or lotus require large amount of water and they therefore grow in shallow streams, marshes and swamps.
- Mesophytes such as pines and oaks, that grow in high altitude areas, or tomatoes and mangoes require moderate amount of moisture for their survival.
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Questions & Answers
Question 9: Differentiate between Tropical Evergreen and Tropical Deciduous forests.
Answer:
| Tropical Evergreen Forests | Tropical Deciduous Forests |
| i. These are found in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins of South America, the Congo river basin in Africa, South East Asia, Papua New Guinea and many of the Pacific islands. | i. These are found in the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Central America, Brazil, Peru and parts of Northern Australia. |
| ii. These forests lie close to the equator, they experience hot and humid climate throughout the year. The temperature ranges from 20 °C to 30°C and the annual rainfall exceeds 200 cm. | ii. These forests experience seasonal rainfall of about 150 cm along with distinct dry season. The temperature varies between 20°C and 48°C. |
| iii. Forests are damp, extremely dense and multi-layered with trees, shrubs, ferns, creepers, etc. | iii. These forests are also multi-layered, but less dense. |
| iv. These forests have taller trees and branches of larger taller trees tend to overlap each other, thus forming a canopy or cover that prevents even penetration of sunlight. | These trees are of medium height, widely spaced with broad leaves. |
| v. Some of the commonly found trees in this region are mahogany, ebony, rosewood, rubber, cinchona, bamboos, palms, ferns, lianas, orchids, etc. | v. Some of the commonly found hardwood trees are teak, sal, deodar, sandalwood, shisham, eucalyptus and mangrove trees such as sundari tree (found in Sunderbans) |
Question 10: Discuss how climate influences the natural vegetation of tropical and temperature grasslands.
Answer: Tropical Grasslands summers are hot and wet, while winters are also warm. The region receives an annual rainfall of 25 to 75 cm, which is not sufficient for growth of forests. The grasses in the tropical grasslands are coarse, stiff and grow up to a height of 2-4 m during summers. During winters, the grass dries up and turns brown in appearance. They are often referred to as elephant grass and have long roots that help them in surviving the winter drought. Besides, a few small trees such as baobab and acacia also grow in these grasslands. The baobab or bottle tree can store water inside its trunk and acacia have small leaves that reduce transpiration.
Temperate Grasslands summers are warm, winters are cold and rainfall that usually occurs during summer months in brief. Except for a few trees such as willows, alders and poplars the grasslands are treeless and are an ideal grazing ground. The grasses are short but loaded with nutrients and that is why these regions have a flourishing dairy industry. In fact, in many areas extensive wheat and corn farming is practised.
Question 11: The Tundras are extremely cold and inhospitable. How do you think the animals are able to adapt themselves to such extreme climatic conditions.
Answer: The animals in the Tundra region either have a furry coat or thick layer of fat that helps them to survive the harsh climate. Polar bears, Arctic foxes, Wolves, lemmings, seals, walruses, whales, owl, etc. are some of the birds and animals found in this region.
Question 12: How do Mediterranean trees survive in dry summer?
Answer: Since summers are hot and dry, the trees are short and widely spaced. Most of the trees have waxy leaves that help to reduce transpiration, thick barks and long roots that penetrate deep into the ground in search of moisture. As a result, Mediterranean trees can withstand the dry season without shedding their leaves.
Question 13: The trees in coniferous forests survive the long and harsh winters. Justify.
Answer: The trees in coniferous forests survive the long and harsh winters because:
- They have needle-like leaves having a waxy coat which prevents water loss.
- The branches are soft and flexible, pointing downwards so that snow can easily slide off.
- The roots tend to spread out horizontally to overcome the issue of freezing sub soil in winters.
Question 14: Why do Temperate Grassland regions have a flourishing dairy industry?
Answer: Temperate Grassland regions have a flourishing dairy industry because:
- They are an ideal grazing ground.
- The grasses are short but loaded with nutrients.
So, these were Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Questions & Answers.