CBSE Class 9 Geography Chapter 5 Notes - Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

Some Factors Contribute to the Vast Natural Vegetation in India

Land

India has a variety of lands like a plateau, mountainous, plain area, rough terrains, and many others. Different kinds of lands cause a variety of natural vegetation.

Soil

Different kinds of soils contribute to different kinds of vegetation. Sandy soil supports cactus, marshy soil supports mangroves, and soil of the hill area supports conical trees.

Temperature

Temperature, air humidity, and precipitation help in a variety of natural vegetation. The temperature in the air causes different kinds of natural vegetation like tropical, subtropical, temperate, and alpine.

Photoperiod

Sunlight also affects the type of vegetation. Different parts of India have different kinds of natural vegetation due to the variation in sunlight. Trees usually grow faster during the summer season.

Precipitation

In India, the rainfall occurs mainly from June to September. Heavy rainfall affects the density of natural vegetation.

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife of India

The natural vegetation and wildlife of India have a rich history. The natural vegetation improves the quality of air, controls soil erosion, provides a livelihood to many communities, regulates streamflow, and offers scenic beauty.

However, a few factors, like industrialization, mining, overgrazing, and demand for cultivation, have almost destroyed the natural vegetation of India. 

Natural Vegetation of India Notes

Class 9 Geography Chapter 5 PDF contains a lot of information about the ecosystem of India. Animals, plants, human beings, and the environment form the ecosystem. A vast ecosystem with different kinds of vegetation is called a biome. Animals and plants are interdependent and interrelated. However, human beings cause an imbalance in the ecosystem by cutting the plants and killing the animals. Class 9 geography chapter 5 PDF contains the complete details of the Indian ecosystem.

Class 9 Geography Chapter 5 Notes

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Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Picture of India

India Has Different Kinds of Vegetation as Follows

Tropical Evergreen Forests

It is seen in areas like the Western Ghats, Lakshadweep Islands, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, and Tamil Nadu coast. This type of vegetation is caused by heavy rainfall (more than 200 cm). Many commercially valuable trees like ebony, rosewood, and rubber grow in this forest. Animals like elephants, monkeys, and deer are found in this forest.

Tropical Deciduous Forests or Monsoon Forests

This type of forest is widely seen in India. It occurs in heavy rainfall (200 - 70 cm) areas. It is divided into moist deciduous and dry deciduous. Moist deciduous occurs in 200 to 70 cm rainfall. Dry deciduous occurs in 100 to 70 cm rainfall. Some of the popular plants of this forest are Teak, Sal, Peepal, and Neem.

Montane Forests

In the mountains, various kinds of natural vegetation occur depending on the height. Broad-leaf evergreen trees grow within 1000 to 2000 meters. Coniferous trees like deodar, cedar, and pine grow within 1500 to 3000 meters. At higher elevations, alpine forests grow up.

Some of the common trees of alpine forests are pines, silver fir, and junipers. Some of the common animals that are found in montane forests are wild sheep, yak, snow leopard, Tibetan antelope, and jackrabbit.

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Notes

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Fauna of India

India has various kinds of faunas. The country has almost 90000 animal species and 2000 bird species. The country also has 12 percent fish in the world. India has approximately 5 to 8 percent amphibians, reptiles, and mammals of the world. Some of the famous animals that stay in India are elephants, one-horned rhinoceros, wild ass, blue bull, four-horned antelope, Indian bison, and deer. The animals that are found in the Himalayas can tolerate extreme cold. Some of them are yak, wild sheep, and the Tibetan wild ass.

Many beautiful birds like peacocks, parrots, and cranes are seen in India. All these plants, animals, birds, and reptiles contribute to biodiversity and are interrelated. But, human greed has made many of these species extinct and destroyed biodiversity. However, the government has made the natural vegetation and wildlife project file and has taken a few steps to protect the wildlife and natural vegetation. 

• The government has set up fourteen biosphere reserves.

• Many botanical gardens receive financial and technical assistance from the government.

• The government has introduced many eco-development projects.