Question

Answer in brief. 

1. Why should we conserve biodiversity? 
2. Protected forests are also not completely safe for wild animals. Why? 
3. Some tribals depend on the jungle. How? 
4. What are the causes and consequences of deforestation? 
5. What is Red Data Book? 
6. What do you understand by the term migration?

Answer 1

(a) Biodiversity refers to the number and variety of various life forms such as plants, animals, and micro-organisms in an area. Plants and animals depend on each other for survival. This means that the destruction of either of the two will affect the life of the other. Hence, we need to conserve biodiversity to maintain the balance of nature.

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(b) Protected forests are not completely safe for wild animals because people who live near or adjacent to forests use resources from forests to fulfil their own requirements. In this process, wild animals are killed and sold for lucrative amounts of money.

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(c) Tribals gather food, fodder, and fallen branches of trees from forests. Hence, they depend on forests for their daily requirements.

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(d) Causes of deforestation:

1. Forests are cleared for accommodating expanding urban areas and for fulfilling their ever-increasing requirements.
2. Forests are destroyed to clear land for crops and cattle grazing.
3. Trees are cut down to be used for firewood.

Consequences of deforestation:

1. Soil erosion
2. Loss of biodiversity
3. Floods and droughts
4. Climate change due to global warming
5. Disruption of water cycle

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(e) Red Data Book is a source book that maintains an international list of all endangered animal and plant species. This book is maintained by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources).

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(f) Migration refers to the movement of an organism or a group of organisms from its natural habitat to another place at a particular time every year. Organisms migrate from one place to another to avoid inhabitable climatic conditions or for breeding.