Conservation of Plants and Animals
Science Class Eight
Meaning of Conservation
Conservation is the protection of species from their extinction. Conservation is necessary to maintain habitats, ecosystem, environment and biological diversity. Conservation is necessary because all species in the environment are interdependent. Many reserved were established for conservation such as Kaziranga National Park, Lockchao Wildlife Sanctuary, Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve and Tiger Reserve, etc.
Conservation is necessary because a great variety of plants and animals exist on the earth. And they are essential for the well being and survival of mankind.
Deforestation and Its Causes
Deforestation is the clearing of forest at mass level and using that land for other purposes.
Causes of Deforestation
There are many causes of deforestation. Causes of deforestation can be divided into two categories viz man-made and natural.
Man-made Causes of Deforestation
(a) Procuring land for cultivation
With the increasing population more lands are required for agriculture to feed that huge population. For this purpose gradually more and more lands are procured for cultivation, which leads to deforestation.
(b) Building houses and factories
Mores houses are also required to give shelters for increasing population. Consequently their needs are also increasing. To fulfill this requirements land are getting cleared to make buildings and factories which leads to deforestation.
(c) Making furniture or using wood as fuel
More furniture and fuel are also required to fulfill the needs of increasing population this is also resulting in the form of deforestation.
Natural Causes of Deforestation
(a) Earth quake
(b) Flood
(c) Drought
Earth quake, flood and drought are some of the natural causes which lead to deforestation.
Reference: Kumarrakajee / CC BY-SA
Consequences of Deforestation
(a) Increase in temperature of Earth
Trees require carbon dioxide to make their food using a process called photosynthesis. With deforestation less number of trees and plants would be available to use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. This is resulting in increase in level of Carbon Dioxide on earth.
Carbon dioxide traps heat which increases the temperature of earth and this leads to Global Warming. Global Warming became one of the most concerns for whole of the world.
(b) Increase in Pollution
Trees keep our environment clean and less polluted.
Different means such as vehicles, factories, etc. emit carbon dioxide because of burning of fuel. With decreasing number of trees, lesser trees are available to use carbon dioxide. This resulted in the form of increase in level of carbon dioxide on earth and in the environment. More concentration of carbon dioxide increases the level of pollution.
(c) Decreasing level of Ground Water
Trees decrease the rate of flow of water and even stop the flow of water to the river and other water bodies. This water gradually is absorbed by soil gradually which increases the level of ground water.
With decreasing the number of trees water flow to the river and goes to the sea and ocean through river in more quick way. And soil absorbs less amount of water, this leads to decreasing the level of ground water.
Today in the major part of world, ground water level is decreasing with alarming rate.
(d) Droughts
Increase in temperature on the earth due to deforestation, disturbs the water cycle. This may reduce the rainfall. Reduced rainfall is resulting in the form of droughts.
Especially in country like India, major part of agriculture depends on rainfall for irrigation. Thus, lesser rainfall is resulting in the form of droughts and shortage of food grains.
(e) Desertification
Trees decrease the rate of flow of water to the rivers. Because of lesser number of trees water flows towards the river with more speed. Flowing water washed out the soil along it. This is resulted in the form of soil erosion.
Removal of top layer of soil with water, exposes the lower, hard and rocky layers. This soil has less humus and is less fertile.
Gradually, the fertile land gets converted into deserts. This is known as Desertification.
Thus, deforestation is one of the major cause of desertification.
(f) Decrease the fertility of Soil
Deforestation leads to decrease in the water holding capacity of the soil.
The movement of water with more speed from the surface of soil washed away the nutrients and texture of soil. This leads to decrease of the fertility of soil.
(g) Decreasing of availability of forest produce
We get many products from forest, such as wood, resin, etc. Decreasing number of trees is resulting in the increase in the shortage of forest produce.
Conservation of Forest and Wildlife
Saving and Protection of forest and wild life is known as Conservation of Forest and Wildlife.
After knowing the deadly harmful effects of deforestation, it becomes necessary to conserve the forest and wildlife.
With increasing population, demand of land has been increasing tremendously for last four decades. This is resulted in the decrease of forest areas which created danger to forest and consequently the wild life. And since animals including human depend on forest directly or indirectly; thus, it becomes necessary to conserve the Forest as well as wildlife.
To protect and conserve forest and wild life, government lays down rules, methods and policies. Wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves are protected areas for conservation of plants and animals present in that area.
Biosphere
The word "Biosphere" is the combination of two Greek words "Bios + spharia". In which "bios" means "life" and "spharia" means "Globe or ball or sphere".
Thus, "Bioshpere" is the huge area of all possible life form. Biosphere includes land, water, air along with life forms. The "Bioshpere" is called "Ecosystem" also.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity or Biological diversity refers to the variety of organisms existing on the earth, their interrelationships and their relationship with the environment.
In other words, Biodiversity is the variety of plants, animals and microorganisms generally found in the Biodiversity Reserve.
Biosphere Reserve
A very large protected area for conservation of wild life, plant and animal resources and traditional life of the tribals living is known as Biosphere Reserve.
In other words, Biodiversity Reserves are the area meant for conservation of biodiversity.
The Biodiversity Reserves help to maintain biodiversity and culture of that area.
A biodiversity reserve may also contain other protected areas, such as wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, etc. For example The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve consists of one national park named Satpura and two wildlife sanctuaries named Bori and Pachmarhi.
Pachmarhi Biodiversity Reserve
The Pachmarhi Biodiversity Reserve is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. It consists of districts of Hosangabad, Betul and Chhindwara.
The Pachmarhi Biodiversity Reserve is spread in a total area of 4926.28 square kilometer which is equal to 12,17,310 acres of area.
The highest peak in the Pachmarhi Biodiversity Reserve is Dhoopgarh.
The Pachmarhi Biodiversity Reserve consists of two sanctuaries, named Bori Sancuary and Pachmarhi Sanchuary and one national park called Satpura National Park.
The Bori Sancuary spread in the area of 518 square kilometer.
The Pachmarhi Sanctuary spread in the area of 461.37 square kilometer.
The Satpura National Park spread in the area of 524.37 square kilometer.
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