NCERT 9th Class (CBSE) Social Science: Natural Vegetation and Wild Life 

Question: The following questions to which state has the highest area under forests?
1. Which state has the highest area under forests?
2. Name any two states which have more than 80% of the area under forests?
3. Which Union territory has the highest area under forests?
4. Name any two states having very low area under forests.

Answer:

1. Nagaland
2. Nagaland and Mizoram
3. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
4. Punjab and Haryana

Question: Define an Ecosystem.

Answer: An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals and smaller organisms that live,feed, reproduce and interact in the same area or environment. Some ecosystems are very large. For example, many bird species nest in one place and feed in a completely different area . On the other hand, some ecosystems may be physically small, such as you would find in a meadow at he edge of a forest, or in a coral reef in the ocean.How does everything fit together in a forest ecosystem versus a meadow ecosystem? While some species may be found naturally in both areas, the species that live in the forest ecosystem are usually very different from those that inhabit the meadow, even though the two environments are right next to each other. In other words, if we protect existing natural habitats, we will help to maintain biodiversity (biodiversity is the variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations). Unfortunately, natural habitats and their ecosystems are more and more endangered because of the damaging environmental effects of growing human populations everywhere.

Question: What factors are responsible for the distribution of plants and animals in India?

Answer: Distribution of plants and animals on the earth is determined mainly by climate. However the other factors are soil, relief and drainage, though most of them are also interrelated.

Question: What is a bio-reserve? Give two examples.

Answer: A protected area reserved for the conservation of endangered species of flora (plants) and fauna (animals) in their natural habitat. The Sunderbans in the West Bengal and Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand are the two examples.
Uses of Biosphere Reserve

1. In a biosphere reserve, endangered species of animals and plants are protected.
2. This important heritage (of plants and animals) is transmitted to the future generations in all its natural vigor and glory.
3. The surrounding areas are reserved for research work for the betterment of flora and fauna.

Question: Name two animals having habitat in tropical and montane type of vegetation.

Answer: The common animals found in the tropical forests are elephants and monkeys and the common animals found in the montane forests are Kashmir stag and spotted dear.

Question: Distinguish Between Flora and Fauna.

Answer:

Flora: The flora of a country consists of plant kingdom of that country. It covers trees in the forests, other flowering and non-flowering frees grown by man, grassland, scrubs, fens etc. India possesses about 47,000 different species of plants and 5,000 of them are exclusively found in India.

Fauna: The fauna of a country consists of birds, fish and animals. It also includes amphibians, reptiles, mammals, small insects and worms. The fauna of India is quite rich and varied. There are about 89,000 species in India.