Land and Forest Ecosystems Study Guide | Ch 9,10 | EVS

 

Quiz: Short Answer Questions

Instructions: Please answer the following questions in two to three complete sentences, using only information from the provided context.

1. What is the fundamental definition of land as a natural resource, and what percentage of the Earth's surface does it cover?
2. Describe the distribution of India's land area among plains, mountains, and plateaus.
3. Explain the difference between "culturable wasteland" and "fallow other than current fallow" as categories of land use.
4. Identify two natural processes and two anthropogenic (human-induced) processes that cause land degradation.
5. According to the source, what are the three major anthropogenic causes of soil degradation that are common across all continents?
6. Distinguish between sheet erosion and gully erosion.
7. What are the key climatic and biodiversity characteristics of a Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest?
8. How do Tropical Thorn Forests and Scrubs adapt to their environment, and what are some key wildlife species found there?
9. Describe the primary role and key tree species of Mountain Temperate Forests.
10. List four sustainable land management techniques proposed to prevent or reverse land degradation.

Answer Key

1. Land is defined as the solid portion of the Earth's surface and is considered a fundamental natural asset for human survival and for every biological community. It covers only 29% of the Earth's surface, and not all of it is habitable.
2. In India, approximately 43% of the land area is composed of plains, which are suitable for activities like agriculture and settlement. Mountain regions constitute 30% of the land area, while plateaus make up the remaining 27%.
3. "Culturable wasteland" is any land that has been left uncultivated (fallow) for more than five years but can be brought back into use with reclamation practices. In contrast, "fallow other than current fallow" is cultivated land left uncultivated for a period of more than one year but less than five years.
4. Natural processes causing land degradation include heavy rains that remove topsoil and natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. Anthropogenic causes include mining, which destroys vegetation and disrupts water circulation, and deforestation, the uncontrolled removal of trees.
5. The three major anthropogenic causes of soil degradation that are prevalent globally, including in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, are deforestation, overgrazing, and industrialization. Agricultural activities are also a significant factor.
6. Sheet erosion is the uniform removal of a thin layer of topsoil from a large surface area, typically caused by runoff water. Gully erosion is more severe, occurring when heavy rainfall creates deep, U or V-shaped cavities or gullies in the land.
7. Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests are characterized by lush greenery and high biodiversity, thriving in regions with high and constant rainfall and a warm, humid climate. These forests harbor many of India's endangered and endemic species, such as the Lion-tailed Macaque and Nilgiri Langur.
8. Vegetation in Tropical Thorn Forests, such as Acacia and Ziziphus, consists of thorny shrubs and small trees adapted to conserve water and withstand high temperatures in arid regions. Key wildlife, such as the Indian gazelle and Indian fox, have adapted to the harsh conditions, often displaying nocturnal behavior to avoid daytime heat.
9. Mountain Temperate Forests play a vital role in regulating water flow, maintaining soil stability, and supporting biodiversity at higher altitudes in the Himalayan region. Key tree species include silver fir, spruce, deodar, and various species of pine.
10. Four proposed sustainable land management techniques include: sustainable agriculture (e.g., conservation agriculture, agroforestry), forest prevention and restoration, soil conservation techniques (e.g., contour farming, terracing), and sustainable water management (e.g., rainwater collection, effective irrigation).

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Essay Questions

Instructions: Formulate comprehensive essay-style responses to the following prompts, drawing upon the detailed information presented in the source context.

1. Discuss the relationship between human population growth, economic development (including agriculture, industry, and urbanization), and the increasing stress on finite land resources, leading to land degradation.
2. Compare and contrast the forest ecosystems found at different altitudes in India, specifically the Mountain Subtropical Forest, Mountain Temperate Forest, and Sub-alpine Forest. Address their unique vegetation, fauna, and ecological roles.
3. Explain the concept of soil erosion in detail. Describe the different types of water-induced erosion mentioned in the source and elaborate on the recommended strategies for its prevention and control.
4. Analyze the various land use categories as defined by land revenue records, including forests, land under non-agricultural uses, wastelands, pasture lands, and different types of fallow land. Explain the significance of each category for human society and the environment.
5. Evaluate the importance of international cooperation, policy measures, and local community education as part of an integrated strategy for managing land resources and combating land degradation on a global scale.

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Glossary of Key Terms

Term	Definition
Aforestation	The practice of planting trees to establish a forest, mentioned as a key effort to control soil erosion.
Alpine Scrub and Pasture	A high-altitude ecosystem found above the tree line in the Himalayas, characterized by extreme cold, rocky terrain, and vegetation dominated by mosses, lichens, and hardy herbs.
Anthropogenic Causes	Processes or factors induced by human activity. In the context of land degradation, this includes mining, urbanization, deforestation, and overgrazing.
Barren and Wasteland	Land that cannot normally be brought under cultivation with available technology, such as barren hilly terrain, desert land, and riverine areas.
Common Property Resources	Community natural resources, such as community or panchayat land, where every member has the right of access and use with specified obligations, but no single person has property rights.
Culturable Wasteland	Land that has been left uncultivated (fallow) for more than five years but can be brought under cultivation after improvement through reclamation practices.
Current Fallow	Land that is left without cultivation for one agricultural year or less.
Deciduous	A characteristic of trees that shed their leaves during a specific part of the year, typically during a dry season, to conserve water.
Deforestation	The indiscriminate and uncontrolled removal of trees, which has led to the destruction of forests and is a major cause of land degradation and soil erosion.
Endemic Species	Species of plants or animals that are found exclusively in a specific geographic area.
Fallow (Other than Current)	Cultivated land that is left uncultivated for more than a year but less than five years.
Gully Erosion	A severe form of soil erosion where heavy rainfall forms deep cavities or gullies, which may be U-shaped or V-shaped.
Land Degradation	A process in which the value of the physical environment is negatively affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land.
Land Resources	The solid portion of the Earth's surface, a fundamental natural asset for human survival, agriculture, industry, and all biological communities.
Mountain Temperate Forest	An ecosystem that thrives at higher altitudes in the Himalayan region, characterized by cooler temperatures and rich diversity of flora like silver fir, spruce, and deodar.
Net Sown Area	The physical extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested; essentially, agricultural land.
Overgrazing	The excessive grazing of livestock on a piece of land, which lowers soil quality and leads to land degradation and soil erosion.
Salinization	The process where over-irrigating farmland leads to the accumulation of salt on the surface of the soil as water evaporates, making the land unable to support crop growth.
Sheet Erosion	The uniform removal of a thin layer of soil from a large surface area, typically caused by runoff water.
Soil Erosion	The removal of the fertile topsoil by agents like water (monsoon rains) and wind, which can be accelerated by deforestation and misuse of an ecosystem.
Sub-alpine Forest	An ecological transition zone between mountain temperate forests and alpine meadows at higher elevations, characterized by harsh conditions and stunted vegetation like juniper and birch.
Sustainable Land Use Planning	The implementation of effective land use and management practices that take into account ecological, social, and economic considerations to prevent unplanned and unsustainable practices like unchecked urbanization.
Terrestrial Ecosystem	An ecosystem found on land. The source categorizes forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts as terrestrial ecosystems.
Tropical Thorn Forest	An ecosystem adapted to arid and semi-arid regions with low rainfall, dominated by drought-resistant and xerophytic vegetation like thorny shrubs and small trees.
Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest	A forest ecosystem characterized by lush greenery, high biodiversity, and high, constant rainfall. Found in India's Western Ghats and northeastern states.
Xerophytic	A type of vegetation that has adapted to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert or an ice-covered region.