NCERT Class 10 Geography Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources

Vocabulary and key concepts from NCERT Grade 10 Geography Chapter 2 regarding biodiversity, species classification, and conservation efforts in India.

Biodiversity (Biological Diversity)

The rich variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms living in an ecosystem, bound together in an interdependent network.

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)

The organization that classifies species into categories such as Normal, Endangered, Vulnerable, Rare, Endemic, and Extinct.

Normal Species

Species whose population levels are considered normal for their survival, such as cattle, pine, and sal.

Endangered Species

Species in danger of extinction if negative factors continue to operate, such as the black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, and Sangai.

Vulnerable Species

Species whose population has declined to levels where they are likely to move into the endangered category in the near future, such as the blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, and Gangetic dolphin.

Rare Species

Species with small populations that may move into the endangered or vulnerable category if negative factors persist, such as the Himalayan brown bear and Desert fox.

Endemic Species

Species found only in particular geographical areas isolated by natural barriers, such as the Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, and Andaman wild pig.

Extinct Species

Species not found after thorough searches in known or likely habitats, such as the Asiatic cheetah (declared extinct in India in $1952$) and the pink-headed duck.

Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Legislation implemented to protect wildlife habitats and publish an all-India list of protected species.

Project Tiger

Launched in $1973$ to save the rapidly declining tiger population, including reserves like Corbett, Sunderbans, Sariska, Manas, and Periyar.

Reserved Forests

Forests covering more than half of India's forest area, regarded as the most valuable for conservation and strictly protected.

Protected Forests

Forest lands constituting about one-third of the total forest area, maintained to prevent further depletion.

Unclassed Forests

Wastelands and other forests owned by the government, private individuals, and local communities.

Permanent Forest Estates

The collective term for Reserved and Protected forests; Madhya Pradesh holds the largest area under these estates at $75\%$ of its total forest area.

Chipko Movement

A famous movement originating in the Himalayas where villagers protected trees from commercial felling by clinging to them.

Beej Bachao Andolan & Navdanya

Citizen initiatives in Tehri (Uttarakhand) demonstrating that organic, chemical-free ecological farming is viable.

Joint Forest Management (JFM)

A program launched formally in $1988$ in Odisha to involve local communities in managing and restoring degraded forests.

Sacred Groves

Virgin forest patches left untouched due to traditional tribal and religious beliefs; specific tribes like the Mundas and Santhals worship trees like Mahua and Kadamba.

Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri'

A sanctuary of $1,200$ hectares declared by five villages in Alwar, Rajasthan, with its own rules against hunting and encroachment.

Bishnoi Community

A community in Rajasthan known for strictly protecting herds of Blackbuck, Nilgai, and Peacocks in their villages.

Buxa Tiger Reserve

A tiger reserve in West Bengal that is seriously threatened by ongoing dolomite mining.