Forest and Wildlife Resources — RBSE Class 10 (Geography)
India is one of the world's most biologically diverse countries — yet species are vanishing at an alarming rate, mostly because of us. This chapter asks how we can use forests and protect wildlife at the same time, and shows that some of the most successful conservation has come not from governments but from ordinary communities.
1. Biodiversity and its depletion
Biodiversity is the variety of life — plants, animals and micro-organisms — and their ecosystems. India is a biodiversity-rich nation.
Causes of depletion:
- Colonial expansion of railways, agriculture, commercial forestry and mining.
- After independence: large development projects (dams), shifting cultivation, and expansion of agriculture.
- Habitat destruction, hunting/poaching, pollution and forest fires.
- Unequal access — over-consumption by some strains resources; the poor suffer most.
2. Classifying species (IUCN)
Species are grouped by conservation status:
- Normal — populations are stable (e.g. cattle, sal, pine).
- Endangered — in danger of extinction (e.g. black buck, Indian rhino, tiger).
- Vulnerable — likely to become endangered (e.g. blue sheep, Asiatic elephant).
- Rare — small populations, may become endangered (e.g. Himalayan brown bear).
- Endemic — found only in a specific area (e.g. Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon).
- Extinct — no longer found (e.g. Asiatic cheetah).
3. Conservation of forests and wildlife
India's Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 created legal protection, protected habitats and banned hunting of listed species. Major programmes:
- Project Tiger (1973) — to save the tiger; India has many tiger reserves (e.g. Corbett, Sariska and Ranthambore in Rajasthan).
- Projects for the rhino, elephant, crocodile and others.
- Recently, insects and plants have also been added to protected lists.
Types of forests (by ownership/management):
- Reserved forests — most valuable, strictly protected (over half of forest land).
- Protected forests — protected from further depletion.
- Unclassed forests — other forests and wastelands (government and private).
4. Community and conservation
Many communities protect forests as part of their culture and survival:
- The Chipko movement (Himalayas) — villagers hugged trees to stop felling; it succeeded and showed community-led afforestation works.
- Sacred groves (e.g. among the Bishnois of Rajasthan, and in many tribal areas) protect patches of forest and species (blackbuck, chinkara, peacocks) on religious grounds.
- Joint Forest Management (JFM) — local communities manage and restore degraded forests in partnership with the forest department, sharing benefits.
The lesson: conservation works best when local people are stakeholders, not shut out.
5. Closing thought
India's biodiversity is precious and under pressure from development, habitat loss and poaching. Learn the IUCN categories with examples, the key laws and projects (Wildlife Act 1972, Project Tiger 1973), the forest types, and community efforts (Chipko, sacred groves, JFM). In the RBSE board — especially with Rajasthan examples like the Bishnois and Ranthambore — this chapter reliably gives 5–6 marks.
