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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 8 Science★ 5-8 marks in the TN Class 8 annual exam through book-back MCQs, fill-ups and short answers

Conservation of Plants and Animals

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 8 Science — Biology Chapter 22, Conservation of Plants and Animals. Deforestation and its effects, endemic, endangered and extinct species, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and biosphere reserves, the Red Data Book (IUCN), the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and reforestation. Notes with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

⏱ 16 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Define deforestation and list its effects
2Differentiate endemic, endangered and extinct species
3Compare in-situ and ex-situ conservation
4Describe sanctuaries, national parks and biosphere reserves
5State the role of the Red Data Book and wildlife laws

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Why this chapter matters

Conservation of Plants and Animals explains why forests and wildlife are disappearing and how protected areas and laws save them. Endemic vs endangered species, in-situ vs ex-situ conservation and the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act are directly tested book-back content in the TN Class 8 exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 7 — Forests

Forests and ecosystems.

Conservation of Plants and Animals — Class 8 Science (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 8 Science, Biology — Chapter 22. Protecting biodiversity for the future.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers deforestation, types of species (endemic, endangered, extinct), methods of conservation, protected areas, the Red Data Book, and the laws that protect wildlife.

2. Deforestation and species

Deforestation is the clearing of forests for farming, building and industry. It causes soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, less rainfall and global warming.
Endemic species are found only in a particular area (e.g. the Nilgiri tahr).
Endangered species are at risk of extinction — only a few are left.
Extinct species have disappeared completely (e.g. the dodo).

3. Methods of conservation

In-situ conservation — protecting species in their natural home (wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves).
Ex-situ conservation — protecting species away from their home (zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, tissue culture).

4. Protected areas

Wildlife sanctuary — protects animals; e.g. Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary in the Nilgiris.
National park — protects the whole ecosystem (plants, animals, landscape).
Biosphere reserve — a large protected area (about 5000 km²) that conserves ecosystems, species and genetic resources, and where people also live.

5. Records and laws

The Red Data Book, maintained by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), lists endangered species.
The Wildlife Protection Act was passed in 1972.
WWF stands for World Wildlife Fund; World Wildlife Day is observed on 3 March.
Reforestation (replanting forests) helps restore the lost green cover.

6. Worked examples

Example 1. What do we call a species found only in a particular area? Endemic.

Example 2. Who maintains the Red Data Book? The IUCN.

Example 3. In which year was the Wildlife Protection Act passed? 1972.

7. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)

I. Choose the correct answer

Plants and animals found only in a particular area are — (a) endangered / (b) endemic. Ans: (b) endemic.
The Red Data Book gives a list of — (a) extinct only / (b) endangered species. Ans: (b) endangered species.
In-situ conservation means conservation — (a) on site (natural home) / (b) in a zoo. Ans: (a) on site.
The Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in — (a) 1972 / (b) 1986. Ans: (a) 1972.
A protected area where people also live is a — (a) zoo / (b) biosphere reserve. Ans: (b) biosphere reserve.

II. Fill in the blanks 6. WWF stands for World Wildlife Fund. 7. The Red Data Book is maintained by the IUCN. 8. Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Nilgiris district.

III. Answer briefly 9. Differentiate in-situ and ex-situ conservation. 10. What is deforestation? State two of its effects.

8. Common mistakes

Mistake: Mixing up endemic and endangered. Fix: Endemic = found only in one area; endangered = at risk of extinction.
Mistake: Saying a zoo is in-situ conservation. Fix: A zoo is ex-situ (off site); sanctuaries and national parks are in-situ.
Mistake: Giving the wrong year for the Wildlife Protection Act. Fix: It was passed in 1972.

9. Quick revision

Biology Ch 22 · conservation and biodiversity.
Deforestation → soil erosion, less rainfall, loss of biodiversity, global warming.
Species: endemic (one area), endangered (at risk), extinct (gone).
In-situ (sanctuary, national park, biosphere reserve) vs ex-situ (zoo, seed bank, tissue culture).
Red Data Book (IUCN) lists endangered species; Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
WWF = World Wildlife Fund; World Wildlife Day = 3 March; reforestation restores forests.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Species terms

endemic (one area) · endangered (at risk) · extinct (gone)

Status of a species.

Conservation

in-situ (on site) vs ex-situ (off site)

Sanctuary vs zoo.

Protected areas

sanctuary · national park · biosphere reserve (~5000 km²)

Different scales.

Records / laws

Red Data Book (IUCN); Wildlife Protection Act 1972

Lists endangered species.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Mixing up endemic and endangered

✓ Endemic = found only in one area; endangered = at risk of extinction.

WATCH OUT

✗ Saying a zoo is in-situ conservation

✓ A zoo is ex-situ (off site); sanctuaries and national parks are in-situ.

WATCH OUT

✗ Giving the wrong year for the Wildlife Protection Act

✓ It was passed in 1972.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Choose the correct answer

Book-back MCQs on endemic species, Red Data Book, in-situ and the 1972 Act.

Questions

Fill in the blanks

WWF, IUCN and Mudumalai sanctuary.

Questions

Answer briefly

In-situ vs ex-situ, deforestation and its effects.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· MCQ

Plants and animals found only in a particular area are ____.

▶ Show solution

endemic.

Q2EASY· MCQ

The Red Data Book gives a list of ____.

▶ Show solution

endangered species.

Q3EASY· MCQ

The Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in ____.

▶ Show solution

1972.

Q4EASY· Fill in the blanks

The Red Data Book is maintained by the ____.

▶ Show solution

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Q5MEDIUM· Answer briefly

Differentiate in-situ and ex-situ conservation.

▶ Show solution

In-situ conservation protects species in their natural habitat (wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, biosphere reserves); ex-situ conservation protects them away from their home (zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, tissue culture).

Q6MEDIUM· Answer briefly

What is deforestation? State two of its effects.

▶ Show solution

Deforestation is the clearing of forests for human use. It causes soil erosion and loss of biodiversity (also reduced rainfall and global warming).

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Biology Chapter 22 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 8 Science.
•Deforestation → soil erosion, less rainfall, loss of biodiversity, global warming.
•Species: endemic (one area), endangered (at risk), extinct (gone).
•In-situ (sanctuary, national park, biosphere reserve) vs ex-situ (zoo, seed bank, tissue culture).
•Red Data Book (IUCN) lists endangered species; Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
•WWF = World Wildlife Fund; World Wildlife Day = 3 March; reforestation restores forests.

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5-8 marks across book-back MCQ, fill-ups and short answers

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / Fill	1	3-5	Species terms, Red Data Book, laws
Short Answer	2-3	1-2	In-situ vs ex-situ, deforestation
Application	2	1	Protected areas, reforestation

Prep strategy

Separate endemic, endangered and extinct
Tabulate in-situ vs ex-situ with examples
Remember Red Data Book = IUCN and Act = 1972
List the effects of deforestation

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Biodiversity

Protected areas keep endangered species like the tiger alive.

Climate

Forests absorb CO₂ and reduce global warming.

Law

The Wildlife Protection Act lets the government punish poaching.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Define endemic, endangered, extinct precisely
Pair in-situ/ex-situ with examples
Quote IUCN for the Red Data Book and 1972 for the Act
List the effects of deforestation

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Suggest three practical steps a school can take to conserve biodiversity.
Explain how deforestation in one place can change rainfall far away.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 8 Annual ExamHigh

Foundation / NMMS ScienceMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

A wildlife sanctuary mainly protects animals and allows some human activity, while a national park protects the entire ecosystem — plants, animals and landscape — with stricter rules.

It is a very large protected area (about 5000 km²) that conserves whole ecosystems, species and genetic resources, and importantly it allows local people to live and use resources sustainably within it.

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