Wildlife Resources of India - Class-VI

True,

Simlipal bio-reserve is located in the district of Mayurbhanj in Odisha state. Simlipal is a home to a range of wild animals including 55 species of mammals, 304 species of birds, 20 species of amphibians, 62 species of reptiles and 37 species of fishes.

Blackbuck - Endangered 2. Asiatic elephant - Vulnerable 3. Andaman wild pig - Endemic 4. Himalayan brown bear - Rare 5. Pink head duck - Extinct.

1. Endangered Species: Danger of extinction. Examples- black buck, crocodile, Indian wild ass, Indian rhino, lion-tailed macaque, Sangai (brow antler deer in Manipur), etc.

2. Vulnerable Species: Declined to levels, to move into the endangered category in the near future if the negative factors continue to operate. The examples of such species are blue sheep, Asiatic elephant, Gangetic dolphin, etc.

3. Endemic Species: Only found in some particular areas, usually isolated by natural or geographical barriers. Examples of such species are the Andaman teal, Nicobar pigeon, Andaman wild pig, mithun in Arunachal Pradesh.

4. Rare Species: Species with a small population may move into the endangered or vulnerable category. The examples of such species are the Himalayan brown bear, wild Asiatic buffalo, desert fox and hornbill, etc.

5. Extinct Species:  A species may be extinct from a local area, region, country, continent or the entire earth. Examples of such species are the Asiatic cheetah (declared extinct in 1952), pink head duck.

Himalayan region,

The elephants are the most majestic animals among the mammals. They are found in the hot wet forests of Assam. They prefer forested hilly areas, providing plenty of food and water for them throughout the year.  One-horned rhinoceroses live in swampy and marshy lands of Assam and West Bengal. 

Migratory Birds
Some birds migrate to our
country in the winter
season every year such as
Pelican, Siberian Crane,
Stork, Flamingo, Pintail
Duck, Curlew. Siberian
Cranes migrate from
Siberia; they arrive in
December and stay till
early march.

Every year we observe wildlife week in the first week of October, to
create awareness about protecting Nature.

• Manas is the bio-reserve of India that is not included in the world network of bioreserve.
  
• Dihang-dibang: It is located in Arunachal Pradesh. Rare mammals such as Mishmi takin, red goral, musk deer, red panda, Asiatic black bear, etc. can be spotted here.
  
• Gulf of Mannar: It lies between the south-eastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka, in the Coromandel Coast Region. 117 hard coral species have been recorded in the Gulf of Mannar. Sea turtles are frequent visitors to the gulf as are sharks, dugongs, and dolphins. It is rich in marine wealth.
  
• Nanda Devi: It is located in Himalayan ranges. It has variety of flora. It mainly homes a large variety of flora.
  

The Bengal tiger is named after the Indian province of Bengal and is primarily found in India. Bengal tigers live in the forests, hills and mountainous regions of India. They are found in the tropical rainforests of southern India, as well as mangrove swamps, open grasslands and dried forests or scrub land.

In Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbucks, peacocks and nilgai are seen as an integral part of the community and nobody harms them. Bishnoi community is known for protecting the blackbucks.

The Bharatpur bird sanctuary is also named as Keoladeo National Park. This sanctuary is situated at Bharatpur in Rajasthan and extends in an area of 29 sq. km. It is a sanctuary meant for various bird fauna.

Among the given options, India Rhino is an endangered animal. In 2012, the IUCN Red List included 3079 animal and 2655 plant species as endangered (EN) worldwide. 

• The species which are not found after searching known areas where they may occur is said to have undergone extinction. 
  
• Extinction in biology or ecology means end of organism or group of organisms.
  
• Some of the animals that faced extinction are woolly mammoth, stellar sea cow, dodo etc.
  

Sunderban national park is located at the south-eastern tip of the 24 Paragana district in the state of West Bengal. It got its name from one of the mangrove plants known as Sundari. The Sundarbans are a part of the world's largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Sundarban is a vast area covering 4262 square kms in India alone, with a larger portion in Bangladesh. 2585 sq. kms of the Indian Sundarban forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. 

IUCN stands for International Union for Conservation of Nature. It works for the conservation of nature and the sustainable use of natural resources. It was founded by Julian Huxley in the year 1948. Its headquarter is located at Gland in Switzerland. 

• Himalayan Brown bear is a rare species found in Northern India and some parts of Pakistan.
• It is classified as critically endangered species in IUCN Red Book.
• The population of Himalayan brown bear is believed to have increased to 200.
• It is also known as "Dzu-The".
  

 India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity, and has nearly 8 per cent of the total number of species in the world (estimated to be 1.6 million). Over 81,000 species of fauna and 47,000 species of flora are found in this country so far. Of the estimated 47,000 plant species, about 15,000 flowering species are endemic (indigenous) to India.

• Enrichment plantation is the commercially valuable species planted extensively.
• Teak is the most popular enrichment plantation in South India.
• Teak plantation done extensively during the British Raj.
• Enrichment plantation impacts other species' survival.
  

1. The Indian Wildlife Act was passed in 1972 by Indian Government.
2. It is a comprehensive act passed to protect the wildlife of the country.
3. The objective is to protect endangered flora and fauna of the country.
   

• According to IUCN report 2011, it is 25% of mammal species which are on the verge of extinction.
  

• Extinct species are species which are not found in areas where they may occur.
• Endemic species are species which are found isolated by geographical barriers.
• Rare species are species which are found rarely in the forests.
  
• Normal species are found in forests easily.
  

• Vulnerable species is a category in IUCN Red Data Book.
• Vulnerable means species are under threat of endangerment.
• Gangetic dolphin lives in fresh water.
• Gangetic dolphin is the National Aquatic Animal of India.
  

Kashmir,

Montane forest,

Pulicat lake, Tamil Nadu

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. Before 1972, India had only five designated national parks, whose number increased after 1972.

• Trees in Thorn forests and scrubs have mostly thick and small leaves to minimize water loss due to transpiration.
• In this type of vegetation, trees are scattered and have long roots penetrating deep into the soil in order to get moisture.
• The main trees of this vegetation are Acacia, Palms, and Cacti. Other important trees are Khair, Babul, Palas, Khatri, and Kajuri.

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. Before 1972, India had only five designated national parks.

India is a country ( well it's the only country) where both tigers and lions can be seen roaming around in its tropical forests and grasslands. The lions are only found in the Gir Forest National Park and there are no tigers in that region, so though the country has both species, they never meet in the wild.

The Government of India enacted Wildlife Act in 1972 with the objective of effectively protecting the wild life of this country and to control poaching , smuggling and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives. The Act was amended in January 2003 and punishment and penalty for offences under the Act have been made more stringent.

Gir national park is situated in Talala Gir in Gujarat. It is spread over an area of 1,153 km2. It is the sole home of Asiatic lions.

Animal,

• The species which are not found after searching known areas where they may occur is said to have undergone extinction.
  
• Extinction in biology or ecology means end of organism or group of organisms.
  
• Some of the animals that faced extinction are woolly mammoth, stellar sea cow, dodo, etc.
  

The IUCN Red List includes 3079 animal and 2655 plant species as endangered (EN) worldwide. Rhino, Indian bustard and tiger fall in this category.

Manas wildlife sanctuary is in Assam covering 5 districts: Kokrajhar,Chirang,Baksa,Udalguri and Darrang.It spreads across an area of 950 km2

• Pitti Island is an uninhabited island present in union territory of Lakshadweep. It is famous for bird sanctuary.
  
• Pitti is an important nesting place for pelagic birds such as the sooty tern (Sterna fuliginosa), the greater crested tern (Sterna bergii) and the brown noddy (Anous stolidus).
  

• A biosphere reserve is an ecosystem with plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest. It is a label given by UNESCO. India has 18 biosphere reserves
  
• From the given options, Kaziranga national park located in Assam is not a biosphere reserve.
  

• UNESCO established a programme of biosphere reserve in 1971 which was known as Man and Biosphere programme. The main goal of this programme was to establish a scientific basis to improve relation between man and environment to achieve sustainable development.
  
• As of March 2016, about 669 biosphere reserves in 120 countries, including 16 trans-boundary sites, have been included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
  

• Jim Corbett national park is the first national park of India. It is located in Uttarakhand region of north India. It was established in the year 1936. It mainly preserves Bengal tigers. Apart from this place is bestowed with rich flora and fauna.  It houses around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species.
  
• This park was named as Jim Corbett national park in the honour of Corbett, the famous author and wildlife conservationist.
  

• A national park is a park which is used for conservation of wildlife. It is natural or developed or semi natural land that is declared as its own by the government.
  
• In India there are 54 national parks. First national park is Hailey National Park established in the year 1936 which is now known as Jim Corbett national park
  

Sangai is the endangered species. It is a subspecies of brown altered deer found only in Manipur in India. It is a medium sized deer with uniquely distinctive antlers with brow tine which forms the main beam. The forward protruding beam appears to come out from the eyebrow and this signifies its name.

The Rann of Kutch,

Tamil Nadu,

Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that hosts thousands of birds, especially during the winter season. Over 230 species of birds are known to be resident. It is also a major tourist centre with scores of ornithologists arriving here in the hibernal season. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. It is also a World Heritage Site.

The wildlife network of India includes 514 wildlife sanctuaries. Network also includes 99 National parks, , 41 conservation reserves and 4 community reserves. It covers a total area of 155980 sq-km.

Evergreen forest,

According to standard Indian forest survey reports used in academic curricula, unclassified forests occupy approximately 16.4% of the total forest area.

Based on forest cover reports, open forests in India account for approximately 21.54% of the total forest cover.

Mangrove forests are found in the coastal areas of India. The two largest concentrations are at Sunderban in Bengal and Pichavaram in T.N.  The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, located in the Ganges River delta in Bangladesh and West Bengal. The Pichavaram mangroves in Tamil Nadu is also India's one of the largest mangrove forests.

March 11-15 in our annual celebration of National Wildlife Week! The rich history of National Wildlife Week dates all the way back to its first celebration in 1938.

The Sarus Crane is recognized as the tallest flying bird in India, often considered the largest in terms of height.

The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012. Each year, various events are celebrated related to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. Countries are encouraged to undertake efforts to organize local, national, and international activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, on International Day of Forests. The Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, facilitates the implementation of such events in collaboration with governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and international, regional and subregional organizations. International Day of Forests was observed for the first time on March 21, 2013.

1973,

The Gir Lion Project was launched in 1972 to protect the Asiatic lion population in Gujarat.

Madhya Pradesh,

Assam,

Flamingo,

The state Haryana has attained the dubious distinction of being a topper in the list with the highest encroachment of forest land.

Crocodile is endangered species.

Tamil Nadu,

Wild Elephant,

Chandra Prabha sanctuary has been selected as an alternative home for the Indian lion.

Bandipur National Park established in 1974 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is a national park located in the Indian state of Karnataka, which is the state with the second highest tiger population in India.

Endangered species are those species of plants and animals whose numbers are diminishing to a level that they might face extinction. Blackbuck,  rhinoceros, marsh crocodiles, are some of the endangered species.

Exotic species are also called as alien species. These are the animals that are usually not present in the area but are reached to the area by human activity or immigration.

Starlings were brought over from Europe to North America. This is an example of exotic species in North America. These may harm or benefit the environment.

India has been bestowed with numerous forests with a wide variety of plant and animal wealth. From the recent estimates 47,000 species of flora are found in this country so far. Of the estimated 47,000 plant species, about 15,000 flowering species are endemic (indigenous) to India.

Peafowls are known for their brilliant colours. There are some pea fowls which are white in colour. These are nothing but genetic variants of Indian blue fowl. These are occurred due to the mutations in normal pea fowls.

A biosphere reserve is an ecosystem with plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest. It is a label given by UNESCO. There are at present 18 biosphere reserves in India.

• Ranganathittu is also known as 'Pakshikasi'. It is famous for the bird sanctuary and is present in the state of Karnataka.
  
• It is spread over an area of 67 hectares. Important birds recorded here are the painted stork, Asian openbill stork, common spoonbill, woolly-necked stork, black-headed ibis, lesser whistling duck, Indian shag, stork-billed kingfisher, egret, cormorant, Oriental darter, and heron.
  

• Wildlife sanctuary is also called a wildlife refuge. It is a protected area of a land territory or an island which that provides protection to species from hunting.
  
• In India there are 372 wild life sanctuaries which spreads over an area of 1, 09, 652 square kilometres.