Wild Life and Conservation (Class - XII)

Brow antlered deer is an endangered species. According to 2004 census, only 182 animals are living and conserved in the Keibul Lamjao National Park (Manipur).

Indian wild asses are found only in Rann of Kutch. Saline deserts (rann), arid grasslands and shrub lands are its preferred environments.

Antilope cervicapra is a species of antelope, native to the Indian subcontinent, which has been listed as 'near threatened' on the IUCN Red List since 2003 as its range has decreased sharply during the 20^th century.

Great Indian bustard is a critically endangered bird. The bustard is restricted to isolated pockets in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Habitat alteration is the main cause of massive depletion of wild life. Absence of cover or shelter, reduction in movement area and destruction of wild plants deprive the animals from shelter, protection and food, which lead to the death of a lot of animals in a very short period of time, resulting in mass extinction.

A species which has high risk of endangerment in the wild is categorised as 'vulnerable' by IUCN.

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a tiger reserve too and works for the conservation of tigers and rhinos.

Shifting cultivation is an in situ method as the plant is grown inside its natural habitat.

Species of birds are found in maximum number in India. India has 1200 species of birds.

In modern times, sacred groves have become biodiversity hotspots as various species seek refuge in the areas due to progressive habitat destruction and hunting. Sacred groves often contain plant and animal species that have become extinct in the neighbouring areas. They, therefore, harbour great genetic diversity.

Gene banks are a type of bio-repository, which preserve viable genetic material. For plants, this could be by freezing cuttings from the plant or stocking the seeds. For animals, this is freezing of sperms and eggs in zoological freezers until further need.

Tigers are not found in Gir National Park. This park hosts Asiatic lions.

Lion-tailed macaque is a rare species of old world monkeys found only in the Western Ghats of India.

Western Ghats, stretching some 1600 km from the North of Mumbai to the southern tip of India, are a biodiversity hotspot that contain a large proportion of the country's plant and animal species, many of which are only found here and nowhere else in the world.

There are 5.1 million species of fungi that exist. Thus, it represents a group having the greatest number of species among global biodiversity.