Our Revision Notes for GSEB Class 9 Social Science Notes Chapter 17 Natural Vegetation summarises the key points of a chapter and useful resource to prepare effectively for the upcoming board exams.

Natural Vegetation Class 9 GSEB Notes Social Science Chapter 17

Natural Vegetation Class 9 GSEB Notes

→ There are about 5000 varieties of trees in India, out of which 450 trees are useful commercially.

→Besides, about 15,000 flowering plants also grow which form about 6% of the world.

→Non-flowering plants like fem, algae, moss etc. are also available in our country.

→ India is famous since ancient times for the herbal plants.

→ About 2000 medicinal plants are described in Ayurved.

Type of Natural Vegetation
The natural vegetation regions can be divided into five types :
(1) Tropical Rain Forest

• Tropical Rain Forests are found in hot and humid regions where anuual rainfall exceeds 200 cm and temperature is more than 22° C.
• Trees found here are Mahogany, Ebony, Rosewood, rubber etc.
• Trees are about 60 metres tall or even more.

(2) Tropical Deciduous Forests :

• These forests are found in the regions receiving about 70 to 200 cm rainfall.
• Major trees found here are teak, saal, sesame, sandalwood, kher (acacia catechu) bamboo etc.
• The trees shed their leaves for 6 to 8 weeks during autumn. Every species has a different time to shed the leaves.

(3) Tropical Desert Vegetation

• These forests are found in the regions less than 70 cm of rainfall.
• Dates, jujube, acacia, cactus, khijdo etc. are common trees found here.
• The roots of the trees and plants here are long, deep and widespread.
• Leaves are shorter which result in slower evaportranspiration process.

(4) Temperate Forests and Grasslands (Flimalayan Vegetation)

• These forest also called as coniferous forests. These are found at activities between 1000 metres to 3600 meters and above in Flimalayas.
• There are tropical forests, coniferous forests, alpine and short grase (tundra vegetation) seen here.
• A major characteristic of the coniferous forests is that the trees have conical shape.
• Their branches lean towards the surface so that the snow would easily slide down towards the land.

(5) Tidal Forests (Mangroves)

• Tidal forests are located in the delta regions of river along the coast.
• These forests are found along Gujarat coast and in the marshy lands along the Bay of Bengal coast.
• Sundari and cher types of trees are seen.

Forest products and their utility

• Timber wood from teak and saal is used for furniture making.
• Boats are prepared from the wood of sundari trees of Sundarvan.
• Sports goods and packing boxes are prepared from the wood of pine and child trees.

Forest conservation

• Ecosystem is formed due to the interrelation of biosphere and mankind.
• Due to the anti-environmental’ activities and selfishness of man, the ecosystem is disturbed.
• Forests are destroyed by increasing population.
• Ecological balance is distrupted due to the destruction of forests.

Remedies to conserve forests :

• The Government of India implemented a National Forest Policy in 1952.
• In 1980, the Parliament passed Legislative Act and in 1988 a new National Policy was announced.