Summary Notes
Weather: It is about day to day( even hourly) in the atmospheric changes such as temperature, rainfall, sunshine, etc.For example, hot, cold, sunny, cloudy, calm, and windy weather phenomena.
Major seasons in north India:
- Cold weather: December to February
- During this time, sun lights directly fall in the tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere.
- Hot or Summer weather: March to May
- During this time, sunlight directly falls in the tropic of cancer in the northern hemisphere; In India above the Indo Gangetic plains.
- Rainy Season: June to September
- Southwest monsoon brings rainfall in the entire Indian subcontinent during this time.
- Autumn or retreating monsoon season: October to November
Climate
Climate is about the average weather condition which has been measured over many years; it says 40 to 50 years of average weather phenomenon.For example, Monsoon types of the Indian climate
The climate of any location is affected by :
- Latitudes
- Longitudes
- Altitudes
- Relief or topography
- Location: Distance from the sea
Reginal variation of climates is found because of these above variables.
The Mawynram in the Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall in the world.
Natural Vegetation
Based on the size, the following are the types of vegetation:- Bushes: Small plants
- Shrubs: cactus and flowing plants
- Tree: larger plants such as mangos.
Based on the climatic condition, the following are the types of natural vegetations:
- Tropical Evergreen Forest
- Tropical Deciduous
- Thorny bushes
- Mangrove
- Mountains vegetation
Tropical Rain or evergreen forest:
- These forests occur in heavy rainfall areas.
- These are so dense that sunlight does not reach the ground
- They shed their leaves at different types thus always appear green.
- Some important evergreen trees:
- Mahogany, Ebony, and Rosewood
- Areas in India:
- Andaman and Nicobar, Northeastern states, and narrow stip of western ghats.
Tropical Deciduous forest:
- It is also called monsoon forest
- These are less dense as compare to the rain forest and shed their leaves of the particular time of year.
- Some importance tropical deciduous forest is:
- Sal, Teak, Peepal, Neem & Shisham
- Areas in India:
- MP, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha
Thorny Bushes:
- These forests are found in dry areas of the country.
- Leaves are in the form of spines to reduce the loss of water through transpiration.
- Some importance tropical deciduous forest is:
- Cactus, Khair, Babool.
- Areas in India:
- Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Eastern slope of western Ghats.
Mountain Vegetation:
- Based on the altitude of mountains, a wide range of plant species are found to the various height.
- The conical shape of trees called coniferous trees is found from 1500 to 2500 meters.
- Some importance tropical deciduous forest is:
- Chir, Pine, and Deodar are important trees.
Mangrove Forest:
The mangrove tree is found in the saline water mainly in the Sundarbans delta.
What is the importance of the forest?
It performs a various function in the environments, some functions are:- Environment cleaner:
- Plants release oxygen
- Absorb Co2( carbon dioxide) from the environment
- Control soil erosion; roots of plants bind the soil.
- Sources of energy:
- provide timber for fuel
- Forest are sources of Food, Honey, lac
- Provides timber for:
- Furniture
- Fooder
- Wood for homemaking
- Provide medicinal plants herbs
- Forests are the natural habitat of wildlife.
Wildlife
National Animal: Tiger
National Birds: Peacock
Endemic species:
- Lion in Gir Forest in Gujarat
- Elephant, one-horned rhinoceroses in Assam
- Camel and Wild asses are found in the Indian desert.
- Wild Goats, Snow leopard in Himalayan region
- Project tiger and project Elephant to protect wildlife.
Migratory Birds: Siberian
birds, Pelican, Pintail, Duck, Curlews, Flamingo, Stork, Little Stint( weight
15-gram travel 8000 km from Arctic region)
Exercises
Q1. Which winds bring rainfall in India? Why is it so important?Answer:
The following winds bring rainfall
- Most of the rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon from June to September
- The onset of monsoon, northeast monsoon brings rainfall in parts of Tamilnadu from October to November
- Due to western disturbance; Northwest winds bring rains in northern parts of Indian during winter seasons.
- Due to cyclonic depression in the Bay of Bengal, coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal region get rainfalls.
It is important because:
- Most of the agriculture activities in India dependent on rainfall.
- It helps groundwater recharging
- It reduces air pollution
- Wildlife and forest are dependent on the rainfall for their water needs.
- People get some relief from the hot weather.
Q2. Name the different seasons in India.
Answer.
- Cold weather: December to February
- During this time, sun lights directly fall in the tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere.
- Hot or Summer weather: March to May
- During this time, sunlight directly falls in the tropic of cancer in the northern hemisphere; In India above the Indo Gangetic plains.
- Rainy Season: June to September
- Southwest monsoon brings rainfall in the entire Indian subcontinent during this time.
- Autumn or retreating monsoon season: October to November
Answer.
Natural vegetations are grown naturally and they are not dependent on the human for their water, minerals, fertilizer, etc requirement. All of the requirements they get naturally from the environment and their habitat.
For example, Forest.
Q4. Name the different types of vegetation found in India.
Answer.
Based on the size, the following are the types of vegetation:
- Bushes: Small plants
- Shrubs: cactus and flowing plants
- Tree: larger plants such as mangos.
Based on the climatic condition, the following are the types of natural vegetations:
- Tropical Evergreen Forest
- Tropical Deciduous
- Thorny bushes
- Mangrove
- Mountains vegetation
Q5. What is the difference between the evergreen forest and deciduous forest?
Answer.The following are the differences:
- Evergreen forest is found in the areas having rainfall around 400 cm per year whereas deciduous forest is found in the area having approximately 200 cm in a year.
- The evergreen forest does not shed their leaves all at once whereas deciduous tree shed their leaves all at once in a year.
- Evergreen forest is so dense that sunlight does not reach the ground whereas deciduous forest is not so dense as an evergreen forest.
- Evergreen forest is in small areas of India( Andaman & Nicobar, part of northeastern states, and narrow strop of western ghats) whereas deciduous forest is in very large areas in India.
- Very diverse wildlife and vegetation are found in the evergreen forest whereas not as much diversity as evergreen forest in the deciduous forest.
Q6. Why is the tropical rainforest also called evergreen forest?
Answer.
Because tropical rainforest does not shed their leaves all at once and they appear evergreen all the year; that why tropical rainforest also called an evergreen forest.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon