Conservation Policies MCQs Quiz | Class 10

Understanding Conservation Policies and Community Role in Forest and Wildlife Resources

India, with its rich biodiversity, faces significant challenges in conserving its forest and wildlife resources. To address these, various conservation policies and acts have been implemented by the government. Equally vital is the active participation of local communities, whose traditional knowledge and practices often play a crucial role in safeguarding these invaluable assets.

Key Points for Conservation

• Importance of Conservation: Forests are vital for ecological balance, providing habitat, regulating climate, and serving as a source of livelihood. Wildlife contributes to ecosystem health and biodiversity.
• Threats to Biodiversity: Deforestation, habitat destruction, hunting, pollution, climate change, and large-scale development projects (like dams, mining) are major threats.
• Government Initiatives: The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 is a landmark legislation. Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant are notable efforts for species-specific conservation. Biosphere Reserves, National Parks, and Wildlife Sanctuaries are established protected areas.

Reserved Forests: Pillars of Protection

• Definition: Reserved Forests are the most restricted category of forests in India. They are declared by the state government and are under the direct control of the forest department.
• Purpose: Their primary objective is to protect critical forest and wildlife habitats from exploitation. Commercial logging, hunting, and grazing are typically prohibited or highly regulated.
• Significance: These forests play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity, maintaining ecological processes, and providing long-term ecological security. Around half of India’s forest area is classified as Reserved Forests.

Community’s Crucial Role in Conservation

• Traditional Practices: Many indigenous and local communities have a deep-rooted connection with nature, practicing sustainable living and conservation through generations.
• Sacred Groves: These are patches of forests or trees that are venerated by local communities, often linked to deities or ancestors. They are protected due to religious beliefs and represent a traditional form of biodiversity conservation. Examples include Munda and Santhal tribes in Chota Nagpur, who worship Mahua and Kadamba trees.
• Chipko Movement: A pioneering non-violent social and ecological movement by rural villagers, particularly women, in India in the 1970s. They resisted deforestation by hugging trees, demonstrating the power of community action.
• Joint Forest Management (JFM): Initiated in 1988, JFM involves local communities in the protection and management of degraded forests. In return, communities receive benefits like timber and non-timber forest products. This collaborative approach promotes both conservation and livelihood security.
• Bishnoi Community: A prime example from Rajasthan known for its strict adherence to environmental protection, often sacrificing their lives to protect trees (like Khejri) and animals (like blackbuck).

Quick Revision

• Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Key legislation for biodiversity conservation.
• Project Tiger (1973): Focused on tiger conservation.
• Reserved Forests: Most protected forest category, under government control.
• Protected Forests: Also government-controlled, but with some rights for local communities.
• Unclassed Forests: Other forests and wastelands, managed by private individuals or local bodies.
• Sacred Groves: Community-protected forest patches based on religious beliefs.
• Chipko Movement: Community movement against deforestation.
• Joint Forest Management (JFM): Partnership between local communities and forest department.
• Bishnoi Community: Exemplary community with strong conservation ethics.

Practice Questions

1. Which Act provided a legal framework for the protection of wildlife in India?
   (a) Forest Act, 1980 (b) Environmental Protection Act, 1986 (c) Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (d) Biodiversity Act, 2002
2. A significant portion of India’s flora and fauna is found within areas protected by communities due to their religious sanctity. These areas are known as:
   (a) National Parks (b) Biosphere Reserves (c) Wildlife Sanctuaries (d) Sacred Groves
3. The main aim of Project Tiger was to:
   (a) Increase tiger population and protect their habitats. (b) Promote tiger hunting as a sport. (c) Relocate tigers to other countries. (d) Capture tigers for zoos.
4. Which type of forest in India allows for limited grazing and collection of fuelwood by local communities under certain regulations?
   (a) Reserved Forests (b) Protected Forests (c) Unclassed Forests (d) Sacred Groves
5. The ‘forest dwelling communities’ recognized by the Forest Rights Act, 2006, play a vital role in:
   (a) Industrial timber extraction (b) Conservation and sustainable use of forest resources (c) Urban development projects (d) Promoting foreign investment in forests