NCERT CLASS 7 CHAPTER 8 YOUTUBE LINK:https://youtu.be/Nh7Ogr_qlnA

1. NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE
Class 7
NCERT
Chapter-8

2. INTRODUCTION
• Naturally growing plants comprise natural
vegetation
• Natural vegetation can be classified into- forests,
grasslands and shrubs
• Distribution and growth of vegetation is primarily
determined by climatic conditions
• Forests prefer hot and humid climate
• Grasslands are found in regions of moderate
rainfall
• Shrubs are dominant in dry areas

3. FORESTS
• Closed formation of trees growing together at
a particular place
• True forest is the one where trees are so close
that their canopy touch
• The world forests are divided into 6 types-
tropical evergreen, tropical deciduous,
temperate evergreen, temperate deciduous,
Mediterranean, and coniferous forests

4. TROPICAL FORESTS
TROPICAL EVERGREEN
• Also called tropical
rainforests/equatorial
forests/ selva
• Hot and humid climate
throughout the year
• Broad leaves evergreen
trees
• Little or no undergrowth
• Amazon basin, Congo
basin
TROPICAL DECIDUOUS
• Also called as monsoon forests
• Found in Asia, Central America,
Brazil and Northern Australia
• Vegetation is affected by seasonal
changes of temperature and
distribution of rainfall
• Have distinct dry season; leaves
are shed during this season
• Have thick undergrowth of small
trees and shrubs
• Sal, teak, palm, sandalwood, neem
and shisham are valuable trees
found.

5. TEMPERATE FORESTS
TEMPERATE EVERGREEN
• Mixed forests of hardwood
and softwood trees
• Dense forests
• Main trees are- oak, pine,
wattle, eucalyptus, walnut
and camphor
• Areas- China, south-
eastern USA, Brazil,
Uruguay, E coast of S.
Africa, E. Australia
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS
• Found in areas wit5h cool
temperate climate and
moderate rainfall
• Trees have thick trunks and
broad leaves
• Leaves are shed during autumn;
remain leafless in winters
• Main trees are- oak, ash, beech,
elm, cedar, redwood, Douglas,
fir etc.
• Main areas- W. Europe, NE-
China, S. Korea, Japan, NE-USA,
S. Chile and New Zealand

6. MEDITERRANEAN FORESTS
• Found around Mediterranean sea in Europe, Asia
and Africa
• Areas outside Mediterranean sea are California,
Central Chile, SW-Africa and SW-Australia
• Moderate rainfall of about 80cm in winters
• Dry summer season
• Widely spaced trees
• Oak, olive, pine, fur, cedar, cypress
• Nuts, olive oil and citrus fruits are the main
products

7. CONIFEROUS FORESTS
• Also known as taiga
• Found in broad belt between 50⁰N and 70⁰N
• Main areas are Alaska, S. Canada, the
Scandinavian countries, and N. Russia
• Very cold winters and very short summers
• Tall, straight, evergreen with narrow needle like
leaves
• Soft wood of these trees are used to make pulp,
paper, furniture, plywood, doors, and toys

8. GRASSLANDS
• Mostly found in regions of low rainfall
• Broadly classified into two types- tropical grasslands;
temperate grasslands
1. Tropical grasslands- also known as savanna; found in
either side of equator; high temperature & annual
rainfall between 25-75cm; compos(Brazil),
llanos(Venezuela)
2. Temperate grasslands- found in middle latitudes; 40⁰
to 55⁰ in both latitudes; steppe(Europe), prairie(N.
America), Pampas(S. America), velds(S. Africa) and
downs(Australia)

9. SHRUBS
• Shrubs are short bushy plants which grow in
extremely hot and cold areas
1. Desert vegetation- short thorny bushes; found in
tropical and sub-tropical regions; western
margins of continents; have thorns, thick stems,
long roots, and wax-coated leaves; date palm
and cactus are main plants
2. Tundra vegetation- found around North Pole,
Eurasia, N. America; also called cold polar desert;
very short plants; main vegetation includes
mosses, lichens, grasses & dwarf shrubs

10. WILDLIFE
• Wildlife includes plants and animals that live
on land and in water
• Species of animals is called fauna while that of
plants is called flora
• Forested area provides- food and water;
shelter; breeding grounds; space for normal
growth and movement

11. DISTRIBUTION OF ANIMALS
• ANIMALS OF TROPICAL REGIONS- most of
them live on trees; monkeys, apes, sloths,
tree-lizards; turtles, snakes and crocodiles live
in water & swamps
• ANIMALS OF TEMPERATE REGIONS- deer,
foxes, wolves, beavers; and birds like
pheasants, monals; little wildlife is found in
Mediterranean region

12. • ANIMALS OF THE GRASSLANDS- both herbivores
and carnivores are found in tropical and
temperate grasslands; in tropical grasslands-
zebra, giraffe, deer, elephants, leopards, panthers,
hyena, rhinoceros. In temperate grasslands-
antelopes, wild asses, wolves, wild dogs, rabbits
• ANIMALS OF THE DESERTS- camels, hyenas, foxes,
jackals, wild asses
• ANIMALS OF THE COLD REGIONS- reindeer, musk
ox, polar bear, seal, walrus

13. THREATS TO WILDLIFE
• Wild animals are being hunted for pleasure
and profit
• Elephants are hunted for ivory; Deer and
Tigers for skin
• Deforestation
• Farming
• Mining
• Construction of dams