Conservation of Plants & Animals Notes

• The loss or continual degradation of forest habitat due to natural or human-related causes is called deforestation.

Causes of Deforestation:

• Reforestation is restocking of the destroyed forests by planting new trees.
• The planted trees should generally be of the same species which were found in that forest.
• Reforestation can take place naturally also, if the deforested area is kept undisturbed.
• The Forest (Conservation) Act in India is aimed at preservation and conservation of natural forests. It also helps in meeting the basic needs of the people living in or near the forests.

• Biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms existing on the earth, their interrelationships and their relationship with the environment.
• Following are few terms associated with biodiversity:

Species:

• It refers to a group or class of animals or plants having certain common and permanent characteristics that clearly distinguish it from the other groups.
• It is a group of population which is capable of interbreeding.
• Members of a species have common characteristics. E.g. Homo sapiens or human beings form one type of animal species.

Habitat: