Sustainable Management Of Natural Resources - Class 10 Biology - Extra Questions

We should conserve forest, wildlife and other natural resources like water, fossil fuels because they are a tool for development and survival of human beings and reduction of environmental or global problems.
These resources are not unlimited and human population is increasing at a tremendous rate. So, we need a sustainable environment in which we can meet current basic human needs along with preserving the resources for future generations, therefore we need to conserve the natural resources.

Any two important measures to reduce consumption of the various natural resources are:

There is an urgent need to harness non-conventional sources of energy because conventional sources are exhaustible and may run out soon. These include coal, petroleum and natural gas. Thus, there is a dire need to look for alternate sources of energy to replace these conventional sources.

Two reasons for launching Ganga Action plan are-
a. To improve quality of water of River Ganga.
b. To reduce the pollution load of River Ganga and make people aware of preventing pollution of Ganga river.
This plan was launched in $$1985$$ by Mr. Rajeev Gandhi.
Coliform bacteria were found in water of Ganga indicating fecal  contamination.

Solid - cotton, steel.

Uses of forests:

Overexploitation of natural resources by humans has caused many negative impacts on the environment. Natural resources like coal, petrol, natural gas are limited and their excess use will lead to their depletion. Once used, these resources are lost forever as they are non-renewable. Overexploitation of natural resources like forests has resulted in deforestation and this will lead to habitat loss of many species of animals and microorganisms. Climate change and global warming are other harmful impacts of overexploitation of natural resources.

The Chipko movement quickly spread across communities and media, and forced the government, to whom the forest belongs, to rethink their priorities in the use of forest produce. It also proved that participation of the local people can indeed lead to the efficient management of forests.

• Social impact: Construction of dams needs large space so the people residing in the place where the dam has to be constructed, are forced to move to another place. 
• Economic impact: Construction of dams is very expensive and hence, requires a lot of money.
• Environmental impact: Construction of dams disturbs the natural habitat of that place. The quality of water also declines in a dam because natural flow is interrupted. The biodiversity is also affected and the population of fishes declines in the water stored in the dam.

$$\bullet$$Dams restrict the natural flow of water and reservoirs of water are made which serve many purposes like generating electricity and irrigation. 

Amrita Devi Bishnoi was a woman who showed her courage by saving 'khejri' trees in 1731. She hugged the tree and dared the king's people to cut her first before cutting the tree. The king's men didn't bother about her request and cut down trees. Along with her, 363 other villagers also sacrificed their lives for saving trees. In her honour and memory, the Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award was initiated for communities or individuals from rural areas who show courage for saving forests and wildlife. 

Use of kullad in railways for providing tea and coffee is a way of sustainable use of resources. The kullads can be reused as many times as possible. Reusing saves the energy used to produce new items and also conserve valuable natural resources. Thus, it is a way of sustainable use of resources.

It is controlling the exploitation of resources in such a way as to provide for their sustained and equitable availability without polluting the environment in any way.

Solar energy is present in unlimited quantity in nature and is not likely to be exhausted. Hence it is considered inexhaustible resource.

It encourages forms of growth that meet current basic human needs while preserving the resources for the needs of future generation. 

Forests are useful in the following ways:

Coal and petroleum were formed from the degradation of biomass millions of years ago and their source is limited. These resources will, be exhausted in the future no matter how carefully, we use them. Because of these reasons such resources involve slightly different approach.

Explanation-

Water is essential for life because: 

1. Water forms the major component of a living organism.
2. It plays a vital role as all the metabolic processes required for growth and development requires a liquid medium.
3. Most of the reactions occur when the substances are in the dissolved state. 
4. Water also helps in the transportation of these dissolved substances in the body. 
5. Water helps in maintaining the body temperature.

• Changes that can be undertaken in our schools to make it environment-friendly are:

The forests are the regions covered with plantations which are responsible for rainfall. The rainfall results in the growth of the agricultural crops which bring economic development and prosperity to the country. Also, the raw materials are available from the forests for the industrial development and production of materials. These products bring a monetary increase in the economic value of the country. The biodiversity of the plants and animal species of the forests are necessary for the economy of the country. 

The largest water resource is the oceans and rivers. 96% of the water in the earth is the ocean. But the largest source of water for human consumption is the ground water.

Some of the ways to reuse a resource (for example, water or paper) in our locality are:

Dams are useful for the following reasons:
$$\bullet$$ Provide supply of water for towns and cities
$$\bullet$$ Provide supply of water for the irrigation of crops
$$\bullet$$ Helps in controlling the flood
$$\bullet$$ Helps in generating electricity in hydroelectric power stations

The approaches to water management are as follows:
i. Construction of dams, water reservoirs or ponds in hilly areas for the conservation of water.
ii. Construction of canal systems in desert and regions with water scarcity.
iii. Recycling domestic waste water and using it for irrigation.
iv. Distillation of sea water and using it for domestic purpose and drinking.
v. Preventing excess and irrational use of water.

(a) A watershed is an area or ridge of land that separates water flowing to different rivers, basins or seas.

(3) Gift items packed with shiny material- Recycled shiny material or beautifully

Plants and animals in a forest are not dependent on one another, this is the wrong statement among the given options. They should depend on each other for survival, because each provides something the other needs. This dependency can be well illustrated with the help of food chain in the ecosystem. 

CNG burns most efficiently, unlike petrol or diesel, in automobiles and very little of it is left unburnt. Moreover, CNG is cheaper than petrol, cannot be siphoned off by thieves, and is adulterated like petrol or diesel.

Underground water depletion occurs due to different reasons such as,

Forests are called lungs of the earth because they absorb an enormous amount of carbon dioxide that circulate in the atmosphere. They are effective and thus protecting those lungs is crucial if we are to defend the plant biodiversity and fight global warming. 

An area, where trees are present, is less prone to flooding because when these trees grow they dig their roots into the deep of soil which creates spaces between them. When there is a rain, the water goes to these spaces and fill them which reduces the water flow on the surface. If the trees are absent then the extra flow of water goes into the lakes and rivers which is above their capacity which results into the breakage of banks and causing the floods. So, the plants are the most important factor in reducing extra water flow.

$$\textbf{Solution: }$$ 

$$\bullet$$The Chipko movement was a non-violent and non-political movement done by rural villagers, particularly women, for the conservation of forests. 

$$\bullet$$It was started from the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and was led by Shri Sunder Lal Bahaguna and Chandi Prasad Bhatt. 

$$\bullet$$It involved embracing the trees to prevent deforestation so as to keep an ecological balance and a continued supply of benefits of forests. 

$$\bullet$$The Bishnoi’s put forward their objections against the action of deforestation which also stimulated other people to protest against the environmental deterioration. 

$$\bullet$$The ministry of food and agriculture started Van Mahotsava which was used to increase the forest wealth of the country and thereby reduce soil erosion. 

$$\bullet$$This Mahotsavv was celebrated in the first week of February and July.

Plant absorb water from soil and evaporate it to form clouds. As a result less water is absorbed from the soil and it disturbs the water cycle. The formation of clouds become difficult which leads to reduced rainfall. 

Sustainable management is a pattern of management that promises the use of natural resources in such a way that they meet the human needs in the present as well as in the future. It involves a calculated use of natural resources so that they could be used presently and by the generations to come along with taking care of the economy.

People have to face many difficulties at the place where a dam is being built, such as:
(i) Their houses, farms etc. Are all destroyed.
(ii) They are promised to be given some compensation by the government but sometimes, they have to face many difficulties in getting this compensation.
(iii) They are given new houses to live but they are not as good as were told to them. They have electricity but it remains for few hours only. There are taps no water.
(iv) The other people treat the village people as poor, uneducated and inferior.

We should use them judiciously because-
a. They are an important source of fuels. Petroleum products like petrol, diesel etc. are used as fuel in automobiles. Coal is used in thermal power plants to generate electricity and also used as a fuel for domestic purposes.
b. It took millions of years for them to be formed and therefore if used in excess they will soon get exhausted.
c. We should use them judiciously so that our future generations can take benefits from them.
d.Also, burning of these fuels cause pollution, global warming so we should use them wisely.

The water reservoir is a pond in fig. (a) and underground water body in the fig. (b).

Local peoples' participation in the management of forests can help in increasing forest produce and conservation of forest.
An example of this is of 1972, when West Bengal Forest Department involved local people to improve the degraded Sal forests. A forest officer A.K Banerjee along with villagers protected around 1200 hectares of Sal forest in Midnapore district and in return villagers were given employment. They were also allowed to collect firewood and fodder from forest at very less amount.
So local people can lead to efficient management of forest as they use forest produce in sustainable manner.

Of the total water available on the earth, fresh water forms $$0.3$$ percent.

The reasons why nothing goes in a forest is that-
i) Dead animals are eaten by the carnivores living in the forest like vultures, jackals, etc. 
ii) Remnants of dead animals and plants get decomposed to form humus by the microorganisms present in the soil.
iii) Broken branches of the trees are used by hunters or people living there. 

(a) The groundwater level increases due to the recharging of wells. 
(b) Groundwater keeps the layers of soil above it moist and prevents the loss of water by evaporation.

The following steps are taken/can be taken to conserve natural resources like: 
Conservation of minerals: 
• Improving the technology to allow the use of low-grade ores at low costs. 
• Recycling of metals. 
• Using scrap metals and other substitutes. 
• Using the available minerals in a planned manner. 
Conservation of forests: 
• Indiscriminate deforestation should be prohibited. 
• Wastage of timber and firewood should be avoided. 
• Forest fires should be prevented. 
• Reforestation of deforested areas should be undertaken. 
• Excessive grazing of cattle in forests should be discouraged. 
• Pests and diseases affecting forest trees should be chemically and biologically controlled. 
Conservation of water: 
• Clothes should be washed in washing machines only when the machine is filled to its maximum loading capacity. 
• Taps must be closed while washing utensils, brushing teeth, shaving, etc. 
• Trees should be planted in the monsoon season when temperatures are lower and rainfall is sufficient. 
• Promote rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation. 

Although water occupies about $$71\%$$ of the earth's surface, all of it is not potable water. Most of the water is available in the form of seas and oceans which is salty in nature. This saline water has its limitations and cannot be used for many purposes. Around $$2.7\%$$ of water exists in the frozen state or as groundwater which is inaccessible. Only $$0.3\%$$ of water is available as potable water which is fit for human consumption. 

Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal  are the states involved in the Ganga action plan.

'Sustainable management’ is the management of resources in which development can be maintained for a long time without undue damage to the environment.
Recycling needs additional energy to make a usable item. Reuse does not require additional energy and hence, is better than recycle.

Benefits of water harvesting are:

• It provides drinking water.
• It provides irrigation water.
• It is responsible for the increase in groundwater level.
• It reduces storm water discharge, urban flood and overloading of sewage treatment plants.

Forests offer us a huge variety of financial and social advantages. The economic benefits are as follows:

• Processing of forest products such as woods, fruits, flowers etc help to develop the economic status of a country.

• Some plants have medicinal value, which helps in developing pharmaceutical sectors which results in the development of the economy.

• Forest can be a part of the wildlife conservation strategy. Biosphere reserve, sanctuaries can be made which will help in conservation of endangered plants and animals as well as it can serve as a tourist spot that serves the economy of a country and scope of employment will also increase which will help to develop the economy as well.

• Sustainable management of natural resources is necessary to increase the overall life of natural resources especially non-renewable resources and also to control environmental pollution.
  
• Both reuse and recycle are good choices as they focus on a reduction in waste generation and have a positive impact on the environment.
• But, reuse is considered better than recycling as recycling consumes some energy to generate new things which are not seen in the case of reuse. Reuse prevents pollution of the environment by not creating any waste. Reuse also saves money as the material is used again without any processing.
  Example, reuse of glass bottle for storage, decoration etc

Figure (b) has more advantages than the figure (a) because the advantage of water stored in the ground is many. For example: - 
(a) It does not evaporate.
(b) It spreads out to recharge wells
(c) Provide moisture for vegetation over a wide area.
(d) It is protected from contamination by animal and human wastes.
(e) It prevents the breeding of insects.

Chipko movement was organized during $$1970s$$ in order to prevent deforestation. It protected forests and plants.