Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources Application Questions | geography Class 10 CBSE

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Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources Application Questions | geography Class 10 CBSE | ByteNotes.in

Application Question

Hard difficulty • Concept in a practical situation

Hard

Question 1

Applied Concept

A forest department officer in Rajasthan observes that villagers near a tiger reserve are actively opposing a mining company that has received government permission to operate within the reserve. With reference to the chapter, explain whether the villagers have legal and moral grounds for their opposition.

The villagers have strong legal grounds under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which gives legal protection to habitats of protected species like the tiger. Mining within a tiger reserve would directly violate these provisions. The case of Sariska Tiger Reserve, cited in the chapter, shows that villagers successfully fought against mining by invoking this Act.
Morally, local communities have a legitimate interest in protecting their surrounding forests as these forests support their livelihoods, water sources, and cultural life. The chapter emphasises that local communities often take conservation into their own hands, explicitly rejecting destructive government or commercial decisions.
The chapter's broader lesson is that conservation must be people-centric and environment-friendly. Mining in a tiger reserve conflicts with both the spirit of the Wildlife Protection Act and the principle that economic activities must be compatible with ecological health and community interests.

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Application Question

Medium difficulty • Concept in a practical situation

Medium

Question 2

Applied Concept

A student argues that since Sacred Groves are based on superstition, they have no scientific value for conservation. How would you counter this argument using information from the chapter?

Sacred Groves, regardless of their religious basis, function as effective conservation reserves by prohibiting any interference — cutting trees, hunting, or encroachment — within the designated forest patches. This protection maintains biodiversity in a pristine, undisturbed state that formal government reserves often struggle to achieve.
The chapter notes that Sacred Groves harbour diverse and rare species, providing ecological refuges for flora and fauna that may have disappeared from surrounding degraded landscapes. Their role as biodiversity hotspots is scientifically significant, independent of the beliefs that sustain them.
Conservation science increasingly recognises the value of community-based, culturally embedded conservation practices. The chapter shows that traditional knowledge and practices — including Sacred Groves — often deliver better long-term outcomes than externally imposed government policies, making them valuable conservation tools.

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Application Question

Hard difficulty • Concept in a practical situation

Hard

Question 3

Applied Concept

A tribal community near a forest in eastern India has been managing the local forest for generations. The government now wants to reclassify it as a Reserved Forest, removing community management rights. What arguments can the community use to resist this change, based on the chapter?

The community can argue that they have been effective and sustainable managers of the forest, which the chapter confirms by noting that eastern states and parts of Gujarat have a high percentage of unclassed forests successfully managed by local communities. Their traditional management has conserved biodiversity without external intervention.
The chapter highlights that local communities have traditional knowledge, cultural ties, and livelihood interests that align with conservation — making them valuable partners rather than threats. Removing their rights could undermine conservation by eliminating the very people who have protected the forest.
The Joint Forest Management (JFM) model offers a compromise: the community can propose a collaborative management arrangement under JFM, where they continue to protect the forest in exchange for a share of timber and non-timber produce. The chapter underscores that community involvement is essential for sustainable natural resource management.

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Application Question

Hard difficulty • Concept in a practical situation

Hard

Question 4

Applied Concept

A wildlife documentary shows that a tiger reserve in India has seen increasing poaching despite being legally protected. Using the chapter, suggest reasons why legal protection alone is insufficient and what additional measures are needed.

Legal protection alone is insufficient because poaching is driven by high international demand for tiger skins and bones (especially in Asian countries for traditional medicines), which provides strong economic incentives that override legal deterrents. The chapter notes that the tiger was pushed to the verge of extinction even after protections were in place.
Habitat fragmentation and prey depletion are ecological factors that legal status cannot directly address. As human populations grow and encroach on forest land, tigers are forced into smaller areas with less food, increasing conflict with humans and vulnerability to poachers.
The chapter suggests that involving local communities in conservation — through JFM, community patrolling, and shared benefits — is essential. When communities have a livelihood stake in the tiger reserve's health, they are more likely to report poachers and protect the ecosystem than when conservation is imposed on them from outside.

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Application Question

Medium difficulty • Concept in a practical situation

Medium

Question 5

Applied Concept

Farmers in a village in Tehri are considering using synthetic chemicals to increase crop yield. Drawing from the chapter, what alternative approach would you recommend and why?

The chapter cites the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and the Navdanya movement as examples of farmers who have demonstrated that diversified crop production without synthetic chemicals is possible and economically viable. These groups preserved traditional seed varieties and practised ecological farming successfully.
Using traditional crop varieties and avoiding synthetic chemicals helps maintain agricultural biodiversity — the genetic pool of diverse crops that has evolved over centuries. This biodiversity is essential for developing resilient food systems capable of withstanding climate change, pests, and disease.
Ecological farming is also environmentally beneficial: it reduces soil and water pollution, maintains soil health, and supports local biodiversity — all of which contribute to the long-term productivity of the land. The chapter presents people-centric, environment-friendly, and economically rewarding activities as the ideal standard for sustainable development.

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Application Question

Hard difficulty • Concept in a practical situation

Hard

Question 6

Applied Concept

A government policy-maker is designing a new conservation programme and must choose between creating a large new protected reserve or strengthening Joint Forest Management in degraded forest areas. What guidance does the chapter provide for this decision?

The chapter suggests that conservation strategies focusing only on protected areas have limitations, since much of India's forest is already degraded and outside traditional reserve boundaries. JFM specifically targets degraded forest land and has been proven to restore it through community involvement, making it directly relevant to the problem of degraded forests.
JFM has the added advantage of involving local communities who have a direct livelihood stake in the forest's health. When communities receive non-timber produce and a share of timber, they become active protectors rather than potential encroachers — creating self-sustaining conservation incentives.
The chapter's central lesson is that local communities must be at the centre of natural resource management. A policy that strengthens JFM therefore addresses both ecological restoration and community empowerment simultaneously, while a new protected reserve without community involvement risks repeating the failures of top-down conservation.

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Chapter 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources | Application Questions

A student argues that since Sacred Groves are based on superstition, they have no scientific value for conservation. How would you counter this argument using information from the chapter?

A tribal community near a forest in eastern India has been managing the local forest for generations. The government now wants to reclassify it as a Reserved Forest, removing community management rights. What arguments can the community use to resist this change, based on the chapter?

A wildlife documentary shows that a tiger reserve in India has seen increasing poaching despite being legally protected. Using the chapter, suggest reasons why legal protection alone is insufficient and what additional measures are needed.

Farmers in a village in Tehri are considering using synthetic chemicals to increase crop yield. Drawing from the chapter, what alternative approach would you recommend and why?

A government policy-maker is designing a new conservation programme and must choose between creating a large new protected reserve or strengthening Joint Forest Management in degraded forest areas. What guidance does the chapter provide for this decision?

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