Forest and Wildlife Resources Class 10: Notes and Questions

Forest and Wildlife Resources is chapter 2 of the Class 10 Geography book, Contemporary India-II. It explains why biodiversity matters, how India protects forests and wildlife through laws and projects such as Project Tiger, how forests are classified, and how local communities conserve nature. This guide follows the chapter in order and ends with model answers and common mistakes.

CBSE 2026-27: the whole chapter is in the board exam, inside the Geography section worth "17+3 map pointing" marks (chapters 1 to 7; Lifelines of National Economy is tested only through map pointing). The syllabus map list has no items for this chapter. See our CBSE Class 10 syllabus 2026-27 guide for the full marks split.

Biodiversity and the web of life

We share the planet with millions of living beings, from micro-organisms, bacteria and lichens to banyan trees, elephants and blue whales. Biodiversity is this variety of living things, closely linked through many interdependencies. Humans are only one part of this web and depend on it: plants, animals and micro-organisms re-create the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that grows our food.

Forests are the primary producers on which all other living beings depend. India is one of the world's richest countries in biological diversity, but its plants and animals are under great stress, mainly because of insensitivity to the environment.

Why we need conservation

Conservation has become essential because wildlife and forests are declining fast. It:

• preserves ecological diversity and our life support systems: water, air and soil;
• preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth and breeding. Agriculture still depends on traditional crop varieties, and fisheries depend on aquatic biodiversity.

In the 1960s and 1970s, conservationists demanded a national wildlife protection programme.

The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

The Act was implemented in 1972 with provisions for protecting habitats, and an all-India list of protected species was published. It aimed to protect the remaining populations of endangered species by:

1. banning hunting,
2. giving legal protection to their habitats, and
3. restricting trade in wildlife.

Governments then set up national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and the centre ran projects for gravely threatened animals such as the tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, Kashmir stag (hangul), three types of crocodile and the Asiatic lion.

Conservation now looks at biodiversity as a whole:

Project Tiger

In 1973, authorities realised the tiger population had fallen to 1,827 from an estimated 55,000 at the turn of the century. The threats included poaching for trade, shrinking habitat, depletion of prey species and a growing human population. Tiger skins were traded and bones used in traditional medicines, especially in Asian countries. India and Nepal have about two-thirds of the world's surviving tigers, so they became prime targets for poachers.

Project Tiger was launched in 1973 and is one of the world's best-known wildlife campaigns. It is seen not only as saving one species but as a way of preserving large ecosystems. A tiger needs a healthy habitat and prey base, not just protection from poachers.

Types of forests

In India, most forests and wildlife are owned or managed by the government through the Forest Department. Forests are classified into three types:

Reserved and protected forests together are called permanent forest estates, kept for timber, other forest produce and protective reasons. Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, 75% of its total forest area.

Community and conservation

Forests are also home to traditional communities, and many protect their habitats to secure their own livelihood.

• In Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, villagers fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act.
• In Alwar district, Rajasthan, five villages declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav "Sonchuri", with their own rules that ban hunting and keep out encroachers.
• The Chipko movement in the Himalayas resisted deforestation and showed that community afforestation with indigenous species can succeed.
• Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown that diversified crop production without synthetic chemicals is possible and economically viable.

Sacred groves: nature worship has preserved virgin forests called sacred groves (forests of gods and goddesses), where any interference is banned. The Mundas and Santhals of Chota Nagpur worship mahua and kadamba trees; tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship tamarind and mango trees during weddings. Macaques and langurs are fed around many temples. In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbuck (chinkara), nilgai and peacocks are part of the community and nobody harms them.

Joint Forest Management (JFM)

JFM involves local communities in managing and restoring degraded forests. It has existed formally since 1988, when Odisha passed the first JFM resolution. Village institutions protect mostly degraded forest land managed by the Forest Department. In return, members get intermediary benefits such as non-timber forest produce and a share in the timber harvested through "successful protection".

The chapter's lesson: local communities must be involved in natural resource management, though they are still not at the centre of decision-making.

Remember this

• Wildlife (Protection) Act: 1972. Project Tiger: 1973.
• Tigers: about 55,000 at the turn of the century, 1,827 in 1973.
• Reserved forests: over half; protected: about one-third.
• Madhya Pradesh: largest permanent forest area (75% of its forests).
• First JFM resolution: Odisha, 1988.

Important questions with answers

1. Why are forests called primary producers? (1 mark) All other living beings depend on them, directly or indirectly.

2. Which state passed the first resolution for Joint Forest Management, and when? (1 mark) Odisha, in 1988.

3. What is biodiversity? Why is it important for human lives? (3 marks) Biodiversity is the variety of living things, from micro-organisms to large animals and trees, linked through many interdependencies. It matters because plants, animals and micro-organisms maintain the air, water and soil we need, and genetic diversity supports agriculture and fisheries.

4. How did the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 protect endangered species? (3 marks) It published an all-India list of protected species, banned hunting, gave legal protection to their habitats and restricted trade in wildlife. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries were set up after it.

5. Why was Project Tiger launched? (3 marks) By 1973 tigers had fallen to 1,827 from about 55,000 because of poaching, shrinking habitat, loss of prey and a growing human population. India and Nepal have about two-thirds of the world's tigers, so they were prime targets for poachers.

6. Distinguish between reserved, protected and unclassed forests. (3 marks) Reserved forests are over half of forest land and the most valuable for conservation. Protected forests are about one-third and are protected from further depletion. Unclassed forests are other forests and wastelands owned by government, individuals and communities.

7. Describe how communities have conserved forests and wildlife in India. (5 marks) Sariska villagers fought mining using the Wildlife Protection Act. Five Alwar villages declared 1,200 hectares as the Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri with their own rules. The Chipko movement resisted deforestation. Sacred groves protect forests through belief, Bishnoi villages protect blackbuck and nilgai, and JFM gives villagers a share in the benefits of protecting degraded forests.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Swapping the dates: the Act came in 1972, Project Tiger in 1973.
• Saying protected forests are over half of forest land. That is reserved forests.
• Naming Maharashtra as the state with the largest permanent forest area. It is Madhya Pradesh.
• Writing that JFM began in Rajasthan. The first resolution came from Odisha.

To practise these answers with quick checks, study this chapter with Joy.