Class 10 Social Science Chapter 7 Forest and Wildlife Resources (Geography) Practice Paper 1

Class: X Subject: Science Session: 2025-26 Chapter: 02 - Forest and Wildlife Resources Time: 1½ Hours Max. Marks: 40

General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory.

2. This question paper contains 20 questions divided into five sections A, B, C, D and E.

3. Section A contains 10 MCQs of 1 mark each.

4. Section B contains 4 questions of 2 marks each.

5. Section C contains 3 questions of 3 marks each.

6. Section D contains 1 question of 5 marks.

7. Section E contains 2 Case Study Based questions of 4 marks each.

SECTION A - Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)

Q1. Which of the following is NOT a reason for conserving forests and wildlife?
(a) To preserve ecological diversity
(b) To preserve genetic diversity
(c) To increase urbanization
(d) To maintain life support systems

Q2. The Indian Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in:
(a) 1970
(b) 1972
(c) 1975
(d) 1980

Q3. Project Tiger was launched in which year?
(a) 1970
(b) 1971
(c) 1972
(d) 1973

Q4. Which type of forest is considered most valuable for conservation?
(a) Unclassed forests
(b) Protected forests
(c) Reserved forests
(d) Community forests

Q5. The tiger population in India had dwindled to approximately how many in 1973?
(a) 500
(b) 1,827
(c) 5,000
(d) 10,000

Q6. Which state has the largest area under permanent forests?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Maharashtra

Q7. The Chipko movement is associated with:
(a) Wildlife protection
(b) Forest conservation
(c) Water conservation
(d) Soil conservation

Q8. JFM stands for:
(a) Joint Farming Management
(b) Joint Forest Management
(c) Joint Fuel Management
(d) Joint Food Management

Q9. Sacred Groves are preserved due to:
(a) Government orders
(b) Religious and cultural beliefs
(c) Forest department regulations
(d) International agreements

Q10. Which crocodile species was NOT mentioned in the conservation projects?
(a) Freshwater crocodile
(b) Saltwater crocodile
(c) Nile crocodile
(d) Gharial

SECTION B - Short Answer Questions (2 marks each)

Q11. Define biodiversity. Why is it important for human life?

Q12. What are the three main categories of forests in India based on ownership and management?

Q13. Name any four tiger reserves in India.

Q14. What is the significance of the Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri' in Alwar district, Rajasthan?

SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (3 marks each)

Q15. Explain the main objectives of Project Tiger launched in 1973.

Q16. Describe the concept of Sacred Groves. Give examples of trees worshipped by different communities.

Q17. What is Joint Forest Management (JFM)? How does it benefit local communities?

SECTION D - Long Answer Question (5 marks)

Q18. "Community participation is essential for forest and wildlife conservation." Justify this statement with examples from different conservation movements in India.

SECTION E - Case Study Based Questions (4 marks each)

Q19. Case Study 1: The Chipko movement in the Himalayas has not only successfully resisted deforestation in several areas but has also shown that community afforestation with indigenous species can be enormously successful. Farmers and citizen's groups like the Beej Bachao Andolan in Tehri and Navdanya have shown that adequate levels of diversified crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals are possible and economically viable.
(a) What was the main objective of the Chipko movement? (1 mark)
(b) Name the region where the Chipko movement was prominent. (1 mark)
(c) What alternative did the Beej Bachao Andolan promote? (2 marks)

Q20. Case Study 2: India is one of the world's richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity. We share this planet with millions of other living beings, starting from micro-organisms and bacteria, lichens to banyan trees, elephants and blue whales. The plants, animals and micro-organisms re-create the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that produces our food without which we cannot survive.
(a) What makes India one of the richest countries in biodiversity? (1 mark)
(b) How do living organisms contribute to our survival? (2 marks)
(c) Why are forests called primary producers? (1 mark) DETAILED ANSWER KEY - PAPER 01

SECTION A - Answers to MCQs

Ans 1.
(c) To increase urbanization Conservation aims to preserve biodiversity, not promote urbanization which often leads to habitat destruction. Ans 2.
(b) 1972 The Indian Wildlife Protection Act was implemented in 1972 with provisions for protecting habitats and banning hunting of endangered species. Ans 3.
(d) 1973 Project Tiger was launched in 1973 when authorities realized the tiger population had declined drastically. Ans 4.
(c) Reserved forests More than half of the total forest land is declared as reserved forests, which are regarded as the most valuable for conservation.

Ans 5.
(b) 1,827 In 1973, the tiger population had dwindled to 1,827 from an estimated 55,000 at the turn of the century. Ans 6.
(c) Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh has the largest area under permanent forests, constituting 75 per cent of its total forest area. Ans 7.
(b) Forest conservation The Chipko movement successfully resisted deforestation and promoted community afforestation with indigenous species. Ans 8.
(b) Joint Forest Management JFM is a programme for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests.

Ans 9.
(b) Religious and cultural beliefs Sacred Groves are based on nature worship and tribal beliefs that all creations of nature must be protected. Ans 10.
(c) Nile crocodile The conservation projects mentioned freshwater crocodile, saltwater crocodile, and Gharial, not Nile crocodile.

SECTION B - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 11. Biodiversity or Biological Diversity refers to the variety of life forms including wildlife and cultivated species that are diverse in form and function but closely integrated through interdependencies. Importance: It is essential for preserving ecological diversity and life support systems like water, air, and soil. It also maintains genetic diversity crucial for better growth and breeding of species. Ans 12. The three main categories of forests in India are: (i) Reserved Forests: Most valuable for conservation, comprising more than half of total forest land (ii) Protected Forests: Almost one-third of total forest area, protected from further depletion (iii) Unclassed Forests: Other forests and wastelands belonging to government and private individuals Ans 13.

Four tiger reserves in India are: (i) Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (ii) Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal (iii) Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh (iv) Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan Ans 14. The inhabitants of five villages in Alwar district declared 1,200 hectares of forest as Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri' with their own set of rules and regulations. They do not allow hunting and protect wildlife against outside encroachments, demonstrating community-led conservation without government involvement.

SECTION C - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 15. The main objectives of Project Tiger launched in 1973 were:

1. Save endangered species: Protect the declining tiger population which had reduced to 1,827 from 55,000

2. Preserve biotypes: Tiger conservation was viewed as a means of preserving biotypes of sizeable magnitude

3. Combat threats: Address major threats like poaching for trade, shrinking habitat, depletion of prey base, and illegal trading of tiger skins and bones Ans 16. Sacred Groves are patches of virgin forests preserved in pristine form based on nature worship. Local communities believe all creations of nature must be protected and ban any interference with these forests. Examples: • Mundas and Santhal worship mahua and kadamba trees • Tribals of Odisha and Bihar worship tamarind and mango trees during weddings • Peepal and banyan trees are considered sacred by many communities Ans 17.

Joint Forest Management (JFM) is a programme for involving local communities in the management and restoration of degraded forests. It has been in formal existence since 1988 when Odisha passed the first resolution. Benefits to local communities: • Formation of village institutions for protection activities • Entitlement to intermediary benefits like non-timber forest products • Share in timber harvested through successful protection

SECTION D - Answer to Long Answer Question

Ans 18. Community participation is indeed essential for forest and wildlife conservation, as demonstrated by numerous successful movements:

1. Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan: Villagers fought against mining by citing the Wildlife Protection Act, showing how local communities protect habitats and reject outside encroachments.

2. Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri', Alwar: Five villages declared 1,200 hectares as protected area with their own rules prohibiting hunting, demonstrating self-governed conservation.

3. Chipko Movement: Successfully resisted deforestation in the Himalayas and proved that community afforestation with indigenous species can be enormously successful.

4. Beej Bachao Andolan and Navdanya: Farmers' groups showed that diversified crop production without synthetic chemicals is possible and economically viable.

5. Joint Forest Management (JFM): Provides formal structure for community involvement, giving them rights to non-timber products and timber share. These examples prove that local communities have intimate knowledge of ecosystems and a vested interest in long-term conservation, making their participation crucial for sustainable resource management.

SECTION E - Answers to Case Study Based Questions

Ans 19.
(a) The main objective of the Chipko movement was to resist deforestation and promote community afforestation with indigenous species.
(b) The Chipko movement was prominent in the Himalayan region.
(c) The Beej Bachao Andolan promoted adequate levels of diversified crop production without the use of synthetic chemicals. They demonstrated that this approach is both possible and economically viable, reviving traditional conservation methods and developing new ecological farming techniques. Ans 20.

(a) India is one of the richest countries in biodiversity due to its vast array of biological diversity ranging from micro-organisms to large mammals, with possibly two to three times more species yet to be discovered.
(b) Living organisms contribute to our survival by: • Plants, animals, and micro-organisms re-create the quality of air we breathe • They maintain the quality of water we drink • They produce and maintain the soil that grows our food
(c) Forests are called primary producers because they form the base of the food chain. All other living beings depend on forests for their survival as forests produce organic matter through photosynthesis.