CLASS VII LAND AND THE PEOPLE

 LAND AND THE PEOPLE (SOLUTIONS)

1. Which one of the following is a threat to ecological balance?

Answer: population growth

2. Taiga is-

Answer: a softwood tree.

3. For the preservation of varied plant and animal life, the government has set up various-

Answer: national parks

4. Mosses and lichens are-

Answer: commonly found vegetation in the polar regions.

5. The temperate grasslands of North America are called the-

Answer: prairies

FILL IN THE BLANKS

1. The first form of life on the earth appeared in the ___________ belonging to flora world.

2. The living zone of the planet earth is known as ___________.

3. The human beings, who first appeared on the earth, were known as ___________.

4. The Taiga vegetation is also known as ___________.

5. The plants prepare their own food and are known as ___________ of the biosphere.

Answer: (1) water bodies (2) biosphere (3) homo sapiens (4) Coniferous forests (5) Food factory

C. Write True or False for the following statements.

1. In the grasslands, the number of animals is less as compared to those in the equatorial forest.

2. Afforestation causes rise in the pollution level in the atmosphere.

3. Tiger and lion are the endangered species in India.

4. Pampas are the temperate grasslands in Australia.

5. Insect-eating animals are most commonly found in the dense forests of the equatorial region.

Answer: (1) True (2) False (3) True (4) True (5) True

D. Answer the following questions in brief.

1. Name the major types of vegetation of the world.

Answer: The major types of vegetation of the world are forests, grass lands, bushes and Shrubs.

2. Name some common plants found in cold and hot desert regions of the world.

Answer: Cactus, Shrubs and bushes are found in hot desert and mosses and lichens are found in cold desert regions of the world.

3. What are the major components of Ecosystem?

Answer: Plant, animals and humans are major components of Ecosystem.

4. Give some examples of trees having needle-shaped leaves.

Answer: The trees which have needle shaped leaves are Pine, Fur and Spruce.

5. Why do animals in the polar region have thick fur on their bodies?

Answer: Animals in the polar regions have thick fur on their bodies to protect them from extreme cold of the polar region.

E. Answer the following questions.

1. Why are equatorial forests known as evergreen forests? Give a few examples of trees found there.

Answer: The equatorial forests are called evergreen forests because they didn’t shed their leaves altogether in a particular season and look green throughout the year. Some trees found here are mahogany, ebony, rosewood, rubber and cinchona.

2. What role do plants play in ecological balance?

Answer: Plants keep ecological balance by providing oxygen to living organisms for respiration and absorb carbon dioxide released by them. Oxygen is also necessary for fire which provides us light and heat and helps us to cook food. Plants are also a big source of shelter for many organisms and important part of food chain in our ecosystem.

3. Distinguish between tropical and temperate grasslands.

Answer: The differences between tropical and temperate grasslands are as follows-

Tropical Grasslands

• Tropical grass lands Located between the equatorial forests and hot desert in both the hemisphere.
• These grass land receives about 100cm rain fall.
• The grasses of these regions are very rough, thick and tall.

Temperate Grasslands

• Temperate Grasslands located in the temperate zone in the interior part of the continents.
• These grass lands receive about 25 to 75 cm rain fall. They receive snow fall also.
• The grasses of these regions are short and soft.

4. Differentiate between hot and cold deserts.

Answer: The differences between hot and cold deserts are as follows-

HOT DESERTS

• Located on the western margins of the continents.
• Temperature remains very high throughout the year.
• Cactus, Shrubs and bushes are the common vegetation of this area.

COLD DESERTS

• Located around the polar regions.
• Temperature remains below freezing point for the major part of the year.
• Mosses, Lichens etc. are the common vegetation in this area.

5. What are the various problems related to the ecological imbalance? What steps should we take to solve them?

Answer: There are many problems like rapid increase in population, increasing pollution and deforestation for agriculture, habitation and expansion of industries. As a result, the ecological balance is highly disturbed all over the world. This is having a far-reaching effect on the human beings and animals.

To solve these problems, we should realize our mistakes and stop tampering with the nature. Afforestation should be done, hunting of animals should be strictly banned and other steps should be taken to control pollution.