[53] smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.

Conservation of Plants and Animals

Biodiversity
Forest is one of the most useful renewable resources. They are our national wealth. They
are the
home of several kinds of plants, animals and microorganisms. The number and types of
plants and
animals found in forest depends on soil and climatic conditions .
Biological diversity or biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms existing on the earth,
their
inter -relationships and their relationship with the environment.
Uses of biodiversity
Food : All kind of food is derived from plants and animals.
Drugs and medicines : Around 25% of drugs are obtained from plants e.g. quinines used for
treatment of malaria is obtained from Chinchona officinalis . All antibiotics are derived from

microbes.
Cultural and aesthetic value : Biodiversity, is an invaluable so urce of intangible cultural
heritage,
intercultural exchange, creativity and innovation.
Religious values : Plants like Tulsi, Peepal, banyan and animals like cows, ox, elephant are
worshiped.
To maintain ecosystem: Without a wide range of animals , plants and microorganisms, we
cannot
have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on the provide us with the air we breathe and the
food
we eat. Thus, i t is essential for maintenance of ecosystem.
Conservation of Plants and
Animals
3

Olympiads : Class 8
[54]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals Threat to biodiversity
(i) Destruction of habitat by cutting do wn trees, filling up the wetland, ploughing of
grassland
or burning a forest.
(ii) Population explosion has increased demand for food and shelter. It has lead s to culture
of
single crop that will result in disappearance of some other crops.
(iii) Industrialisation and urbanisation ha ve changed and destroyed the natural habitat of
plants
and animals.
(iv) Pollution of soil, air and water changes the habitat quali ty and may reduce or eliminate
sensitive species.
(v) Mining activities add to the pollution of air and water and threaten the survival of the
animals in the nearby areas.
(vi) Construction of dams, roads and railways destroys huge patches of forests, gras sland
etc.
thus, disturb the biodiversity.
(vii) Indiscriminate killing of animals for different purposes has resulted in their reduction.

(viii) Introduction of exotic/foreign species in an area threatens the survival of existing

natural
biodiversity, e.g., water hyacinth clogs rivers, lakes and threatens the life of many aquatic
species in our country.
Deforestation
• Deforestation is the clearing of forests to use the land for
cultivation, building houses and factories, making furniture,
and the construction of dams or for using wood for fuel.
• Cases where human beings are responsible for
deforestation are known as m an-made causes, while cases
such as forest fires where there is no involvement of
human beings are known as natural causes. Other causes
of deforestation include severe floods and severe droughts.

 You have learned about the consequences of deforestation in previous class.

Consequences of deforestation
• Deforestation increases the temperature and pollution
level on the earth.
• Ground water level also gets lowered.
• Deforestation disturbs the balance in nature.
• If cutting of trees continues, rainfall and the fertility of the
soil will decrease.
• Moreover, there will be increased chances of natural calamities such as floods and
droughts.
Deforestation
Drought

Biology
[55]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals • The increase in temperature on the earth disturbs the
water cycle and may reduce rainfall.
This could cause droughts.
• It increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere traps sunlight reflected by the earth 's
surface,
and results in an increase in temperature levels on the earth. This phenomenon is known as
greenhouse effect. This increase in the temperature levels results into global warming.
• It is also responsible for soil erosion (The removal of topsoil) .
• Deforestation is a major cause which leads to the change in soil properties. Removal of the
top layer of the soil exposes the lower, hard and rocky layers. Gradually the fertile land gets
converted into deserts. It is called desertification.
• Deforest ation also leads to a decrease in the water holding capacity of the soil. The
movement
of water from the soil surface into the ground (infiltration rate) is reduced. So, there are
floods.
1

What is the concern of some plants and animals perish due to deforestation?
Explanation
Deforestation affect s the environment and also destroys the habitat of many animals. They
are left
to die without their natural shelter .
Conservation of biodiversity
(i) In-situ conservation
(ii) Ex-situ conservation
(i) In-situ (on site) conservation includes the protection of plants and animals within their
natural habitats or in protected areas. Protected areas are those areas dedicated to
protection and maintenance of biodi versity. For example: National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves, etc.
(ii) Ex-situ (off site) conservation is the conservation of plants and animals outside their
natural
habitats. These include Botanical Gardens, Zoo, Gene Banks, DNA Banks , Seed Banks, Pollen

Banks, Seedling and Tissue Culture etc.

Wildlife
The plants, animals and microorganisms other than the cultivated plants and domesticated
animals constitute the wildlife.
Animals and plants living in their natural habitat constitute w ildlife. The wildlife forms an
important resource as it plays a major role in maintaining ecological balance.
Wildlife needs to be conserved for –
• Maintaining ecological balance for supporting life.
• Preserving different kinds of species (biodiversity) .
• Preserving economically important plants and animals.
• Conserving the endangered species.

Olympiads : Class 8
[56]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals Methods of conservation of wildlife
• Establishing biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries.
• Afforestation (Tree planting programme).
• Special sche mes for preservation of threatened species.
• Improvement of natural habitats of wildlife.
• Educating people about the need and methods of conservation of wildlife.
• Formulation of Acts and Regulations to prevent poaching (killing animals) for sports and
money.
Many National Parks and Sanctuaries have been established to preserve wildlife in their
natural
environment. Some of them are given below along with the important species found in
these.
• Kaziranga sanctuary (Assam) - one-horned rhinocer os
• Manas sanctuary (Assam) - wild buffaloes
• Gir forest (Gujarat) - lions, chital, sambhar, wild bears
• Kelameru bird sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh) - pelicans and marine birds
• Dachigam sanctuary (Jammu and Kashmir) - Kashmir stags, Himalayan tahr, wild go ats,
sheep, antelopes
• Bandipur sanctuary (Karnataka) - Indian bison, elephants, langurs
• Periyar sanctuary (Kerala) - elephants, barking deer, sambhar
• Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh) - tiger, leopards, wild dogs
• Similipal National Park (Odisha) - mangroves, marine turtles
• Bharatpur bird sanctuary (Rajasthan) - ducks, herons
• Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) - tigers, barking deer, sambhar, wild bear, rhesus
monkey
• Jaladpara sanctuary (West Bengal) - rhinoceros
Agencies dealing with conserv ation of wildlife
There are various agencies both at national and international levels which take care of
conservation of wildlife. Some of them are given below
(i) Indian Board for Wildlife (IBWL) advises state
government on wildlife protection.
(ii) World Wildlife Fund for nature (WWF) : It is an
international organisation formed in the year 1961 and is
engaged in protection of wildlife. India became a member
of it in 1969 and has its headquarter in Mumbai. It ha s
supported the well -known "Project Tiger".
(iii) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources (IUCN), World
Conservation Union (WCU) is engaged in protection of wildlife and their habitats.
(iv) Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is an international
organisation to check trade products from endangered animals.
WWF logo (Giant panda)

Biology
[57]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals Various acts and laws have been passed in Indian
constitution for conservation of resources.
Some of them are –
• Environm ent Protection Act, 1986
• Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
• National Forest Policy, 1988
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and amended in 1991
Biosphere Reserves
• Biosphere means the regions of the earth where living organisms exist.
• Biosphere reserves are the areas meant for conservation
of biodiversity. A biosphere reserve consists of a number
of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries like the Raj eev
Gandhi N ational Park, the Silent Valley National Park, the
Mukurthi Wildlife Sanctuary and the Madumalai Tiger
Reserve. The Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve is the first
Indian biosphere reserve.
• The plants and animals found in a particular area are termed flora and f auna respectively
of
that area.
• The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve consists of one national
park named Satpura and two wildlife sanctuaries named
Bori and Pachmarhi. Sal, teak, mango, jamun, silver ferns,
arjun, etc., are the flora and chinkara, bluebull, barking
deer, cheetal, leopard, wild dog, wolf, etc. are examples of
the fauna of the Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve. Sal and wild
mango are the endemic flora whereas Bison, Indian giant
squirrel and flying squirrel are the endemic fauna of Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve.
Biosphere reserve consists of zone :
(i) Core zone : No human activity is permitted.
(ii) Buffer zone : Limited human activity is permitted like
research, environmental education and tourism.
(iii) Transition zone : Large number of human activities are
permitted like settlement of tribals and cultivation of crops.
Some biosphere reserves are –
(i) Nilgiris biosphere reserve (Tamil Nadu)
(ii) Nanda Devi biosphere reserve (Uttara khand )
(iii) Sundarbans biosphere reserv e (West Bengal)
(iv) Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve (Tamil Nadu)
(v) Great Nicobar biosphere reserve (Andaman and Nicobar)
(vi) Manas biosphere reserve (Assam)
(vii) Similipal biosphere reserve (Odisha)
Zones of Biosphere Reserve
Core zone
Buffer zone
Transition
zone
Flora and Fauna

Olympiads : Class 8
[58]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals National Park
• A National Park is a reserve of land, declared and owned by a national government, it is
protected from most human development and pollution.
• A National Park is an area which is strictly reserved for the protection of wildlife. National
parks preserve flora, fauna, landscape and histor ic objects of an area. Activities like grazing
and cultivation are not allowed in national park.
• Satpura National Park is the Reserve Forest of India.
Zoological parks refer to any park, building, cage enclosure or a premise in which animals
are
kept fo r public exhibition. These are the places where animals receive protection.
Botanical garden is a garden dedicated to the collection, cultivation and display of a wide
range
of plants labelled with their botanical names. These can be called as the zoo of plants where
rare
and threatened species of plants are reared and conserved.
Endemic species
Endemic species a re those species of plants and an imals which are naturally found
exclusively in
a particular area.

 Endemic species found in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve are Nilgiris langurs, great Indian
horn bills, thorny coasters, blue Mormons etc.
Project Tiger
Project Tiger is one of the successful operations launched by
Government of India to protect tiger in the country. The
objective of the project was to ensure the survival and
maintenance of the tiger population in the country.
There were about 40,000 Bengal Tigers in 1910. There was
a sharp decline in th eir numbers to 1827 in 1972. The main
reasons for the extinction of tiger were hunting,
deforestation and taming of rivers for human needs. Realising this decline, a project named
“Project Tiger” was initiated on 1 April 1973 by the government of India dur ing Prime
minister
Indira Gandhi's tenure. The project was funded by WWF.
Red data book
• It is a source book which gives a list of all the endangered plants and animals. There are
different, Red Data Book for plants, animals and other species.
• The Inter national Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural resource (IUCN) Red
list of
threatened species also called the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book was created in 1963. It is
considered the world's most comprehensive inventory status of plants and anim al species.
• The head office of IUCN is in Morges (Switzerland).

Biology
[59]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals Extinct and endangered species
• The species that have already disappeared are called the extinct species and the
phenomenon of disappearance is known as the extinction.
• Another category of species called endangered species are those which have been
reduced in number to a critical level and facing a high risk of extinction in the near future.
• The World Conservation Union, formerly International Union for the Conservation of
Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN) has enlisted endangered plants and animals in the Red Data Book.

• Few endangered plants and animals are listed below:

Endangered Animal s Endangered Plants
1. Asiatic Lion, 1. Pitcher plant
2. Green Sea turtle, loggerhead turtle 2. Indian belladonna
3. Tortoise 3. Orchids
4. Marsh crocodile and gharial 4. Nilgiris Lilly
5. Tiger 5. Ginkgo biloba (Maiden hair tree)
6. Rhinoceros
7. Asiatic Elephant, Indian Python
8. Great Indian Bustard, butterf lies
Vulnerable species
A vulnerable species is one which has been categorised by IUCN as likely to become
endangered unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction
improve. e.g. African elephant, Nilgiris langur, Giant panda.
Rare species
Rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon, scarce, or infrequently
encountered. e.g. Himalayan brown bear, Fennec fox, Hornbill.
Migration
• Migration refers to regular and systematic movement of a group of organisms in search
of suitable temporary shelter till a better one is found.
• It is more clearly referred as regular periodic movement of population of animals in large
numbers away from their native place to another and back to their place of origin. e.g.
Humming birds, Tuna (Fish), African elephant.
• The Siberian Crane is endemic to Siberia. They travel large distance and come to India in
groups during winters to escape the cold, unfavourable conditions of Siberia.

 The Arctic Tern is a seabird. It breeds abundantly in the arctic and the subarctic regions of
Europe, Asia, and North America. Known to be strongly migratory, this bird spends its
winter in the Antarctic (a journey of a whooping 19,000 km).

Olympiads : Class 8
[60]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals Migration often provides the migrating species
(i) Favourable conditions of temperature, food or water.
(ii) It provides suitable place for reproduction, which may not be available in their native
place.
2

India is the country with vast diversity. Explain.

Explanation
Topography of India includes rainforests, deserts etc. thereby resulting in different varieties
of
ecosystems with diversity.
Forest resources
• Forests are one of the largest plant formations, densely packed with tall and big trees.
Forests are of different types, depending on the climatic regime in which they are found.
• Three main forest types are:
1. Tropical rain forests
2. Temperate decid uous forests
3. Boreal or north coniferous forests
1. Tropical Rain (Ever green) Forest : These occur in the tropical region showing very high
rain fall.
• Temperature and light intensity are very high.
• Soil of these regions is rich in humus.
2. Temp erate Deciduous Forests : Trees of deciduous forests shed their leaves in autumn
and
a new foliage grows in spring.
 • Climate : These forests occur in the areas of moderate climatic conditions.
• Winter lasts for four to six months.
• Temperature ranges between 20°C to 30°C.
• Soil is brown and rich in nutrients.
3. Coniferous forests : Coniferous forests are also known as Taig a or Boreal forests.
• Climate : Climate is cold.
• Long and harsh winters is for more than six months.
• Temperature is below 0°C.
• Soil is poor in nutrients and acidic in nature.
Importance of forests
• Forests play a vital role in the preservation of the water cycle.
• Plants absorb water from the ground through their roots. Excess water from the plants is
released
into the atmosphere in the form of water vapour. This process is termed as transpiration.
Plants
release a huge amount of water into the atmosphere through transpiration.

Biology
[61]
smd_data$ \PNCF \2025 -26\Print Module \SET -1\Olympiads \Biology \8th\03.
Conservation of Plants and Animals • The water vapour rises in the atmosphere and
condenses to form clouds. The clouds move
to the land due to sea breeze and bring rain. This is called precipitation.
• Excess water seeps into the ground and reaches the ground water table.
• By the process of transpiration and photosynthesis, forests maintain the temperature.
The more the number of trees, the more the oxygen; and the less the number of trees, the
more the carb on dioxide in the atmosphere.

Uses of forest
• Trees are the main source of oxygen.
• Forests provide shelter for the animals and act as a protective camouflage. Forests provide

shelter and food to the tribes living in the jungle.

• Forest trees such as the bamboo are used in making furniture, baskets, ladders, etc.
• The teak tree is used to make furniture.
• The Neem tree is used for medicinal purposes.
• Forests also provide wood to make paper and other products suc h as gum, wax, rubber,
and
honey. There are major benefits from forests and so they should be protected.
• Forests play a very important role in the food chain. When forests are affected, they affect
living beings such as animals and plants.
Recycling of p aper
Paper is a part of everyday life. Paper takes up over 40% of our waste stream, making it the
top
material that we throw away. 17 full grown trees are used to make one tonne of paper. If we
could
recycle one morning newspaper every day, we could save 41,000 trees from being cut
down.
Paper recycling is the process of using old paper products and turning them into new
reusable paper
products. There are so many other products that can be made with recycled paper and the
best thing
about paper recyc ling is that it uses less chemicals and bleaches, which is safer for the
environment.
Recycling old paper products uses 60% less energy than manufacturing it from new
material.
Reforestation
Reforestation is the restocking of existing forest and wood lands which have been depleted,
on
effects of deforestation.

 Afforestation and reforestation both refer to the establishment of trees on land without
trees. Reforestation refers to the establishment of forest on land that h ad recent tree cover
whereas afforestation refers to land that has been without forest from much longer.