Forest and Wildlife Resources Class 10 Questions and Answers for CBSE Geography Chapter 2. This practice resource covers biodiversity, flora and fauna, depletion of forest and wildlife resources, conservation, Project Tiger, types of forests and community participation.
Use these questions after studying the Forest and Wildlife Resources Class 10 study hub, then continue with MCQs and Important Questions.
CBSE 2026-27 focus: The current CBSE curriculum expects students to understand why forests and wildlife need conservation, their interdependence in maintaining ecology, the effects of grazing, wood cutting and developmental activities, and reasons for conserving biodiversity for sustainable development.
2-Mark Questions and Answers
1. What is biodiversity?
Answer: Biodiversity means the variety of living organisms found in a particular area. It includes the variety of species, their genetic differences and the different ecosystems in which they live. Forests contain rich biodiversity because many plants, animals and microorganisms are interdependent.
2. What is meant by flora and fauna?
Answer: Flora refers to the plant life of a region, while fauna refers to its animal life. India has a rich variety of flora and fauna because of its varied relief, climate and ecosystems.
3. Why is biodiversity important for human beings?
Answer: Human beings depend on ecosystems for air, water, food, soil and other resources. Plants, animals and microorganisms perform interconnected ecological functions. Therefore, conserving biodiversity helps maintain ecological balance and supports human life.
4. What are endangered species?
Answer: Endangered species are species whose population has declined to a level at which they face a high risk of extinction if the factors responsible for their decline continue. Examples discussed in the chapter include the blackbuck and Indian rhinoceros.
5. What are endemic species?
Answer: Endemic species are species that are found only in a particular geographical area and are not naturally found elsewhere. Examples include the Andaman teal and Nicobar pigeon.
6. What are extinct species?
Answer: Extinct species are species that are no longer found after searches of known or likely habitats. The Asiatic cheetah is a textbook example of a species that became extinct in India.
7. What are reserved forests?
Answer: Reserved forests are forest areas regarded as the most valuable for the conservation of forest and wildlife resources. They receive a higher degree of protection than other categories of forests.
8. What are protected forests?
Answer: Protected forests are forest lands protected from further depletion. They form an important category of forests under government protection and management.
9. What are unclassed forests?
Answer: Unclassed forests are other forests and wastelands belonging to the government, private individuals or communities. Many such forests are found in the North-Eastern states and are managed with substantial community involvement.
10. What are permanent forest estates?
Answer: Reserved and protected forests are collectively referred to as permanent forest estates. They are maintained for the production of timber and other forest produce and for protective purposes.
3-Mark Questions and Answers
11. Explain any three causes of depletion of forests and wildlife.
Answer:
1. Expansion of agriculture has converted forest land into cultivated land.
2. Mining and large development projects have destroyed or fragmented natural habitats.
3. Hunting, poaching and over-exploitation of wildlife have reduced animal populations.
Other important pressures include grazing, fuelwood collection and commercial exploitation of forests.
1. Expansion of agriculture has converted forest land into cultivated land.
2. Mining and large development projects have destroyed or fragmented natural habitats.
3. Hunting, poaching and over-exploitation of wildlife have reduced animal populations.
Other important pressures include grazing, fuelwood collection and commercial exploitation of forests.
12. How did colonial rule contribute to forest depletion?
Answer: Colonial forest policies encouraged commercial exploitation of forests. Forests were cleared or exploited for railway expansion, agricultural expansion, shipbuilding and commercial forestry. Large-scale timber extraction reduced natural forests and changed traditional relationships between communities and forests.
13. Explain the impact of agricultural expansion on forests.
Answer: Forest land has often been cleared to create agricultural fields. Expansion of cultivation, including shifting cultivation in some regions, has reduced forest cover and disturbed habitats. Loss of forests also affects biodiversity and the ecological services on which communities depend.
14. How have mining activities affected forests and wildlife?
Answer: Mining can involve clearing forests, removing vegetation and disturbing soil. It may fragment habitats and interfere with wildlife movement. Mining-related infrastructure and pollution can further damage ecosystems and threaten biodiversity.
15. Why are large development projects sometimes a threat to forests?
Answer: Large projects such as dams, roads, industries and other infrastructure may require substantial land. When forest land is cleared or habitats are fragmented, wildlife loses shelter and feeding areas. Such projects can therefore contribute to biodiversity loss if environmental impacts are not properly managed.
16. Distinguish between reserved, protected and unclassed forests.
Answer:
Reserved forests: The most valuable category for conservation and receive the highest level of protection.
Protected forests: Forest land protected from further depletion.
Unclassed forests: Other forests and wastelands belonging to government, private individuals or communities.
Reserved forests: The most valuable category for conservation and receive the highest level of protection.
Protected forests: Forest land protected from further depletion.
Unclassed forests: Other forests and wastelands belonging to government, private individuals or communities.
17. Why is the conservation of forests and wildlife necessary?
Answer: Conservation is necessary because forests and wildlife maintain ecological balance, support biodiversity and provide resources and livelihoods. Their destruction can cause habitat loss, soil degradation, ecological imbalance and loss of biological and cultural diversity.
18. What is Project Tiger? Why was it started?
Answer: Project Tiger is a major wildlife conservation programme launched in India in 1973 to protect tigers and their habitats. It was started in response to the decline in tiger populations caused by hunting, habitat loss and other pressures. Protection of tiger habitats also helps conserve many other species sharing the same ecosystem.
19. How does grazing affect forests?
Answer: Excessive grazing can damage young plants, reduce natural regeneration and compact the soil. When grazing pressure becomes too high, vegetation may not recover adequately. Its impact depends on the intensity of grazing and the ecological conditions of the area.
20. How does wood cutting contribute to forest degradation?
Answer: Excessive wood cutting reduces forest cover and can remove mature trees faster than forests can regenerate. It may also disturb habitats, increase soil erosion and reduce the availability of resources for wildlife and local communities.
5-Mark Questions and Answers
21. Explain the major factors responsible for the depletion of flora and fauna in India.
Answer: Major factors include:
1. Habitat destruction: Expansion of agriculture, industries, settlements and infrastructure can reduce natural habitats.
2. Mining: Mining removes vegetation and disturbs habitats and wildlife corridors.
3. Development projects: Large projects can submerge, clear or fragment forest areas.
4. Hunting and poaching: Illegal hunting and wildlife trade have pushed several species towards extinction.
5. Over-exploitation: Excessive extraction of forest products can weaken ecosystems.
6. Grazing and fuelwood collection: Heavy pressure on forests can reduce regeneration and degrade vegetation.
7. Pollution and forest fires: Pollution, poisoning and fires can damage habitats and wildlife.
1. Habitat destruction: Expansion of agriculture, industries, settlements and infrastructure can reduce natural habitats.
2. Mining: Mining removes vegetation and disturbs habitats and wildlife corridors.
3. Development projects: Large projects can submerge, clear or fragment forest areas.
4. Hunting and poaching: Illegal hunting and wildlife trade have pushed several species towards extinction.
5. Over-exploitation: Excessive extraction of forest products can weaken ecosystems.
6. Grazing and fuelwood collection: Heavy pressure on forests can reduce regeneration and degrade vegetation.
7. Pollution and forest fires: Pollution, poisoning and fires can damage habitats and wildlife.
22. Explain how human beings are dependent on the ecological system.
Answer: Human beings are a part of the ecological system rather than separate from it. We depend on air, water and soil for survival, while plants, animals and microorganisms help maintain the quality of these resources. Forests provide food, fuel, medicines and other products and also contribute to ecological processes. Disturbing ecosystems can therefore directly affect human well-being.
23. Describe the major conservation measures adopted to protect forests and wildlife in India.
Answer: Important measures include establishing protected areas and conservation projects, protecting endangered species, controlling hunting and illegal wildlife trade, regulating the use of forest resources and involving local communities in conservation. Programmes such as Project Tiger and Joint Forest Management illustrate different approaches to conservation. Conservation planning increasingly considers biodiversity and ecosystem protection rather than only individual species.
24. Explain the role of communities in the conservation of forests and wildlife.
Answer: Local communities often possess detailed knowledge of their forests and depend on them for livelihoods. Examples from the chapter show communities protecting wildlife habitats, resisting destructive activities and maintaining sacred groves. The Chipko Movement demonstrated community resistance to indiscriminate tree cutting. Joint Forest Management provides a framework for involving local communities in the protection and restoration of degraded forests.
25. Describe the importance of sacred groves in conservation.
Answer: Sacred groves are patches of forest protected by local communities because of traditional religious and cultural beliefs. Human interference is often restricted in these areas, allowing vegetation and wildlife to survive. They preserve biodiversity and demonstrate how cultural traditions can support environmental conservation.
26. Explain Joint Forest Management (JFM).
Answer: Joint Forest Management involves local communities in the protection and restoration of degraded forests managed by the forest department. Village-level institutions participate in protection activities. In return, participating communities may receive benefits such as access to non-timber forest produce and a share in certain forest benefits. JFM highlights the importance of community participation in sustainable forest management.
27. How did the Chipko Movement contribute to forest conservation?
Answer: The Chipko Movement became a well-known example of community resistance to indiscriminate tree cutting in the Himalayan region. Local people, particularly villagers, mobilised to protect trees and forests. The movement demonstrated the importance of community participation and highlighted the ecological and livelihood value of forests.
28. Why is the conservation of biodiversity important for sustainable development?
Answer: Sustainable development requires meeting present needs without destroying the ecological resources needed by future generations. Biodiversity supports functioning ecosystems, food chains, genetic resources and livelihoods. Conserving biodiversity therefore helps maintain ecological stability while allowing resources to be used responsibly.
Important Distinctions for Exams
29. Differentiate between endangered and extinct species.
Answer:
Endangered species: Their populations are critically reduced and they face a high risk of extinction.
Extinct species: They are no longer found after searches of their known or likely habitats. An extinct species is therefore already lost, while an endangered species can still be conserved if effective measures are taken.
Endangered species: Their populations are critically reduced and they face a high risk of extinction.
Extinct species: They are no longer found after searches of their known or likely habitats. An extinct species is therefore already lost, while an endangered species can still be conserved if effective measures are taken.
30. Differentiate between flora and fauna.
Answer:
Flora: Plant life of a region.
Fauna: Animal life of a region.
Both are components of biodiversity and are interconnected within ecosystems.
Flora: Plant life of a region.
Fauna: Animal life of a region.
Both are components of biodiversity and are interconnected within ecosystems.
31. Differentiate between biodiversity conservation and species-specific conservation.
Answer: Species-specific conservation focuses on protecting a particular threatened species, such as the tiger. Biodiversity conservation takes a broader approach by protecting habitats, ecosystems, genetic diversity and the many species living within them. Both approaches are important for long-term ecological sustainability.
Competency-Based and Application Questions
32. A forest is cleared for a development project and wildlife movement between two habitats is interrupted. What ecological problem may result? Suggest two measures.
Answer: Habitat fragmentation may isolate wildlife populations and make movement, feeding and breeding more difficult. It can increase the risk of biodiversity loss. Measures could include avoiding unnecessary forest clearance, protecting wildlife corridors, restoring degraded habitats and conducting proper environmental assessment before major development.
33. A village protects a forest patch because it considers the area sacred. How can this tradition support sustainable development?
Answer: Traditional protection can prevent unnecessary cutting and disturbance, allowing vegetation and wildlife to regenerate naturally. Such community-based conservation protects biodiversity while preserving cultural practices. It demonstrates that local knowledge and social institutions can contribute to sustainable resource management.
34. Why can protecting one species also help conserve other species?
Answer: Species depend on habitats and food webs rather than living in isolation. Protecting the habitat of a threatened species can preserve vegetation, prey, water sources and shelter used by many other organisms. Therefore, habitat-based conservation can benefit an entire ecosystem.
Quick Revision: Must-Remember Terms
- Biodiversity: Variety of living organisms and their ecological diversity.
- Flora: Plant life of a region.
- Fauna: Animal life of a region.
- Endangered: Species facing a high risk of extinction.
- Endemic: Species naturally restricted to a particular area.
- Extinct: Species no longer found after searches of known or likely habitats.
- Reserved forests: Most valuable category for forest and wildlife conservation.
- Protected forests: Forest lands protected from further depletion.
- Unclassed forests: Other forests and wastelands under government, private or community ownership.
- Project Tiger: Wildlife conservation programme launched in 1973.
- Sacred groves: Community-protected forest patches associated with traditional beliefs.
- JFM: Joint Forest Management involving local communities in forest protection and restoration.
Related Class 10 Geography Resources
Forest and Wildlife Resources Hub
Class 10 Geography
Class 10 MCQs
Important Questions
Class 10 Social Science Study Guide
Class 10 Important Questions
Resources and Development
Agriculture
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Forest and Wildlife Resources included in the CBSE Class 10 Geography syllabus?
Yes. It is Chapter 2 of Contemporary India-II in the current Class 10 Social Science curriculum for 2026-27. The curriculum emphasises conservation, biodiversity, ecological interdependence and the impact of human activities on forests.
What are the most important topics in this chapter?
Focus on biodiversity, depletion of flora and fauna, causes of forest degradation, species categories, reserved/protected/unclassed forests, conservation measures, Project Tiger, community participation, sacred groves, Chipko Movement and Joint Forest Management.
How should I prepare Forest and Wildlife Resources for the board exam?
First understand the concepts and examples from NCERT, then practise 2-mark, 3-mark and 5-mark questions. Pay special attention to cause-and-effect questions, comparisons, conservation measures and application-based questions.
What should I study after this page?
Revise the chapter hub, practise the chapter MCQs, and then move to the dedicated Important Questions resource.
Study path: Learn the chapter → practise these Questions & Answers → attempt MCQs → revise Important Questions → test yourself with competency-based and previous-year questions.