What Do You Mean By Natural Vegetation and Wildlife?

Did you know that there is a branch of geography dedicated to forests, vegetation, and thorny bushes? No? So, the next time you are on a trip with your family, check out the various types of trees and natural vegetation. They are not just randomly there! There is a reason behind it!

In this chapter, we will talk about the various types of vegetation in the world. We will also speak of the forests and grasslands. At the end of the chapter, we will look at some of the important questions regarding the same. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention to what we are going to discuss.

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What is Natural Vegetation?

Natural vegetation is the plant life of a region. This type of vegetation is further classified into:

• Forest
• Grasslands
• Shrubs

So, why is there a change in the type of natural vegetation? Well, this occurs mainly because of the changes in the climate of the regions. Let us now look into these types of vegetations more closely.

Browse more Topics under Natural Vegetation And Wildlife

• Natural Vegetation of India

Forests

We can divide forests into six types. They are:

• Tropical Evergreen Forests: They occur in the region near the equator and close to the tropics.
• Tropical Deciduous Forests: They are monsoon forests. They shed their leaves in the dry season because they have to conserve water.
• Temperate Evergreen Forests: They are located in the mid-latitudinal coastal region.
• Temperate Deciduous Forests: They shed their leaves in the dry season. This is because they have to conserve water.
• Meditteranean Vegetation: You can find them around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe.
• Coniferous Forests: They occur in the areas along the Taiga.

That is all about forests. Therefore, now we will move on to the next section and we will discuss grasslands.

Grasslands

Grasslands are further divided into two types:

• Tropical grasslands: They occur on either side of the equator and extend till the tropics.
• Temperate grasslands: You can find them in the mid-latitudinal zones and in the interior part of the continents.

Thorny Bushes

You can find the thorny bushes in the dry desert-like regions.  They grow in areas with scanty rain and scorching heat.

Wildlife

Animals which live in their natural habitat; usually away from human habitations; are wildlife.

The climate of any place affects the flora and fauna of a place or in simple terms the plant and animal life of a place.

Conservation of Wildlife and Forests

Conservation of forests and animals is very important for our long-term well being. The large-scale deforestation and the resultant loss of natural habitat for animals are resulting in problems like soil erosion, lack of greenery, extinction of animals etc.

In the 1970s, an organized resistance to the destruction of forests spread throughout India. It was the Chipko movement. The name of the movement comes from the word ’embrace’, as the villagers hugged the trees, and prevented the contractors from felling them.

Question For You

Question 1: Where are mosses and lichens found?

Answer: Tundra vegetation

Question 2: Which kinds of trees are found in temperate evergreen forests?

Answer: Hard and soft wood trees