How can you as an individual contribute or make a difference to the management of (a) forests and wildlife, (b) water resources and (c) coal and petroleum?
As an individual we should make the contribution and some differences for the management of Forests and wildlife, water resources and coal petroleum. Some approaches we should use for the conservation.
Forest and Wildlife:
1. We should promote Afforestation programs instead of promoting deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing of forest to claim the land that will be used by the man. It affects the soil fertility, increase soil erosion, floods and droughts have become more frequent, landslides increases etc. So, to overcome these effects, afforestation program should be applied which means to grow plants, i.e, plantation.
2. We should minimise the use of timber and instead of that we should use the alternative source of energy like biogas, supplement the fuel wood. Forest fires should be prevented; pests and diseases of the forest trees should be controlled.
3. Overgrazing should be prohibited; uses of modern techniques should be adopted like irrigation, fertilizers, control of weeds, breeding of choice trees and tissue culture etc.
Water Resources:
1. We should promote rain- water harvesting.
2. Close the taps while we are brushing our teeth, shaving or bathing when the bucket gets filled.
3. We should avoid the throwing of waste like plastic bottles, polythene, glasses in the beaches, lakes, ponds etc, that are polluting our water.
4. Several waste water treatment methods have been given like Bioreactors, Trickling filter method, Activated Sludge Method, treatment of Industrial Effluents etc.
Coal and Petroleum:
1. Use the bicycle to go to the short distances instead of using scooty, cars, or another automobiles which are running on petrol.
2. We should not use coal as a fuel.
3. We should use the alternative energy sources like hydro- energy power plant and solar energy instead of using coal or petroleum because they affect our environment and our health too. They produce large amount of smog by burning them and produce very foul smell which affects our health by inhaling them.
Find out about the traditional systems of water harvesting/management in your region.
Suggest some approaches towards the conservation of forests.
We saw in this chapter that there are four main stakeholders when it comes to forests and wildlife. Which among these should have the authority to decide the management of forest produce? Why do you think so?
List five things you have done over the last one week to —
(a) conserve our natural resources.
(b) increase the pressure on our natural resources.
Find out the source of water in your region/locality. Is water from this source available to all people living in that area?
Why should we conserve forests and wildlife?
Compare the above system with the probable systems in hilly/mountainous areas or plains or plateau regions.
Why do you think that there should be equitable distribution of resources? What forces would be working against an equitable distribution of our resources?
What changes can you make in your habits to become more environment-friendly?
What can you as an individual do to reduce your consumption of the various natural resources?
Did Döbereiner’s triads also exist in the columns of Newlands’ Octaves? Compare and find out.
What is a good source of energy?
Why is diffusion insufficient to meet the oxygen requirements of multi-cellular organisms like humans?
What are trophic levels? Give an example of a food chain and state the different trophic levels in it.
What is the difference between a reflex action and walking?
What is the importance of DNA copying in reproduction?
If a trait A exists in 10% of a population of an asexually reproducing species and a trait B exists in 60% of the same population, which trait is likely to have arisen earlier?
Why should a magnesium ribbon be cleared before burning in air?
Define the principal focus of a concave mirror.
You have been provided with three test tubes. One of them contains distilled water and the other two contain an acidic solution and a basic solution, respectively. If you are given only red litmus paper, how will you identify the contents of each test tube?
A piece of wire of resistance R is cut into five equal parts. These parts are then connected in parallel. If the equivalent resistance of this combination is R′, then the ratio R/R′ is –
(a) 1/25 (b) 1/5 (c) 5 (d) 25
In evolutionary terms, can we say which among bacteria, spiders, fish and chimpanzees have a ‘better’ body design? Why or why not?
Why does the colour of copper sulphate solution change when an iron nail is dipped in it?
Find out, from Table 10.3, the medium having highest optical density. Also find the medium with lowest optical density.
Material medium |
Refractive index |
Material medium |
Refractive index |
Air | 1.0003 | Canada Balsam |
1.53 |
Ice | 1.31 | ||
Water | 1.33 | Rock salt | 1.54 |
Alcohol | 1.36 | ||
Kerosene | 1.44 | Carbon disulphide |
1.63 |
Fused quartz |
1.46 | ||
Turpentine oil |
1.47 | Ruby | 1.71 |
Benzene | 1.50 | Sapphire | 1.77 |
Crown glass |
1.52 | Diamond | 2.42 |
Table 10.3 Absolute refractive index of some material media
How is the sex of the child determined in human beings?
Outline a project which aims to find the dominant coat colour in dogs.
Why is the amount of gas collected in one of the test tubes in Activity 1.7 double of the amount collected in the other? Name this gas.
Explain why the planets do not twinkle.
Will geographical isolation be a major factor in the speciation of an organism that reproduces asexually? Why or why not?
When a 12 V battery is connected across an unknown resistor, there is a current of 2.5 mA in the circuit. Find the value of the resistance of the resistor.