What is natural vegetation? Write factors affecting flora and fauna
Answers
Natural vegetation refers to a plant community which has grown naturally without human aid. They have been left undisturbed by humans for a long time.
1) The term flora refer to plant species of a particular region or period. Similarly, animal species existing in a particular region are referred to as fauna. A wide range of fauna and flora persists in a country and this huge diversity is due to many factors like Relief, Climate, ecosystem etc
2) Under the relief category land and soil exists while under the climate, temperature, sunlight, precipitation exist
3) Land affects natural vegetation as its nature influences the type of vegetation. For instance the fertile land pattern is used for agriculture, and the rough terrain are used as grasslands and forest which give shelter to wild life.
4) Different types of soils provide basis for different forms and types of vegetation. For example, sandy soils of the desert support cactus and thorny bushes while wet, marshy, and delta soils support mangroves. The hill slopes have conical trees.
5) The extent of vegetation is determined by temperature and other elements like humidity in air, precipitation, and soil.
6) Differences in duration of sunlight at different places also affect vegetation type and this is due to changes or variations in latitude, altitude, seasons etc. Due to longer duration of sunlight, trees grow faster in summer
7) In India, the rainfall is brought by the advancing south west monsoon and retreating North East monsoons. This situation is referred to as precipitation and it is quite natural that areas of heavy rainfall have more dense vegetation when compared to areas receiving less rainfall.
8) The nature of plants in an area, determines the animal life in that region. This is known as ecosystem. With a change in vegetation, animal life too is subjected to change. All the plants and animals in an area are interdependent and interrelated
9) Humans also form a part of the ecosystem and they utilise the vegetation and wildlife forms