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Renuka was excited. Shrikant Uncle was home after a
gap of nearly four months. He was a wildlife photographer
and travelled widely. Renuka’s interest in wildlife and
forests began at an early age, when her uncle introduced
her to books on nature. Pictures of distant lands and
people, who lived there, always fascinated her.




                        Fig. 8.1: People from various parts of the world

     “In these pictures Renuka, you can see people from
different parts of the world – some from dry deserts, some
from frozen lands and some from hot wet rainforests.”
“They look so different from me”, observed Renuka. “They
may look different, but they share the same basic needs
of life – food, clothing and shelter”, explained Shrikant Uncle.
“Their children do the same things as you probably do,
play games, quarrel sometimes and then make-up, sing,
dance and help the families with various things that need
to be done. They live closer to nature and very early in
their lives have learnt to care for nature. They learn how
to catch fish and how to collect material from the forests.”
In Chapters 8, 9 and 10, you will learn about the life
                           of people in the different natural regions of the world.
          Do you know?
                           LIFE   IN THE   AMAZON BASIN
When Spanish               Before learning about the Amazon basin, let us look at the
explorers discovered       map (Fig. 8.2). Notice that the tropical region lies very
Amazon river, they         close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred
were attacked by a         to as the equatorial region. The river Amazon flows through
group of local tribes      this region. Notice how it flows from the mountains to the
wearing headgears          west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
and grass skirts.              The place where a river flows into another body of
These people               water is called the river’s mouth. Numerous tributaries
reminded them of the       join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin. The
fierce tribes of women
                           river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia,
warriors known in
                           Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela.
ancient Roman
Empire as the                  Name the countries of the basin through which the
Amazons. Hence the         equator passes.
name Amazon.




          Glossary

Tributaries: These
are small rivers that
join the main river.
The main river along
with all its tributaries
that drain an area
form a river basin or
the catchment area.
The Amazon Basin is
the largest river basin
in the world.




                                           Fig. 8.2: Amazon Basin in South America

56   OUR ENVIRONMENT
CLIMATE
As you now know, the Amazon Basin stretches directly
on the equator and is characterized by hot and wet climate
throughout the year. Both day and nights are almost
equally hot and humid. The skin feels sticky. It rains
almost everyday, that too without much warning. The
day temperatures are high with very high humidity. At
night the temperature goes down but the humidity
remains high.

RAINFORESTS
As it rains heavily in this region, thick forests
grow (Fig. 8.3). The forests are in fact so thick
that the dense “roof” created by leaves and
branches does not allow the sunlight to reach
the ground. The ground remains dark and damp.
Only shade tolerant vegetation may grow here.
Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites.
                                                         Fig.          8.3 Amazon Forest
                      The rainforest is rich in
                  fauna. Birds such as toucans (Fig. 8.4),
                  humming birds, bird of paradise with
                  their brilliantly coloured plumage,                              Do you know?
                  oversized bills for eating make them
                  different from birds we commonly see                  Bromeliads are
                  in India. These birds also make loud                  special plants that
                  sounds in the forests. Animals like                   store water in their
Fig. 8.4 Toucans monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs                   leaves. Animals like
are found here (Fig. 8.5). Various species of reptiles and              frogs use these
snakes also thrive in these jungles. Crocodiles, snakes,                pockets of water for
pythons abound. Anaconda and boa constrictor are                        laying their eggs.
some of the species. Besides, the basin is home to
thousands of species of
insects. Several species of
fishes including the flesh-                                                           Let’s do
eating Piranha fish is also
found in the river. This basin                                          Some TV channels
is thus extraordinarily rich in                                         broadcast
the variety of life found there.       Fig. 8.5 Tapir                   documentaries on the
                                                                        wildlife of the world.
PEOPLE OF   THE   RAINFORESTS                                           Try to watch some of
                                                                        the films and share
People grow most of their food in small areas after clearing
                                                                        your experience with
some trees in the forest. While men hunt and fish along                 the class.
the rivers, women take care of the crops. They mainly grow
                       HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL   AND THE   SUBTROPICAL REGION   57
Do you know?      tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. As hunting and fishing
                           are uncertain it is the women who keep their families alive
Slash and Burn is a        by feeding them the vegetables they grow. They practice
way of cultivating land    “slash and burn agriculture”. The staple food is manioc,
where farmers clear a      also known as cassava that grows under the ground like
piece of land by
                           the potato. They also eat queen ants and egg sacs. Cash
slashing or cutting
                           crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown.
down trees and bushes.
These are then burnt,          The rainforests provide a lot of wood for the houses.
which releases the         Some families live in thatched houses shaped like
nutrients into the soil.   beehives. There are other large apartment-like houses
Now crops are grown in     called “Maloca” with a steeply slanting roof.
this cleared field for a       Life of the people of the Amazon basin is slowly
few years.                 changing. In the older days the heart of the forest, could
    After repeatedly       be reached only by navigating the river. In 1970 the Trans
using the patch of         Amazon highway made all parts of the rainforest
land, the soil looses      accessible. Aircrafts and helicopters are also used for
its nutrients. So it is
                           reaching various places. The indigenous population was
abandoned. Then they
                           pushed out from the area and forced to settle in new
clear another plot of
land to plant. In the      areas where they continued to practice their distinctive
mean time young            way of farming.
trees grow in the old          The developmental activities are leading to the gradual
field. In this way soil    destruction of the biologically diverse rainforests. It is
fertility is restored.     estimated that a large area of the
People can then            rainforest has been disappearing
return to it and start     annually in the Amazon basin.
cultivating it again.      You can see that this
                           destruction of forests has
                           a much wider implication
                           (Fig. 8.6). The topsoil is
                           washed away as the
                           rains fall and the
                           lush forest
                           turns into
                           a barren
                           landscape.




                                       Fig. 8.6: Gradual Destruction of Forests

58   OUR ENVIRONMENT
LIFE   IN THE   GANGA-BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN
The tributaries of rivers Ganga and
Brahmaputra together form the
Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the
Indian subcontinent (Fig. 8.8). The
basin lies in the sub-tropical region
that is situated between 10°N to 30°N
latitudes. The tributaries of the River
Ganga like the Ghaghra, the Son, the
Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi and
the tributaries of Brahmaputra drain
it. Look at the atlas and find names
of some tributaries of the River
Brahmaputra.                                Fig. 8.7 Brahmaputra river
    The plains of the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the




                                                                INDIA




                            Fig. 8.8: Ganga-Brahmputra Basin

                       HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL   AND THE   SUBTROPICAL REGION   59
Let’s do        Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta are the main
                             features of this basin. Ox-bow lakes dot the plain area.
River Brahmaputra is
                             The area is dominated by monsoon climate. The
known by different
names in difference
                             monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September.
places. Find the other       The summers are hot and the winters cool.
names of the river.              Look at the map of India (Fig. 8.8). Find out the states
                             in which the Ganga-Brahmputra basin lies.
                                 The basin area has varied topography. The
                             environment plays a dominant role in the distribution
                             of the population. The mountain areas with steep slopes
          Glossary           have inhospitable terrain. Therefore less number of
                             people live in the mountain area of the Ganga-
Population density:          Brahmaputra basin. The plain area provides the most
It means the number          suitable land for human habitation. The soil is fertile.
of persons that live in      Agriculture is the main occupation of the people where
one sq. km. of area
                             flat land is available to grow crops. The density of
e.g. the population
                             population of the plains is very high. The main crop is
density of Uttaranchal
is 159 while the             paddy (Fig. 8.9). Since cultivation of paddy requires
density of West              sufficient water, it is grown in the areas where the amount
Bengal is 904 and            of rainfall is high.
that of Bihar is 880.            Wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets are the
                             other crops that are grown. Cash crops like sugarcane
                             and jute are also grown. Banana plantations are seen in
                             some areas of the plain. In West Bengal and Assam tea is
                             grown in plantations (Fig. 8.10). Silk is produced through
           Activity
                             the cultivation of silk worms in parts of Bihar and Assam.
Collect some                 In the mountains and hills, where the slopes are gentle,
handicrafts made             crops are grown on terraces.
from jute, bamboo and            The vegetation cover of the area varies according to
silk. Display them in        the type of landforms. In the Ganga and Brahmaputra
the class. Find out in       plain tropical deciduous trees grow, along with teak, sal
which area they were         and peepal. Thick bamboo groves are common in the
made in?                     Brahmaputra plain. The delta area is covered with the




          Fig. 8.9 Paddy Cultivation                 Fig. 8.10 Tea Garden in Assam

60   OUR ENVIRONMENT
mangrove forests. In parts of Uttaranchal, Sikkim and                                 Do you know?
Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees like pine, deodar
and fir can be seen because the climate is cool and the                    Terraces are built on
slopes are steep.                                                          steep slopes to create
    There is a variety of wildlife in the basin. Elephants,                flat surfaces on which
tigers, deer and monkeys are common. The one-horned                        crop are grown. The
                                                                           slope is removed so
rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain. In the
                                                                           that water does not
delta area, Bengal tiger, crocodiles and alligator are found.              run off rapidly.
Aquatic life abounds in the fresh river waters, the lakes
and the Bay of Bengal Sea. The most popular varieties of
the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa. Fish and rice is
the staple diet of the people living in the area.




                                                                               Terrace Farming




Fig. 8.11 One horned rhinoceros         Fig. 8.12 Crocodiles
                                                                                      Do you know?

            Lake: A source of livelihood                                   In the fresh waters of
                        (A case study)
                                                                           River Ganga and River
                                                                           Brahmaputra, a
                                   Binod is a fisherman                    variety of dolphin
                                   living in the Matwali                   locally called Susu
                                   Maun village of Bihar.                  (also called blind
                                   He is a happy man                       dolphin) is found. The
                                   today. With the efforts                 presence of Susu is an
                                   of      the     fellow                  indication of the
                                                                           health of the river. The
                                   fishermen – Ravindar,
                                                                           untreated industrial
                                   Kishore, Rajiv and                      and urban wastes with
                                   others, he cleaned the                  high amount of
                                   maun or the ox-bow                      chemicals are killing
           A clean lake
                                   lake to cultivate                       this species.
 different varieties of fish. The local weed (vallineria,
 hydrilla) that grows in the lake is the food of the fish.
 The land around the lake is fertile. He sows crops
 such as paddy, maize and pulses in these fields.
 The buffalo is used to plough the land. The
 community is satisfied. There is enough fish catch
 from the river – enough fish to eat and enough fish                               Blind Dolphin

                          HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL   AND THE   SUBTROPICAL REGION   61
to sell in the market. They have even begun supply
                               to the neighbouring
                               town. The community
                               is living in harmony
                               with nature. As long
                               as the pollutants from
                               nearby towns do not
                               find their way into the
                               lake waters, the fish
                               cultivation will not
                               face any threat.               A Polluted Lake




                                                                  The Ganga-Brahmaputra
                                                              plain has several big towns
                                                              and cities. The cities of
                                                              Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi,
                                                              Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata
                                                              all with the population of
                                                              more than ten lakhs are
                                                              located along the River
                                                              Ganga (Fig. 8.13). The
             Fig. 8.13: Varanasi along the River Ganga        wastewater from these towns
                               and industries is discharged into the rivers. This leads
                               to the pollution of the rivers.
                                    All the four ways of transport are well developed in
                               the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. In the plain areas the
                               roadways and railways transport the people from one
                               place to another. The waterways, is an effective means of
                               transport particularly along the rivers. Kolkata is an
                               important port on the River Hooghly. The plain area also
                               has a large number of airports.
                                                     Tourism is another important activity
                                                 of the basin. Taj Mahal on the banks of
                                                 River Yamuna in Agra, Allahabad on the
                                                 confluence of the Rivers Ganga and
                                                 Yamuna, Buddhists stupas in Uttar
                                                 Pradesh and Bihar, Lucknow with its
                                                 Imambara, Assam with Kaziranga and
                                                 Manas with wild life sanctuaries and
                                                 Arunachal Pradesh with a distinct
                                                 tribal culture are some of the places
Fig. 8.14:   Tiger in Manas Wildlife sanctuary   worth a visit (Fig. 8.14).
62   OUR ENVIRONMENT
Exercises

1. Answer the following questions.
     (i) Name the continent in which the Amazon Basin is located.
    (ii) What are the crops grown by the people of the Amazon Basin.
   (iii) Name the birds that you are likely to find in the rainforests of the Amazon.
   (iv) What are the major cities located on the River Ganga.
    (v) Where is the one-horned rhinoceros found?
2. Tick the correct answer.
    (i) Toucans are a type of
        (a) birds             (b) animals           (c) crops
   (ii) Manioc is the staple food of
        (a) Ganga Basin      (b) Africa             (c) Amazon
   (iii) Kolkata is located on the river
         (a) Orange           (b) Hooghly         (c) Bhagirathi
   (iv) Deodars and firs are a type of
         (a) Coniferous trees (b) Deciduous trees (c) shrubs
    (v) Bengal tiger is found in
         (a) mountains        (b) delta area      (c) Amazon
3. Match the following.
     (i) Cotton textile      (a) Assam
    (ii) Maloca              (b) Sericulture
   (iii) Piranha             (c) Slanting roof
   (iv) Silk worm            (d) Ganga plain
    (v) Kaziranga            (e) Fish
4. Give reasons.
    (i) The rainforests are depleting.
    (ii) Paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains.
5. Map skills.
    (i) On an outline map of Indian Sub-continent, draw the rivers Ganga and
        Brahmaputra from the source to the mouth. Also show the important
        tributaries of both the rivers.
    (ii) On the political map of the South America, draw the equator. Mark the
         countries located on the equator.
6. For fun.
   Make a collage to show places of attractions in India. You can divide the class
   in different groups to show attractions based on mountain landscapes, coastal
   beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and places of historical importance.




                    HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL   AND THE   SUBTROPICAL REGION   63
7. Activity.
           Collect under mentioned material and observe how destruction of trees effect
           the soil cover.

           Material
             (i) Three small flowerpots or food cans (e.g., cold drinks tin cans),
            (ii) one big can with holes punched in the bottom (this will act as a
                 sprinkling can),
           (iii) twelve coins or bottle caps
           (iv) soil.

           Process
           Take three small cans or pots. Fill them with soil till the top. Press the soil to
           make it level with the top of the can. Now put four coins or bottle caps on the
           soil of each can. Take the big can that has been punched with holes and fill it
           with water. You can also take the sprinkling can from your garden. Now, sprinkle
           water on the three cans. On the first can sprinkle water very slowly so that no
           soil splashes out. Let moderate amount of water be sprinkled on the second
           can. On the third can, sprinkle the water heavily. You will observe that
           unprotected soil splashes out. Where the ‘rain’ is heavy the amount of soil that
           splashes out is the maximum and least in case of the first can. The coins or
           caps represent the tree covers. It is clear that if the land is cleared completely
           of the vegetation, the soil cover will quickly disappear.




64   OUR ENVIRONMENT

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Human environment interactions

  • 1. Renuka was excited. Shrikant Uncle was home after a gap of nearly four months. He was a wildlife photographer and travelled widely. Renuka’s interest in wildlife and forests began at an early age, when her uncle introduced her to books on nature. Pictures of distant lands and people, who lived there, always fascinated her. Fig. 8.1: People from various parts of the world “In these pictures Renuka, you can see people from different parts of the world – some from dry deserts, some from frozen lands and some from hot wet rainforests.” “They look so different from me”, observed Renuka. “They may look different, but they share the same basic needs of life – food, clothing and shelter”, explained Shrikant Uncle. “Their children do the same things as you probably do, play games, quarrel sometimes and then make-up, sing, dance and help the families with various things that need to be done. They live closer to nature and very early in their lives have learnt to care for nature. They learn how to catch fish and how to collect material from the forests.”
  • 2. In Chapters 8, 9 and 10, you will learn about the life of people in the different natural regions of the world. Do you know? LIFE IN THE AMAZON BASIN When Spanish Before learning about the Amazon basin, let us look at the explorers discovered map (Fig. 8.2). Notice that the tropical region lies very Amazon river, they close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred were attacked by a to as the equatorial region. The river Amazon flows through group of local tribes this region. Notice how it flows from the mountains to the wearing headgears west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean to the east. and grass skirts. The place where a river flows into another body of These people water is called the river’s mouth. Numerous tributaries reminded them of the join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin. The fierce tribes of women river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, warriors known in Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela. ancient Roman Empire as the Name the countries of the basin through which the Amazons. Hence the equator passes. name Amazon. Glossary Tributaries: These are small rivers that join the main river. The main river along with all its tributaries that drain an area form a river basin or the catchment area. The Amazon Basin is the largest river basin in the world. Fig. 8.2: Amazon Basin in South America 56 OUR ENVIRONMENT
  • 3. CLIMATE As you now know, the Amazon Basin stretches directly on the equator and is characterized by hot and wet climate throughout the year. Both day and nights are almost equally hot and humid. The skin feels sticky. It rains almost everyday, that too without much warning. The day temperatures are high with very high humidity. At night the temperature goes down but the humidity remains high. RAINFORESTS As it rains heavily in this region, thick forests grow (Fig. 8.3). The forests are in fact so thick that the dense “roof” created by leaves and branches does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground. The ground remains dark and damp. Only shade tolerant vegetation may grow here. Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites. Fig. 8.3 Amazon Forest The rainforest is rich in fauna. Birds such as toucans (Fig. 8.4), humming birds, bird of paradise with their brilliantly coloured plumage, Do you know? oversized bills for eating make them different from birds we commonly see Bromeliads are in India. These birds also make loud special plants that sounds in the forests. Animals like store water in their Fig. 8.4 Toucans monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs leaves. Animals like are found here (Fig. 8.5). Various species of reptiles and frogs use these snakes also thrive in these jungles. Crocodiles, snakes, pockets of water for pythons abound. Anaconda and boa constrictor are laying their eggs. some of the species. Besides, the basin is home to thousands of species of insects. Several species of fishes including the flesh- Let’s do eating Piranha fish is also found in the river. This basin Some TV channels is thus extraordinarily rich in broadcast the variety of life found there. Fig. 8.5 Tapir documentaries on the wildlife of the world. PEOPLE OF THE RAINFORESTS Try to watch some of the films and share People grow most of their food in small areas after clearing your experience with some trees in the forest. While men hunt and fish along the class. the rivers, women take care of the crops. They mainly grow HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 57
  • 4. Do you know? tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. As hunting and fishing are uncertain it is the women who keep their families alive Slash and Burn is a by feeding them the vegetables they grow. They practice way of cultivating land “slash and burn agriculture”. The staple food is manioc, where farmers clear a also known as cassava that grows under the ground like piece of land by the potato. They also eat queen ants and egg sacs. Cash slashing or cutting crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown. down trees and bushes. These are then burnt, The rainforests provide a lot of wood for the houses. which releases the Some families live in thatched houses shaped like nutrients into the soil. beehives. There are other large apartment-like houses Now crops are grown in called “Maloca” with a steeply slanting roof. this cleared field for a Life of the people of the Amazon basin is slowly few years. changing. In the older days the heart of the forest, could After repeatedly be reached only by navigating the river. In 1970 the Trans using the patch of Amazon highway made all parts of the rainforest land, the soil looses accessible. Aircrafts and helicopters are also used for its nutrients. So it is reaching various places. The indigenous population was abandoned. Then they pushed out from the area and forced to settle in new clear another plot of land to plant. In the areas where they continued to practice their distinctive mean time young way of farming. trees grow in the old The developmental activities are leading to the gradual field. In this way soil destruction of the biologically diverse rainforests. It is fertility is restored. estimated that a large area of the People can then rainforest has been disappearing return to it and start annually in the Amazon basin. cultivating it again. You can see that this destruction of forests has a much wider implication (Fig. 8.6). The topsoil is washed away as the rains fall and the lush forest turns into a barren landscape. Fig. 8.6: Gradual Destruction of Forests 58 OUR ENVIRONMENT
  • 5. LIFE IN THE GANGA-BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN The tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together form the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the Indian subcontinent (Fig. 8.8). The basin lies in the sub-tropical region that is situated between 10°N to 30°N latitudes. The tributaries of the River Ganga like the Ghaghra, the Son, the Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi and the tributaries of Brahmaputra drain it. Look at the atlas and find names of some tributaries of the River Brahmaputra. Fig. 8.7 Brahmaputra river The plains of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the INDIA Fig. 8.8: Ganga-Brahmputra Basin HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 59
  • 6. Let’s do Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta are the main features of this basin. Ox-bow lakes dot the plain area. River Brahmaputra is The area is dominated by monsoon climate. The known by different names in difference monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September. places. Find the other The summers are hot and the winters cool. names of the river. Look at the map of India (Fig. 8.8). Find out the states in which the Ganga-Brahmputra basin lies. The basin area has varied topography. The environment plays a dominant role in the distribution of the population. The mountain areas with steep slopes Glossary have inhospitable terrain. Therefore less number of people live in the mountain area of the Ganga- Population density: Brahmaputra basin. The plain area provides the most It means the number suitable land for human habitation. The soil is fertile. of persons that live in Agriculture is the main occupation of the people where one sq. km. of area flat land is available to grow crops. The density of e.g. the population population of the plains is very high. The main crop is density of Uttaranchal is 159 while the paddy (Fig. 8.9). Since cultivation of paddy requires density of West sufficient water, it is grown in the areas where the amount Bengal is 904 and of rainfall is high. that of Bihar is 880. Wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets are the other crops that are grown. Cash crops like sugarcane and jute are also grown. Banana plantations are seen in some areas of the plain. In West Bengal and Assam tea is grown in plantations (Fig. 8.10). Silk is produced through Activity the cultivation of silk worms in parts of Bihar and Assam. Collect some In the mountains and hills, where the slopes are gentle, handicrafts made crops are grown on terraces. from jute, bamboo and The vegetation cover of the area varies according to silk. Display them in the type of landforms. In the Ganga and Brahmaputra the class. Find out in plain tropical deciduous trees grow, along with teak, sal which area they were and peepal. Thick bamboo groves are common in the made in? Brahmaputra plain. The delta area is covered with the Fig. 8.9 Paddy Cultivation Fig. 8.10 Tea Garden in Assam 60 OUR ENVIRONMENT
  • 7. mangrove forests. In parts of Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Do you know? Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees like pine, deodar and fir can be seen because the climate is cool and the Terraces are built on slopes are steep. steep slopes to create There is a variety of wildlife in the basin. Elephants, flat surfaces on which tigers, deer and monkeys are common. The one-horned crop are grown. The slope is removed so rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain. In the that water does not delta area, Bengal tiger, crocodiles and alligator are found. run off rapidly. Aquatic life abounds in the fresh river waters, the lakes and the Bay of Bengal Sea. The most popular varieties of the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa. Fish and rice is the staple diet of the people living in the area. Terrace Farming Fig. 8.11 One horned rhinoceros Fig. 8.12 Crocodiles Do you know? Lake: A source of livelihood In the fresh waters of (A case study) River Ganga and River Brahmaputra, a Binod is a fisherman variety of dolphin living in the Matwali locally called Susu Maun village of Bihar. (also called blind He is a happy man dolphin) is found. The today. With the efforts presence of Susu is an of the fellow indication of the health of the river. The fishermen – Ravindar, untreated industrial Kishore, Rajiv and and urban wastes with others, he cleaned the high amount of maun or the ox-bow chemicals are killing A clean lake lake to cultivate this species. different varieties of fish. The local weed (vallineria, hydrilla) that grows in the lake is the food of the fish. The land around the lake is fertile. He sows crops such as paddy, maize and pulses in these fields. The buffalo is used to plough the land. The community is satisfied. There is enough fish catch from the river – enough fish to eat and enough fish Blind Dolphin HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 61
  • 8. to sell in the market. They have even begun supply to the neighbouring town. The community is living in harmony with nature. As long as the pollutants from nearby towns do not find their way into the lake waters, the fish cultivation will not face any threat. A Polluted Lake The Ganga-Brahmaputra plain has several big towns and cities. The cities of Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata all with the population of more than ten lakhs are located along the River Ganga (Fig. 8.13). The Fig. 8.13: Varanasi along the River Ganga wastewater from these towns and industries is discharged into the rivers. This leads to the pollution of the rivers. All the four ways of transport are well developed in the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. In the plain areas the roadways and railways transport the people from one place to another. The waterways, is an effective means of transport particularly along the rivers. Kolkata is an important port on the River Hooghly. The plain area also has a large number of airports. Tourism is another important activity of the basin. Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra, Allahabad on the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, Buddhists stupas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Lucknow with its Imambara, Assam with Kaziranga and Manas with wild life sanctuaries and Arunachal Pradesh with a distinct tribal culture are some of the places Fig. 8.14: Tiger in Manas Wildlife sanctuary worth a visit (Fig. 8.14). 62 OUR ENVIRONMENT
  • 9. Exercises 1. Answer the following questions. (i) Name the continent in which the Amazon Basin is located. (ii) What are the crops grown by the people of the Amazon Basin. (iii) Name the birds that you are likely to find in the rainforests of the Amazon. (iv) What are the major cities located on the River Ganga. (v) Where is the one-horned rhinoceros found? 2. Tick the correct answer. (i) Toucans are a type of (a) birds (b) animals (c) crops (ii) Manioc is the staple food of (a) Ganga Basin (b) Africa (c) Amazon (iii) Kolkata is located on the river (a) Orange (b) Hooghly (c) Bhagirathi (iv) Deodars and firs are a type of (a) Coniferous trees (b) Deciduous trees (c) shrubs (v) Bengal tiger is found in (a) mountains (b) delta area (c) Amazon 3. Match the following. (i) Cotton textile (a) Assam (ii) Maloca (b) Sericulture (iii) Piranha (c) Slanting roof (iv) Silk worm (d) Ganga plain (v) Kaziranga (e) Fish 4. Give reasons. (i) The rainforests are depleting. (ii) Paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains. 5. Map skills. (i) On an outline map of Indian Sub-continent, draw the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra from the source to the mouth. Also show the important tributaries of both the rivers. (ii) On the political map of the South America, draw the equator. Mark the countries located on the equator. 6. For fun. Make a collage to show places of attractions in India. You can divide the class in different groups to show attractions based on mountain landscapes, coastal beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and places of historical importance. HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: THE TROPICAL AND THE SUBTROPICAL REGION 63
  • 10. 7. Activity. Collect under mentioned material and observe how destruction of trees effect the soil cover. Material (i) Three small flowerpots or food cans (e.g., cold drinks tin cans), (ii) one big can with holes punched in the bottom (this will act as a sprinkling can), (iii) twelve coins or bottle caps (iv) soil. Process Take three small cans or pots. Fill them with soil till the top. Press the soil to make it level with the top of the can. Now put four coins or bottle caps on the soil of each can. Take the big can that has been punched with holes and fill it with water. You can also take the sprinkling can from your garden. Now, sprinkle water on the three cans. On the first can sprinkle water very slowly so that no soil splashes out. Let moderate amount of water be sprinkled on the second can. On the third can, sprinkle the water heavily. You will observe that unprotected soil splashes out. Where the ‘rain’ is heavy the amount of soil that splashes out is the maximum and least in case of the first can. The coins or caps represent the tree covers. It is clear that if the land is cleared completely of the vegetation, the soil cover will quickly disappear. 64 OUR ENVIRONMENT