Question.
Quite a few species of plants and animals are endangered in India. Why?
( Chapter - 5 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife, Cass 9 NCERT Contemporary India -I )
Answer.
India is very rich in species of plants and animals. Each species has a role to play in the ecosystem, so the conservation of each species is very important for the stability of the ecosystem and for human survival. As per estimates, about 1300 plant species are endangered and 20 species are extinct in India. Many animals are endangered in India like Red Panda and Kashmir Stag and some animals like Indian Cheetah have become extinct.
A large number of animal and plant species are endangered in India due to the following reasons:
The main threat is hunting by greedy poachers for commercial purposes. Poachers kill tigers, lions, elephants, and one-horned rhinoceros for their skin, teeth, etc., and smuggle them abroad.
Pollution is another main reason. Acid deposits from chemical and industrial wastes in natural habitats reduce the population of plants and animals.
Bringing foreign species into the country's ecosystem leads to a decrease in biodiversity because there are no natural predators to prevent the population of foreign species.
Indiscriminate deforestation brings the land under cultivation and housing.
Habitat fragmentation due to the laying of transport networks such as roads and railways disrupts the natural migration of animals.
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