Maharashtra Board Class 11 Geography Solution Chapter 8 – Biomes
Balbharati Maharashtra Board Class 11 Geography Solution Chapter 8: Biomes. Marathi or English Medium Students of Class 11 get here Biomes full Exercise Solution.
Std |
Maharashtra Class 11 |
Subject |
Geography |
Chapter |
8 |
Chapter Name |
Biomes |
1) Complete the chain:
A | B | C |
1) Boreal forest | 1) Hard wood species of trees | 1) Siberia |
2) Deserts | 2) Tropical deciduous forest | 2) Myanmar |
3) Teak | 3) Wide spectrum of bio-diversity | 3) Indian Ocean |
4) Tropical rain forest | 4) Tundra Region | 3) Sahara Desert |
5) Taiga forest | 4) Brazil | |
6) Narrow spectrum of bio-diversity | 5) Greenland |
Answer –
A | B | C |
1) Boreal forest | 1) Taiga forest | 1) Siberia |
2) Deserts | 2) Narrow spectrum of bio-diversity | 2) Sahara Desert |
3) Teak | 3) Tropical deciduous forest | 3) Myanmar |
4) Tropical rain forest | 4) Hardwood species of trees | 4) Brazil |
1 B) Fill in the blanks with appropriate alternatives given below and rewrite the sentences.
1) Ecosystem consists of interaction between ……………….. and abiotic factors.
a) Biotic factors b) Animals
c) Human beings d) Plants
Answer – Ecosystem consists of interaction between a) Biotic factors and abiotic factors.
2) The original meaning of savanna is……………….
a) Land with many trees.
b) Extensive perennial grass land.
c) Land which is full of trees with much grass.
d) land which is without trees but with much grass.
Answer – The original meaning of savanna is b) Extensive perennial grass land.
3) In Africa tropical evergreen forest is predominantly found in ……………….. .
a) Amazon basin
b) Sahara desert
c) Congo basin
d) Savanna
Answer – In Africa tropical evergreen forest is predominantly found in c) Congo basin.
4) Mediterranean forest is also known as ………………….. forests.
a) Hard wood
b) Chaparral
c) Man made
d) Soft wood
Answer – Mediterranean forest is also known as b) Chaparral forests.
Q.2 A) Arrange the given statements as per given instructions.
1) Arrange the following biomes in proper order from Equator to Pole.
a) Tundra b) Tropical rain forest
c) Boreal forest d) Sahara desert
Answer –
a) Tropical Rainforest
b) Sahara Desert
c) Boreal forest
d) Tundra
2. B) Select the inappropriate factor or statement
1) Trees in the tropical rain forest
a) Mahogany b) Ebony
c) Pine d) Rosewood
Answer – Trees in the tropical rainforest – c) Pine
2) Temperate grasslands in the world.
a) Prairies – North America
b) Steppes – Eurasia
c) Downs – Africa
d) Pampas – South America.
Answer – Temperate grasslands in the world – c) Downs – Africa.
4) Major hot deserts in the world are
a) Gobi – Asia
b) Kalahari – Africa
c) Atacama – South America
d) Arabian – Asia
Answer – Major hot deserts in the world are – a) Gobi – Asia
3) Give geographical reasons:
1) The trees in the tropical rainforests are broad-leaved while those in the Taiga are coniferous.
Answer – Tropical rainforests because of its location near the equator, have high temperatures and receive heavy rainfall throughout the year. Trees in these forests grow very densely and it is found to have three layers of vegetation (ie tall trees, shorter trees and shrubs ). The sunlight hardly falls on the ground. So, plants that are close to the ground have broader leaves to capture as much sunlight as possible. This also helps the plants in hot wet climatic conditions as they counteract the day time heat effect by transpiration mechanism.
Taiga biome on the other hand, due to its location has cold winters with high degrees of snowfall. Coniferous trees grow in these forests having thick barks for protection against the cold weather conditions. These trees are tall, cone shaped, have flexible branches, and waxy leaves which prevents the snow from staying on the trees. Pine cones are known to protect the seeds in winters.
2) Desert biomes have thorny vegetation.
Answer – Deserts are known for scarcity of water and very little or no rainfall. In order to avoid loss of water from the pores in their leaves, through transpiration, plants in these regions have their leaves modified into thorns. Thus, desert biomes have thorny vegetation in order to save as much water as possible to survive in the severe water scarcity.
3) Lumbering activity has developed in Taiga forests.
Answer – Lumbering involves felling of large trees for logging of timber, as an economic activity. The Taiga region is known for coniferous trees with soft wood which are in great demand internationally and these trees are also easy to cut using modern tools. Taiga forests are not dense as the tropical ones and hence logging of timber and carrying them is easier making it develop into an economic activity in the Taiga region.
4) Mediterranean biome has proved to be a catalyst to the development of cinema industry.
Answer – Mediterranean biome has proved to be a catalyst to the development of cinema industry because –
The summers are warm and dry and winters are cool and rainy. Climate is generally pleasant with clear skies, good sunshine, flowers and natural beauty which all add up to the picturesque locations. Outdoor shooting is not a problem due to the clear skies. All the above factors make the Mediterranean biome a catalyst for the movie industry.
4) Write short notes on:
1) Agriculture in temperate grassland biome
Answer – Climate in temperate grassland biome is good for agriculture and animal rearing or farming. In vast grasslands regions like Prairies, Steppes, Pampas, Downs, etc. modernised agriculture has developed by introducing machines, fertile soil quality also adds up for higher yields.
Countries lying in these regions have excelled in large scale farming and become exporters of food grains like wheat, maize, etc. Commercial agriculture is on the rise in these areas.
2) Human life in Tundra biome
Answer – The Tundra biome, due to its location, is known for very cold climatic conditions with snow throughout the year. Human settlements are therefore rare, except for Eskimos, Lapps, Samoyeds who live in adverse climatic conditions.
With advancement in communication, transportation and technology, the Eskimos have come in contact with the westernisers and thereby have come in touch with modern instruments that have improved their fishing and hunting methods. There has been a lot of development in this region due to advancement in technology, life of the people have improved.
There has however been an adverse effect on the protected factors of this biome, with increase in the number of tourists and exploitation by the people living here.
3) Animal adaptation in grasslands
Answer – Tropical grasslands – Savannah – Latitudinal extent 10 – 20degrees North & South.
Vegetation : These grasslands are characterised by perennial, thick, coarse and broad-leaved grass that grows about 3 to 6 m height. They are also called elephant grass. Very few shrubs or trees are found in these grasslands. Large numbers of grass-eating animals are present and therefore, carnivores which predate on them are also seen in abundance here.
Animal life : The perennial grass cover of these grasslands have made savannah biomes home for a large number of herbivore animals. Colour of the grass changes with change in seasons and this in turn provide a natural shelter for animals. There are a large number of hoofed animals. A variety of herbivores ranging in sizes from rabbits to elephant are found here. Main species are antelopes, zebra, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, elephants, etc. With a rich herbivores density, these grasslands also support many species of carnivore animals also. They include lions, leopards, cheetah, Jackals, hyenas, etc. Among birds we find, vultures, great Indian bustards, twitter and ostriches.
4) Marine biomes
Answer – In marine biomes, plants and animals have adapted themselves to live in water. Around 70% of the earth’s surface consists of oceans. Besides oceans, there are fresh water sources like rivers, lakes, etc.
The aquatic biomes are those parts of the earth that is covered with water, which includes the fresh water and salt water. The aquatic biome can further be divided into freshwater biomes, marine biomes, wetland biomes, coral reef biomes, estuaries, etc. based on the salt content of the water and the aquatic plants that live there.
Marine biomes, mainly consists of three layers.
Euphotic layer – The top layer is called the euphotic layer where the sunlight reaches without any hindrance at all. This can be around 200 m deep. In this layer, we can find many types of fishes, sea turtles, jellyfish, seals, coral, zooplankton, and mangroves.
Disphotic layer – The middle is the disphotic layer where some amount of sunlight penetrates to the bottom part. This is around 1000m deep from mean sea level. A few phytoplanktons that are sunk from upper layer, plants are not found here. This layer is home to Squid, cattlefish, wolfish, swordfish, eels, sea dragons, etc. The animals here are adapted to some kind of darkness, cold water and high pressure which is more or less prevalent in this layer.
Apotic layer – The third layer which is the deepest layer is known as apotic layer and it ranges from 1000m to 4000m in depth. No sunlight penetrates in this part of the sea. No living plant life in this layer is found. The only living beings or animals of this cold, dark environment include elusive giant squid, bioluminescent jellyfish, angler fish, hatchet fish, etc. Sperm whales are sometimes seen to enter this zone to hunt but later return to the upper layers. Beyond the layer, lies the darkest and the deepest zone extending right till the sea floor. Here, the animals are adapted to survive on detritus under even greater pressure.
5) Distinguish between :
1) Biome and ecosystem.
Answer – The differences between Biomes and Ecosystem is as follows –
Biome – In an area where different types of plants and animals (or flora and fauna) live together in the same region with same climatic conditions, it is called a biome.
The boundaries of biomes are mainly determined by climatic conditions like temperature, rainfall, humidity, soil conditions and solar insolation received etc.
Further, there can be many ecosystems in a biome.
Ecosystem – In a region, the correlation between the biotic and abiotic factors or their interactions is called an ecosystem. The biotic factors are the plants, animals and bacteria, whereas the abiotic factors are soil, water, sunlight and nutrients.
Different trophic levels may exist in an ecosystem, but several ecosystems may exist in a biome.
2) Tropical and temperate grassland biomes.
Answer –
Tropical Grassland Biome – Latitudinal location – 10 – 20degrees North and South.
Tropical grasslands are particularly known for their continuous cover of perennial grasses 4 – 6m in height, called elephant grass, that change colour with seasons. There are hardly any trees or shrubs in these grasslands.
These grasslands are home to large number of herbivore animals of various sizes ranging from rabbits to elephants. Herbivores like zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes are all very common. Also, they are home to several carnivore species like lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and birds like vultures, twitters and ostriches.
Temperate Grassland Biome – Latitudinal location – 40 – 55 degrees North and South.
Temperate grasslands are known for soft grass, with very few trees. Various other species of grasses are also seen in these grasslands like the purple needle grass, galleta, blue grama, buffalo grass, etc.
Varied species of herbivore animals are also seen like the gazelles, deer, zebras, wild horses, rabbits etc. Ostriches are found in veld grasslands. Kangaroos and dingoes can be seen in Downs grasslands of Australia.
3) Human activities in tropical evergreen and Monsoon regions.
Answer –
Human activities in tropical evergreen regions –
The tropical evergreen region mainly comprises of tropical evergreen rainforests, therefore human life or activity is not easy in this place. Certain primitive tribes like the pygmies in Congo, Boro Indians in Amazon, Onges Jarawahs, in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India live in these regions.
Primary activity these tribal people are engaged in include hunting animals, gathering forest products like honey, wax, wood, fishing etc.
Human activities in Monsoon regions –
Human life in the monsoon region is easier in comparison to the tropical rainforests.
Some of the tribal population with primary and secondary activities are found in these regions. Animal rearing , meat and milk production are some of the basic human activities that can be associated.
6) Answer in detail :
1) Give an account of the desert biome with the help of following points :
a) location
b)plant life
c) animal life
d) human life
Answer –
(a) Location – Tropical Desert biome location – Latitudinal Extent : 20° to 30° North and South
(b) Plant Life – Due to the dry climatic conditions, there is hardly any vegetation seen in the desert biome. A few trees like date palms, acacia, khejari and bushes like century plant and cactus are seen.
Plants are seen to have thick leaves to store water. Some are thorny, adapted to reduce or prevent loss of water due to transpiration. Trunk like leaves are also found in plants that carry our photosynthesis.
(c) Animal life – Like plants, animals too are few in number and relatively fewer large animals. Most of them are small, and tend to burrow or seek hideouts from the heat until dusk. They are adapted to stay with very little water. Camels, many types of snakes, lizards, rats, mongoose, sheep, goats and donkeys are seen. Among birds, Ostriches, guinea fowl, pale crag martins, desert eagle owls, barn owls, sand larks etc can be found. Insects like housefly, moths, termites, beetles etc can be seen.
(d) Human life – Extreme climatic conditions and high temperatures make human life very difficult in the desert biomes. Human tribal settlements are seen to present near oases and their occupation is also dependant on availability of water, may differ from animal husbandry to agriculture (very rarely). Nomadic way of life is seen in some areas.
2) Explain the reasons behind deforestation in your area. What measures will you suggest to minimize deforestation?
Answer – Due to rapid human development by way of building industries, factories, dams, mining activities, there has been deforestation on a large scale in all parts of the country or even globally.
Deforestation is beginning to have its ill effect on mankind by way of soil erosion, landslides, and has now become an important reason for increase in pollution levels. Trees reduce pollution by absorbing carbon di oxide thereby minimising the green house effect and global warming which eventually will lead to climatic changes, large cyclones, and with depleting glaciers and Antarctic ice, an increasing sea level leading to inundation of many cities or even countries near to the sea.
In order to minimise deforestation, the government must take appropriate measures and encourage aforestation by planting new saplings in adjoining areas, in the region.
Strong legal steps must be taken by government authorities to prevent unauthorised cutting of trees and strict implementation of punishment should be undertaken.
Ill effects of de-forestation and environmental consciousness must be taught in schools, colleges and every institution so that it turns into a mass awareness campaign. Each and every individual (rural and urban population) must be made aware of the consequences that climate change and global warming can cause and how we can minimise its effect by planting more trees.