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. 6.1: 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.”

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 LIFE IN THE AMAZON BASIN
Before learning about the Amazon basin, let us look at the
Do you know? map (Fig. 6.2). Notice that the tropical region lies very
close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred
When Spanish to as the equatorial region. The river Amazon flows through
explorers discovered this region. Notice how it flows from the mountains to the
the Amazon river,
west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
they were attacked by
a group of local tribes The place where a river flows into another body of
wearing headgears water is called the river’s mouth. Numerous tributaries
and grass skirts. join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin. The
These people river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia,
reminded them of the Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela.
fierce tribes of women
Name the countries of the basin through which the
warriors known in
ancient Roman equator passes.
Empire as the
Amazons. Hence the
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
forms a river basin or
the catchment area.
The Amazon Basin is
the largest river basin
in the world.

Fig. 6.2: The Amazon Basin in South America

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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. 6.3). 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. 6.3 : The Amazon Forest
The rainforest is rich in
fauna. Birds such as toucans (Fig. 6.4),
humming birds, macaw with their
brilliantly coloured plumage, oversized Do you know?
bills for eating make them different
from birds we commonly see in India. Bromeliads are
These birds also make loud sounds in special plants that
the forests. Animals like monkeys, store water in their
Fig. 6.4 : Toucans sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found leaves. Animals like
here (Fig. 6.5). Various species of reptiles and snakes frogs use these
also thrive in these jungles. Crocodiles, snakes, pythons pockets of water for
abound. Anaconda and boa constrictor are some of the laying their eggs.
species. Besides, the basin is home to thousands of
species of insects. Several
species of fishes including the
flesh-eating Piranha fish is Let’s do
also found in the river. This
basin is thus extraordinarily Some TV channels
rich in the variety of life found broadcast
there. Fig. 6.5 : 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
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 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. 6.6). The topsoil
is washed away as
the rains fall and
the lush forest
turns into
a barren
landscape.

Fig. 6.6: Gradual Destruction of Forests

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LIFE IN THE GANGA-BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN
The tributaries of rivers Ganga and
Brahmaputra together form the
Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the
Indian subcontinent (Fig. 6.8). 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. 6.7 Brahmaputra river
The plains of the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the

Fig. 6.8: Ganga-Brahmputra Basin

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 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. 6.8). 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 Uttarakhand
is 189 while the paddy (Fig. 6.9). Since cultivation of paddy requires
density of West sufficient water, it is grown in the areas where the amount
Bengal is 1029 and of rainfall is high.
that of Bihar is 1102. 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. 6.10). 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? Brahmaputra plain. The delta area is covered with the

Fig. 6.9 : Paddy Cultivation Fig. 6.10 : Tea Garden in Assam

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mangrove forests. In parts of Uttarakhand, 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 crops are grown. The
slope is removed so
rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain. In the
that water does not
delta area, Bengal tiger and crocodiles are found. Aquatic run off rapidly.
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. 6.11 : One horned rhinoceros Fig. 6.12 : 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

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 to sell in the market. They have even begun supply
to the neighbouring
Do you know?
town. The community
is living in harmony
To acceletrate the
efforts to achieve with nature. As long
universal sanitation as the pollutants from
coverage and to put nearby towns do not
fours on sanitation, find their way into the
the Prime Minister of lake waters, the fish
India launched the
“Swachh Bharat cultivation will not
Mission” on 02nd face any threat. A Polluted Lake
October 2014.

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. 6.13). The
Fig. 6.13: Varanasi along the River Ganga wastewater from these towns
and industries is discharged into the rivers. This leads
to the pollution of the rivers.
Do you know? All the four ways of transport are well developed in
To conserve the river the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. In the plain areas the
ganga, ‘Namami’ roadways and railways transport the people from one
ganga Programme has place to another. The waterways, is an effective means of
been initiated. 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. 6.14: Tiger in Manas Wildlife sanctuary worth a visit (Fig. 6.14).
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 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) Terrace farming
(iii) Piranha (c) Sericulture
(iv) Silk worm (d) Slanting roof
(v) Kaziranga (e) Ganga plain
(f) Varanasi
(g) 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 the 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 South America, draw the equator. Mark the countries
through which the equator passes.
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.

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 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.

Steps
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.

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