Human Environment Interactions - The Tropical and the Subtropical Region

Q20. Name the tributaries of river Ganga.

Ans. The tributaries of the River Ganga are the Ghaghra, the Son, the

Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi.

Q21. What are bromeliads?

Ans. Bromeliads are special plants that store water in their leaves. Animals like frogs use these pockets of water for laying their eggs.

Q22. Why sunlight does not reach the ground in rainforest?

Ans. The forests are so thick that the dense “roof” created by leaves and branches does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground.

Q23. What are the crops grown by the people of the Amazon Basin?

Ans.  They mainly grow tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. Cash crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown.

Q24. Name the birds that you are likely to find in the rainforests of the Amazon.

Ans. In the rainforests of the Amazon we are likely to find birds such as toucans, humming birds and bird of paradise.

Q25. What are the major cities located on the River Ganga?

Ans. The cities of Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata are located along the River Ganga.

Q26. What animals can be found in the Amazon rainforest?

Ans. Animals like monkeys, sloth, ant-eating tapirs, crocodiles, snakes, pythons, anaconda, boa and flesh eating piranha fish are found here.

Q27. What are the main features of Ganga Brahmaputra basin?

Ans. The plains of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta are the main features of this basin.

Q28. What are the crops grown in Ganga Brahmaputra basin?

Ans. The main crop is paddy. Wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets are the other crops that are grown. Cash crops like sugarcane and jute are also grown.

Q29. Why paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains?

Ans. Since cultivation of paddy requires sufficient water, it is grown in the areas where the amount of rainfall is high. Ganga-Brahmaputra basin is good for cultivation of paddy as it receives good amount of rainfall.

Q30. What is Susu? What does its presence indicate?

Ans. In the fresh waters of River Ganga and River Brahmaputra, a variety of dolphin locally called Susu (also called blind dolphin) is found. The presence of Susu is an indication of the health of the river. The untreated industrial and urban wastes with high amount of chemicals are killing this species.

Q31. Why rainforests are depleting?

Ans. The developmental activities are leading to the gradual destruction of the biologically diverse rainforests. It is estimated that a large area of the rainforest has been disappearing annually in the Amazon basin. As a result of this destruction, the topsoil is washed away as the rains fall and the lush forest turns into a barren landscape.

Q32. What kind of natural vegetation is found in the Amazon basin?

Ans. As it rains heavily in this region, thick forests grow. 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.

Q33. What do people of the Amazon rainforest do?

Ans. People grow most of their food in small areas after clearing some trees in the forest. While men hunt and fish along the rivers, women take care of the crops. They mainly grow tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. As hunting and fishing are uncertain it is the women who keep their families alive by feeding them the vegetables they grow. They practice “slash and burn agriculture”.