NCERT Book Class 7 Geography Human Environment Interactions

Human Environment Intractions The Tropical and the Subtropical Region

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.

“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.

LIFE IN THE AMAZON BASIN 

Before learning about the Amazon basin, let us look at the map (Fig. 8.2). Notice that the tropical region lies very close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred to as the equatorial region. The river Amazon flows through this region. Notice how it flows from the mountains to the west and reaches the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

The place where a river flows into another body of water is called the river’s mouth. Numerous tributaries join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin. The river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela. Name the countries of the basin through which the equator passes.

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.

The rainforest is rich in fauna. Birds such as toucans (Fig. 8.4), humming birds, bird of paradise with their brilliantly coloured plumage, oversized bills for eating make them different from birds we commonly see in India. These birds also make loud sounds in the forests. Animals like monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found here (Fig. 8.5). Various species of reptiles and snakes also thrive in these jungles. Crocodiles, snakes, pythons abound. Anaconda and boa constrictor are some of the species. Besides, the basin is home to thousands of species of insects. Several species of fishes including the flesheating Piranha fish is also found in the river. This basin is thus extraordinarily rich in the variety of life found there.

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

3. Give reasons.

(i) The rainforests are depleting.

(ii) Paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains.

4. 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.

5. 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.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 7 Geography Human Environment Interactions