UPSC IAS Prelims Exam: Environment and Ecology: Glossary of Terms-3

UPSC IAS Prelims Examination 2015 is just over and this is the right time to analyse the IAS Prelims Question Paper and decide about the path for the Civil Services Exam Preparation. Environment and Ecology is a vital component of the IAS Prelims Exam Syllabus and it can make a huge difference in the IAS Main Exam Too. So to better understand the text released by various Governmental and International Environmental Institutions, the candidates need to understand the basic treminology of the Environment and Ecology.

IAS Prelims Exam 2016 Study Material

Mangroves

Salt tolerant evergreen forest ecosystem found mainly in tropical and sub-tropical coastal and/or inter-tidal regions.

Mangrove Cover

Area covered under mangrove vegetation as interpreted from remote sensing data. It is included in the forest cover. Water bodies and creeks are not included in the mangrove cover.

Moderately Dense Forest

All lands with forest cover having a canopy density 40 percent or more and less than 70 percent.

Net Change (in Forest Cover)

The sums of positive and negative changes in forest cover over a period of two assessments for a given area.

Open Forest

Lands with forest cover having a canopy density of 10 percent or more and less than 40 percent.

Protected Forest (PF)

An area notified under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act or other State Forest Acts, having Iimited degree of protection. In protected forest all activities are permitted unless prohibited.

Physiographic Zone

A physiographic zone constitutes geographical areas that exhibit broad similarities in factors responsible for the growth of tree vegetation. Physiographic zones have been used as strata for assessing tree cover in the country.

Recorded Forest Area (RFA)

Same as "forest area"; i.e., geographic areas recorded as forests in Government records.

Reserved Forests (RF)

An area so constituted under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act or other State Forest Acts, having full degree of protection. In Reserved forests all activities are prohibited unless permitted.

Scrub

Degraded forest lands having canopy density less than 10 percent.