Human Environment Interactions - The Tropical and Subtropical Regions

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Life in the Amazon Basin

The river Amazon flows through the tropical region lies very close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. → It is referred to as the equatorial region.
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, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia and Venezuela.

Climate of Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin 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.
→ The day temperatures are high with very high humidity. At night the temperature goes down but humidity remains high.

Rainforests in Amazon Basin

→ Thick forests grow due to heavy rains. → These forests are so thick that the sunlight does not reach the ground.
→ The ground remains dark and damp. → Shade tolerant plants grow here like orchids, bromeliads.
→ The rainforest is rich in fauna: birds like toucans, humming birds, bird of paradise; animals like monkeys, sloth, tapirs; reptiles like crocodiles, snakes, anaconda; fish like piranha.

People of the Rainforests

→ Men hunt and fish, women take care of the crops. → Women ensure food availability through vegetables they grow.
Slash and burn agriculture is practiced.
→ Manioc or cassava is the staple food. → Also grow tapioca, pineapple, sweet potato; eat queen ants and egg sacs.
Cash crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are grown.
→ Houses are made from wood; shaped like beehives or "Maloca" with slanting roofs.
→ Modernization: Amazon highway, aircrafts, displacement of indigenous people.
Rainforest destruction due to development.

Life in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin

→ Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers form the basin; lies between 10°N and 30°N.
→ Major tributaries: Ghaghra, Son, Chambal, Gandak, Kosi, Dibang, Lohit, Teesta, Manas.
→ Main features: plains, Himalayas, Sundarbans delta.

Climate

→ Dominated by monsoon climate with rains from mid-June to mid-September.
Hot summers and cool winters.

Topography

→ Mountains with steep slopes are inhospitable. → Plains have fertile soil.
→ Main crops: paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, gram, millets.
→ Cash crops: sugarcane, jute; tea in West Bengal and Assam; silk in Bihar and Assam.
Terrace farming on hills.

Vegetation

→ Deciduous trees in plains like teak, sal, peepal.
→ Bamboo groves in Brahmaputra plain; coniferous trees like pine and deodar in hilly states.

Wildlife

Elephants, tigers, deer, monkeys are common.
One-horned rhinoceros in Brahmaputra plain.
Bengal tiger, crocodiles, alligators in delta.
→ Rohu, catla, hilsa are popular fish. → Fish and rice are staple food.

Towns and Cities

Major cities: Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna, Kolkata.
→ Water pollution due to discharge of waste from towns and industries.

Transportation

→ All modes well developed. → Roadways and railways common in plains.
→ Waterways used along rivers. → Airports are many.

Tourism Centres

→ Taj Mahal (Agra), Buddhist stupas (UP and Bihar).

MCQs

1. Considering kind of symbiosis, classification of parasites includes

(a) Endoparasites

(b) Ectoparasites

(d) Both a and b

► (d) Both a and b

2. Manas wildlife sanctuary is in

(a) Meghalaya

(b) Assam

(d) Arunachal Pradesh

► (b) Assam

3. The Amazon Basin is in

(a) North Africa

(b) South America

(d) South Africa

► (b) South America

4. On Amazon basin

(a) Day and nights are almost equally cool and dry

(b) Day and nights are almost equally hot and humid

(d) Day are longer than nights and are more cool and humid

► (b) Day and nights are almost equally hot and humid

5. The Ganga-Brahmaputra basin area is dominated by monsoon climate. The monsoon brings rains from

(a) mid-June to mid-July

(b) mid-June to mid-September

(d) mid-July to mid-October

► (b) mid-June to mid-September

6. The one-horned rhinoceros is found in the

(a) Brahmaputra plain

(b) Ganga plain

(d) Krishna plain

► (a) Brahmaputra plain

7. The place where a river flows into another body of water is called

(a) Tributaries

(b) Meanders

(d) River's mouth

► (d) River's mouth

8. Buddhist Stupa is in

(a) Ranchi (Jharkhand)

(b) Raisen (Madhya Pradesh)

(d) Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

► (b) Raisen (Madhya Pradesh)

9. Cash crop grown in the area of Ganga-Brahmaputra basin

(a) Sugarcane and tea

(b) Coffee and jute

(d) Sugarcane and jute

► (d) Sugarcane and jute

10. The Amazon Basin is the largest river basin in the

(a) America

(b) World

(d) Australia

► (b) World

11. ____ is the main occupation of the people living in area of Ganga-Brahmaputra basin where flat land is available to grow crops

(a) Mining

(b) Industry work

(d) Service

► (c) Agriculture

12. The main river along with all its tributaries that drain an area forms a river

(a) River mouth

(b) Basin

(d) Delta

► (b) Basin

13. In which of the following area tea is grown in plantations

(a) West Bengal and Assam

(b) West Bengal and Punjab

(d) Kerala and Assam

► (a) West Bengal and Assam

14. Which of the following is not a cash crop?

(a) Jute

(b) jowar

(d) sugarcane

► (b) jowar

15. ____ are built on steep slopes to create flat surfaces on which crops are grown

(a) Land

(b) Plains

(d) Plateau

► (c) Terraces

16. _______ is a way of cultivating land where farmers clear a piece of land by slashing or cutting down trees and bushes

(a) Cutting and Burn

(b) Slash and damage

(d) Slash and Burn

► (d) Slash and Burn

17. The staple food in the rainforest area is

(a) Menero

(b) Menious

(d) Manioc

► (d) Manioc

18. Ganga-Brahmaputra basin form in

(a) Bhutan

(b) China

(d) Sri Lanka

► (c) India