Ch 17 explains how forests function as ecosystems. Students learn about layers of a forest, food chains, the role of decomposers, and why forests are vital for the environment.
Forests have layers: crown/canopy (tall trees), understorey (shorter trees, shrubs), herb layer, and forest floor. Each layer supports different organisms. Food chains interconnect to form food webs. Decomposers (fungi, bacteria) break down dead matter and recycle nutrients.
Forests: provide oxygen, absorb CO₂, maintain water cycle (transpiration → clouds → rain), prevent soil erosion, prevent floods (roots hold soil, absorb water), home to wildlife (biodiversity), provide wood, medicines, food. Deforestation leads to droughts, floods, loss of habitat, and climate change.
Download: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/gesc117.pdf | Complete book: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/gesc1ps.zip
Forests absorb CO₂ and release O₂ through photosynthesis, just as lungs absorb O₂ and release CO₂ in our body. Forest trees are the major producers of oxygen on land, making them essential for all life on earth.
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