An Overview of Cbse Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 6 Notes
If you want to understand how nature and people are connected, this chapter, Cbse Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 6 Notes, is just for you! Here, you will discover the many types of natural vegetation and wild life, and see how forests, grasslands, and deserts are formed. The chapter also explains why these plants and animals are important, and how humans can protect or harm them in different regions.
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To prepare well, don’t forget to check out the Class 7 Social Science Syllabus for all the latest topics you need to cover. These notes are made simple, so you won’t feel lost when tricky words appear in your textbook.
Learning and revising this chapter becomes much easier when you use Vedantu’s Class 7 Geography Revision Notes. Since questions from this chapter appear often in CBSE exams, studying these notes can really boost your confidence and help you score better!
FAQs on Cbse Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 6 Notes
1. How can you summarise the climate of the Amazon Basin as discussed in Class 7 Geography, Chapter 6?
The Amazon Basin, being situated on the equator, experiences a hot and wet climate throughout the year. Days and nights are almost equally hot and humid, with high temperatures and high humidity. A key feature for quick revision is that it rains almost every day, leading to the formation of dense rainforests.
2. What are the key features of the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin for revision?
The Ganga-Brahmaputra basin is located in the sub-tropical region and is formed by the tributaries of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. Its key features include:
- A monsoon-type climate with hot summers and cool winters.
- Highly fertile alluvial soil in its plains, making it ideal for agriculture.
- A diverse landscape including mountains, plains, and the Sundarbans delta.
- High population density due to its favourable living conditions and agricultural productivity.
3. What are rainforests, and why are they so dense in the Amazon Basin?
Rainforests are forests characterised by heavy rainfall. As covered in the revision notes for Chapter 6, the Amazon Basin receives continuous, heavy rain. This consistent water supply allows a vast variety of trees and plants to grow very thickly. The trees form a dense canopy or 'roof' at the top, which blocks sunlight from reaching the ground, resulting in a dark, damp forest floor with less vegetation.
4. What is 'Slash and Burn' agriculture, a key term in this chapter?
'Slash and Burn' is a method of farming, also known as shifting cultivation. In this practice, farmers clear a piece of land by cutting down trees and bushes (slashing) and then burning them. The ash adds nutrients to the soil, where crops are grown for a few years. Once the soil loses its fertility, the farmers abandon the land and move to a new plot, allowing the old one to regenerate naturally.
5. What are the main crops grown in the tropical Amazon Basin versus the subtropical Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin?
In the tropical Amazon Basin, the main food crop is manioc (also known as cassava), along with cash crops like coffee, maize, and cocoa. In the subtropical Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin, the main crops are paddy (rice) and wheat. Other crops like gram, millets, sugarcane, and jute are also grown depending on the topography and climate.
6. Why do the lifestyles in the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin differ significantly from those in the Amazon basin?
The differences in lifestyle are fundamentally driven by climate and topography. The Amazon's harsh, consistently hot and wet climate and dense forests lead to more scattered settlements and reliance on hunting, fishing, and shifting cultivation. In contrast, the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin's moderate monsoon climate and fertile plains support large-scale, settled agriculture, leading to high population density, large cities, and a diverse, agriculture-based economy.
7. How does the monsoon climate specifically shape human life and the environment in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains?
The monsoon climate dictates the rhythm of life in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains. The seasonal rainfall is crucial for agriculture, especially for water-intensive crops like paddy. The entire agricultural calendar, from sowing to harvesting, revolves around the arrival and departure of the monsoon. Environmentally, the monsoons replenish rivers, recharge groundwater, and support deciduous forests. However, they can also cause devastating floods, which people have adapted to by building houses on raised platforms (stilts).
8. What is the connection between the heavy rainfall in the Amazon Basin and its rich biodiversity?
The connection is direct and vital. The constant, heavy rainfall and stable hot temperatures create an ideal environment for year-round plant growth. This abundance of plant life provides food and shelter for an incredible variety of animals, insects, and birds. Different species adapt to live in different layers of the rainforest, from the forest floor to the canopy. This stable, resource-rich environment has allowed for the evolution of the world's largest collection of living plants and animal species, known as biodiversity.
9. How have human settlements adapted to the distinct environments of the Amazon and Ganga-Brahmaputra basins?
Adaptation is a core concept for revising this chapter. In the Amazon Basin, people live in large, thatched-roof houses called 'Maloca', with steeply slanting roofs to allow rainwater to run off easily. In the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin, settlements are dense in the plains. In areas prone to flooding, people build houses on raised platforms or stilts. The choice of building materials and settlement patterns in both regions is a direct response to the local climate and environmental challenges.
