Question

Shifting cultivation is a form of agricultural practice in the hills of Northeast India, where a forest patch is cleared and cultivated for a few years, after which it is left fallow and allowed to regenerate. Succession occurs on such previously cultivated plots. Over time, the plant community should move towards which region in the graph? 

• A. P
• B. Q
• C. R
• D. S

Hint:

In succession, plant communities gradually shift towards higher shade tolerance and greater woody vegetation as they mature.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

In shifting cultivation, when land is left fallow after being cultivated, it goes through a process of ecological succession, where plant communities gradually move towards a more mature, stable ecosystem. This process can be described using a graph where the x-axis represents shade tolerance (the ability of plants to survive under the canopy of other plants), and the y-axis represents the proportion of woody vegetation (which indicates the development of forest-like characteristics).

Step 1: Analyze the graph.
- Region P corresponds to a situation with low shade tolerance and low proportion of woody vegetation. This is typical of early successional stages when grasses and herbaceous plants dominate.
- Region Q corresponds to higher shade tolerance and a moderate level of woody vegetation, representing the transition from early to later stages of succession. This is where more shade-tolerant species, such as shrubs and small trees, begin to establish.
- Region R shows high proportion of woody vegetation but low shade tolerance, which is not typical of mature forest stages.
- Region S represents a mature forest with both high woody vegetation and high shade tolerance, typical of a stable climax community.

Step 2: Match the process of succession.
As succession progresses in the fallow land, the plant community will first shift to a region of higher shade tolerance and a higher proportion of woody plants. This is best represented by region Q.

Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct answer is (B) Q, as it represents the stage in ecological succession where plants move from early pioneers towards a more stable, shaded, and woody community.