Land, Soil and Water Resources

Q1) Distinguish between

      a)    Private and community land

Private land	Community land
-         Belongs to individuals	-         Owned by a group of people
-         Individuals that own utilize for their personal needs	-         It is used for common use like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medical herbs

     b)   Surface water and underground water

Surface water	Underground water
-         Found on the surface of land	-         Refers to underground streams
-         Two third of water are found in oceans are saline .  fresh water Sources are rivers, canals and ponds.	-         springs, wells and  tube wells are the sources
-         it is easier  to treat with	-         underground water pollution is difficult to be treated

      c)    mulching and contour bunding

Mulching	contour
-         the bare ground between plants is covered with a layer of organic matter like straw or peat to prevent the loss of moisture from the soil . this process of conserving soil by retaining the moisture in the soil.	-                  On hill sides , stones are used to build barriers across the slope following contours . contours are imaginary lines connecting places that lie at the same attitude. Trenches are made in front of the barriers to collect water . this way of preventing soil erosion is called contour barrier or contour bunding

       d)   Arable land, fallow land and cultivable waste

Arable land	Fallow land	Cultivable waste
Land which is suitable for crop production	Land which can be cultivated but left for the season	Land which can be cultivated but has been lying fallow for more than five years

      e)    Alluvial soil and laterite soil

Alluvial soil	Laterite soil
This is a rich and fertile soil formed by the depositional action of rivers	This soil is formed due to intense leaching
Rivers transport eroded materials from higher reaches and deposit these materials on the banks as they reaches the plains	The soil is not naturally fertile as the top soil along with the humus is washed away by heavy rain fall
This fertile alluvial soil supports cultivation of crops	To make this soil cultivable it has to be treated with fertilizers
In India we can find rich deposits of alluvial soil in the vast Indo-Gangetic  plains and the deltaic regions of the peninsular belt	In India it is found in Mahrashtra and West Bengal

Q2) Give reasons

  a)    Human occupy just a fraction of the surface of the earth.

Ans: 
land makes up only 30% of the surface. Only a fraction is habitable by humans, the rest is made up of vast deserts , dense forests and rugged mountains. In fact 90% of the world’s population lives on just 30% of the land area.

  b)   We should conserve soil

Ans: 
we know that soil is a vital resource which is responsible for the sustenance  of all plants, animals and human beings . the removal of top soil is called soil erosion. If unchecked it can lead to depletion of soil.

  c)    Cotton is grown in Maharashtra

Ans:
 deep and clayey soil swells when it is wet and contracts when it dry. Therefore it develops wide cracks during summer. It is ideal for the growth of cotton.

Q3) Answer the following

 a)    What are the factors which influence land use ?

Ans:
 Today there is a great change in land use pattern with people encroaching upon common lands to build commercial industrial and residential structures  in urban and rural areas, the size and extent of agricultural and forest land are decreasing at a rapid rate .

The number of people and their needs are ever growing but the availability of land is limited as it is a finite resource. As pressure on land increases it usually lead to land degradation .

 b)   What are the different ways in which land can be classified?

Ans: 
Land can be classified in many ways

   -         On the basis of relief ( plateau – plains – mountains )

   -         On the basis of soil fertility ( fertile – barren land )

   -         On the basis of development of that area ( rural – urban )

   -         On the basis of ownership of the land ( private – community owned or government)

   -         On the basis of the use (arable – pasture - forests – fallow – cultivable waste – non-agricultural )

 c)    What is land degradation ?

Ans: 
Land degradation refers to the decline in productivity of cultivable land. Degradation results from unsuitable and unscientific land use .

 d)   Mention the reason for land degradation ?

Ans: 
Factors responsible for the degradation of land include:

1-   Exploitation of land

2-   Deforestation

3-   Clearing fertile land for settlement

4-   Slashing and burning trees for agriculture

5-   abandoned  mining sites and surface mining

6-   toxicity in the landfill

7-   untreated industrial effluents .

e)   Define Soil? what are the different types of soil and where are they found ?
Ans: 

Soil is the unconsolidated ( loose ) covering of fine rocks particles that covers the surface of the earth .

It consists of weathered particles of rocks brought down by the agent of erosion – water – wind and glaciers. It also consists of decaying organic matter ( humus ) and minerals.

The Indian soil Council of Agricultural Research ( ICAR) has classified the soil found in India into eight groups:

1-Alluvia soil – found in the vast Indo-Gangetic  plains and the deltaic regions of the peninsula belt.

2- Black soil – it is found in and around lava plateau.

3- Red soil – it is found in the periphery of the black soil regions in the state of  Odisha

4- Laterite soile- it is found in Maharashtra and West Bangal

f)     What is the other name for regur soil ?

Ans: 

Black soil or cotton soil

Q4) Explain the uses of water ? what is water pollution ?

Ans:

Humans consume a lot of water. Seventy percent of the human body consists of water. Water is used for :

·        Drinking and washing

·        Generation of hydroelectricity using water stored in dams.

·        Industrial needs

·        Irrigation of fields

The problem of water pollution has started assuming challenging proportion. The  major contamination in water  are partially treated or untreated sewage, chemical fertiliser used in the agricultural sector and industrial effluents discharged into the water bodies. They pollute water with bacteria, parasites, viruses, and toxic chemical like pesticides.

Q5) Briefly explain the ways to conserve water.

Ans:

Ways to conserve water :

·        Water pollution has to be brought under control.

·        Afforestation will not only help reduce runoff but also replenish underground water by enabling percolation .

·        Rainwater harvesting by constructing tanks and percolation pits.

·        Scientific and regulated irrigational methods.

·        Mulching and plugging gullies also helps conservation of water.

·        In dry regions with high rates of evaporation, drip irrigation and sprinklers should be adopted.

Q) Write a note on the water sources of India.

Ans:

India has abundant water resources . yet large parts of the country suffer from sever water scarcity. This is because water resources are unequally distributed in India both seasonally and spatially .

India has several mighty rivers like the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Krishna and Narmada.

These rivers experience flood during the summer months when snow starts melting in the mountains. The rivers of the Deccan and the south are seasonal rivers that depend on the monsoon for their water hardly any water during the hot summer months.

To control the annual summer floods, multipurpose project were started by the India government .

Glossary:

·        Afforestation : growing forest on bare land

·        Degradation: reduction in quality.

·        Reclamation: converting waste land into usable land.

·        Mulching: conserving soil by retaining moisture using straw cover.

·        Irrigation: supplying water to fields through ditches.

·        Percolation: the slow passage of water through a filtering material like sand or soil.

·        Rainwater harvesting: saving rainwater using percolation pits.

·        Effluents: liquid waste discharged into a river or stream.