This post helps you understand what land degradation is and how this problem can be solved. It also explains soil as a resource and the characteristics of Alluvial and Black soil.
Easy and Quick Revision Notes
Resource and Development
Part – 3
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures
Land Degradation:
Land degradation means decline in the fertility of the land
Or
When land becomes unfit for cultivation.
Causes of land degradation: Human activities like
(1) Deforestation
(2) Overgrazing
(3) Mining
(4) Quarrying
(5) Over irrigation
(6) Industrialisation
Causes of land degradation in some Indian states:
| Name of State | Cause |
|---|---|
| (1) Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha | (a) Deforestation due to mining |
| (2) Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra | (b) Overgrazing |
| (3) Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh | (c) Over irrigation |
Ways to solve the problems of land degradation
• Afforestation
• Proper management of grazing
• Planting of shelter belts of plants
• Control on over grazing
• Stabilising of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes
• Proper management of wastelands
• Control of mining activities
• Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and waste
📌 Land Resources and Land Use Pattern – Class 10 Notes
Soil as a Resource
Soil : Most important renewable resource
Soil provides : Medium for plant growth, support different types of living organisms on the earth
Factors contributing the formation of soil : relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation, time.
The forces of nature which contribute to soil formation are –
change in temperature, action of running water, wind and glaciers, activities of decomposers, chemical and organic changes that take place in the soil.
Classification of Soil :
Variation in relief features, landforms climate changes, have given rise to different types of soils in different regions of India.
Alluvial Soil –
(1) Most widely spread soil
(2) Covers entire northern plains (deposited by Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganga)
(3) Very fertile
(4) Rich in potash, phosphoric acid and lime
(5) In drier areas these are more alkaline
(6) Regions of these soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated
(7) Classified as Khadar (New alluvial) and Bhangar (Old alluvial)
(8) Found in Rajasthan, Gujarat
(9) Ideal for growing wheat, paddy, sugarcane, other cereal and pulses crops
(10) Found in Northern plains, marshes stretch of Gujarat and Rajasthan, eastern coastal plains / deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri
Black Soil
• Black in colour
• Also known as Regur soils, known as cotton soil
• Ideal for growing cotton also called black cotton soil
• Made up of clayey material
• High water retention capacity
• Made up of lava flows
• Poor in phosphorus but rich in potash, lime and magnesium
• They develop deep cracks during hot weather which helps proper aeration of the soil
• Found in Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
• Ideal for growing cotton
📌
Resource and Development – Class 10 Notes (Part – 1)
📌
Romantic Imagination and National Feeling – Class 10 History Notes (Chapter 1, Part 4)
