GURU NANAK HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, P P COMPOUND,

RANCHI
CLASS 10 (2021-22)
GEOGRAPHY- SYNOPSIS AND ASSIGNMENT
CHAPTER-1: RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT
Part-3
• Soil as Resource
• Classification of Soil
• Soil Erosion
• Soil Conservation
Soil
Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is the medium of plant growth
and supports different types of living organisms on the earth.
Important factors in the formation of soil--
• Relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are
important factors in the formation of soil.
• Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions of running water, wind
and glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil.
• Chemical and organic changes which take place in the soil are equally important. Soil
also consists of organic (humus) and inorganic materials.
Classification of Soils-
India has varied relief features, landforms, climatic realms and vegetation types. These
have contributed in the development of various types of soils-
Alluvial soil
Black soil
Red and Yellow soil
Laterite soil
Arid soil
Forest soil
Name Formation Rich in Deficient Characteristics/ Location
contents content features
Alluvial Alluvium Alluvial -- The alluvial soil The entire
deposited by soils as a consists of northern
three whole are various plains.
important very fertile. proportions of These soils
Himalayan Mostly sand, silt and also extend
river systems these soils clay. in Rajasthan
– the Indus, contain According to and Gujarat
the Ganga adequate their age alluvial through a
and the proportion soils can be narrow
Brahmaputra. of potash, classified as old corridor.
phosphoric alluvial Alluvial soil
acid and (Bangar) and is also found
lime. in the eastern
 new alluvial coastal plains
(Khadar). particularly
The bangar soil in the deltas
has higher of the
concentration of Mahanadi,
kanker nodules the
than the Khadar. Godavari,
It has more fine the Krishna
particles and is and the
more fertile than Kaveri
the bangar. rivers.
Alluvial soils as
a whole are very
fertile
Black It is believed they are These soils The black soils the Deccan
that climatic rich in soil are are made up of trap (Basalt)
condition nutrients, generally extremely fine region spread
along with such as poor in i.e. clayey over
the parent calcium phosphoric material. northwest
rock material carbonate, contents They are well- Deccan
are the magnesium, known for their plateau.
important potash and capacity to hold Deccan
factors for lime. moisture. plateau and
the formation They develop is made up of
of black soil deep cracks lava flows.
during hot They cover
weather, which the plateaus
helps in the of
proper aeration Maharashtra,
of the soil. Saurashtra,
These soils are Malwa,
sticky when wet Madhya
and difficult to Pradesh and
work on unless Chhattisgarh
tilled and extend in
immediately the south east
after the first direction
shower or during along the
the pre-monsoon Godavari and
period. the Krishna
valleys.
Red/ Red soil - - These soils found in
yellow develops on develop a parts of
crystalline reddish colour Odisha,
igneous rocks due to diffusion Chhattisgarh,
in areas of of iron in southern
low rainfall crystalline and parts of the
 in the eastern metamorphic middle
and southern rocks. It looks Ganga plain
parts of the yellow when it and along the
Deccan occurs in a piedmont
plateau hydrated form. zone of the
Western
Ghats
Laterite The laterite - generally Lateritic soils occur mostly
soil soil develops deficient in are mostly deep in southern
under plant to very deep, states,
tropical and nutrients acidic . They are Western
subtropical prone to erosion Ghats region
climate with and degradation of
alternate wet due to their Maharashtra,
and dry position on the Odisha,
season. This landscape. some parts of
soil is the West Bengal
result of and North-
intense east regions
leaching due
to heavy rain.
Arid - - Due to the Arid soils range western
soil dry climate, from red to Rajasthan
high brown in colour.
temperature, They are
evaporation generally sandy
is faster and in texture and
the soil saline in nature.
lacks humus In some areas
and the salt content
moisture. is very high and
common salt is
obtained by
evaporating the
water
Forest - - these soils The soils texture These soils
soil experience varies according are found in
denudation to the mountain the hilly and
and are environment mountainous
acidic with where they are areas where
low humus formed. They sufficient
content. are loamy and rain forests
silty in valley are available.
sides and coarse
grained in the
upper slopes.
 SOIL EROSION AND SOIL CONSERVATION
Soil erosion-The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is
described as soil erosion.
Gullies and Bad land-The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep
channels as gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land.
Sheet Erosion- Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. In
such cases the top soil is washed away. This is known as sheet erosion.
Wind Erosion-Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion.
Soil conservation-Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water
down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing.
Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion.
Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow between the
crops. This breaks up the force of the wind. This method is known as strip cropping.
Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way. Rows of such trees
are called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to the
stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India.
Answer the following questions-
34-Explain any three factors responsible for soil formation.
35-Name the different types of soil found in India.
36- Name the most widely spread and important soil of India. Explain its five important
features.
37-Differentiate between Khadar and Bangar.
38-Which soil is also known as Regur Soil?
39-What are the important factors for the formation of black soil?
40-Why Black soil is also known as Black cotton soil?
41-Explain five features of Black soil.
42-Write five features of laterite soil.
43-Explain the factors responsible for soil erosion.
44-What is soil erosion? What are the causes of soil erosion?
45-Explain any five soil conservation methods.
46-Differentiate between Regur soil and Laterite soil.
47-Mention any three features of Arid soil.
48-Why soil considered as a resource? Explain any five arguments.