1 CHAPTER: RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT
Q.1 Define the term resources.
Ans. Everything available in our environment which can be used to
satisfy our needs, provided, it is technologically accessible,
economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as
‘Resource’.
Q.2 How do we transform things into a resource?
Ans. We transform things into resources with the help of nature,
technology and institutions. The process of transformation of things
involves an inter-dependent relationship between these. Human beings
interact with nature through technology and create institutions to
accelerate their economic development.
Q.3 How are resources classified?
Ans. These resources can be classified in the following ways –
(a) On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic
(b) On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable and non-renewable
(c) On the basis of ownership – individual, community, national and international
(d) On the basis of status of development – potential, developed stock and reserves.
Q.4 Describe the type of resources classified on the basis of origin.
Ans.
On the Basis of Origin:
1.
Biotic Resources: These are obtained from biosphere and have life such as
human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.
2.
Abiotic Resources: All those things which are composed of non-living things are called abiotic resources. For example,
rocks and metals.
Q.5 Describe the type of resources classified on the basis of exhaustibility.
Ans.
On the Basis of Exhaustibility
- Renewable Resources: The resources
which can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical
processes are known as renewable or replenishable resources. The
renewable resource may further be divided into continuous or flow such
as wind, water etc. and biological such as forest and wildlife.
- Non-Renewable Resources: These resources take a very long geological time (millions of years) to form. Some of the resources like metals are recyclable and some like fossil fuels cannot be recycled and get exhausted with their use.
Q.6 Describe the type of resources classified on the basis of Ownership.
Ans.
On the Basis of Ownership
- Individual Resources: These resources
are owned privately by individuals. For example farm land owned by
farmers, urban people own plots, houses and other property.
- Community Owned Resources:
These resources are available to all the members of the community. For
example the village common land for grazing, burial, village ponds,
public parks, picnic spots, playgrounds are available to all the people
living there.
- National Resources: All
the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within the
political boundaries and oceanic area upto 12 nautical miles (19.2 km)
from the coast are included in national resources.
- International Resources The oceanic resources outside 200 km of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to open ocean and no individual country can utilise these without the agreement of international institutions.
Q.7 Describe the type of resources classified on the basis of status of development.
Ans.
On the Basis of the Status of Development
- Potential Resources: Resources which
are found in a region, but have not been utilized are called potential
resources. For example, wind and solar energy is abundant in Rajasthan
and Gujarat but so far these have not been developed properly.
- Developed Resources:
Resources which are surveyed and their quality and quantity have been
determined for utilization is called developed resources. The
development of such resources depends on technology and level of their
viability.
- Stock: Resources which have
the potential to satisfy our needs but human beings do not have the
appropriate technology to use these, are included among stock. For example, inflammable gases; hydrogen and oxygen are compounds of water,
which can be used as a source of energy. But we do not have the
required technical ‘know-how’ to use them for this purpose. Hence, it
can be considered as stock.
- Reserves are the
subset of the stock, which can be put into use with the help of existing
technical ‘know-how’ but their use has not been started. The water in the dams, forests etc. are a reserve which can be used in the future.
Q.8 Define the terms territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
Ans. The oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles from the coast line is called territorial waters of a country.
The exclusive economic zones are the area up to 200 km from the coast
line in which the country has the exclusive rights to exploit the
natural resources. It includes territorial waters in it.
Q.9 Mention the major problems which has arisen due to indiscriminate use of resources.
Ans. Human beings has used resources indiscriminately and this has led to the following major problems.
- Resources have depleted due to the greed of few individuals/countries.
- Resources
have accumulated in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into
two segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
- Indiscriminate
exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as,
global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land
degradation.
Q.10 What is resource planning?
Ans. It is technique or strategy for the judicious use of resources in a country.
Q.11 Why resource planning is necessary?
Ans. The resource planning is necessary due to the following:
- An equitable distribution of resources is essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace.
- If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues, the future of our planet is in danger.
- It is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life.
- It is important in a country like India, which has enormous diversity in the availability of resources.
Q.12 Describe the vast diversity in the availability of resources in India.
Ans. The diversity in the availability of resources in India can be explained by the following examples:
- There are regions which are rich in certain types of resources but are deficient in some other resources.
- There
are some regions which can be considered self sufficient in terms of
the availability of resources and there are some regions which have
acute shortage of some vital resources.
For example,
- The states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits.
- Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural development.
- The state of Rajasthan is very well endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks in water resources.
- The
cold desert of Ladakh is relatively isolated from the rest of the
country. It has very rich cultural heritage but it is deficient in
water, infrastructure and some vital minerals.
Q.13 Explain the three stages of resource planning in India.
Ans. Resource planning is a complex process which involves:
(i) First step is
identification and making inventory (list) of resources
found across the regions of the country. This involves surveying,
mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of
the resources.
(ii) Second step is
developing a planning structure which has appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing the resource development plans.
(iii)
Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.
Q14 Why some regions which are rich in resources are economically backward?
Ans. It is because of the following two reasons:-
- Mere availability of resources does not guarantee economic
development. For the development of resources appropriate technology and
institutions are required. For example it is seen that eastern states
are less developed even when they have vast resource. It is because
these states lack in technology and quality of human resources.
- Rich
states are capable of importing resources from outside therefore some
states which are poor in resources are more developed.
Q.15 Why resource conservation is important?
Ans.
- Resources are vital for any developmental activity.
- Irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources has lead to socio-economic and environmental problems.
- The
greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern
technology has caused depletion of resources at the global level.
- To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.
Q.16 Why the land as a natural resource is considered very important?
Ans. We live on land, we perform our economic activities on land and we
use it in different ways. Thus, land is a natural resource of utmost
importance.
- It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, transport and communication systems.
Q.17 Describe the distribution and importance of India’s land under different relief features.
Ans. India has land under a variety of relief features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains and islands.
- About 43 per cent of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.
- Mountains
account for 30 per cent of the total surface area of the country. They
ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and
ecological aspects.
- About 27 per cent of the area of the
country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals,
fossil fuels and forests.
- Islands are less than 1 per cent of the area of the country. They provide opportunities for sea trade, tourism, and fish catch.
Q.18 Name the two states having high percentage of net sown area. Name
the two states having low percentage of net sown area. Why these states
have large/low area under cultivation. Give one reason.
Ans. Net sown area is over 80 per cent of the total area in Punjab and
Haryana. It is high in these regions because of gentle sloping lands
covered with fertile alluvial soils and black soils, climate favours
cereal cultivation, good irrigation facilities, high population
pressure.
It is less than 10 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and
Andaman Nicobar Islands because of mountainous areas, lack of
irrigational facilities, infertile soils, low density of population,
etc.
Q.19 Mention the factors on which the use of land depends.
Ans. The use of land is determined both by
physical factors such as topography, climate, and soil types as well as
human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture and traditions etc.
Q.20 Explain the land use pattern in India.
Ans. Land resources of India are used for the following purposes:
- Forests
- Land not available for cultivation (a) Barren and waste land (b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
- Other uncultivated land
(excluding fallow land) (a) Permanent pastures and grazing land (b)
Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (c) Cultruable waste land.
- Fallow lands (a) Current fallow (b) Other than current fallow.
- Net sown area .
Self Activity 1
A.1 Study the diagram showing Land Use patterns and answer the following questions:
- What is the percentage of land under:
- forests, -
- current fallow land, -
- net sown area, -
- pastures and grazing land -
- tree crops, -
- Barren and waste land, -
- Land put to non agricultural uses -
- culturable waste land, -
- Other than current fallow lands. -
- Which type/types of land use shows an increase/decrease during 1960 to 2002?
Ans._
- What does low area under permanent pastures shows?
Ans.
The land under permanent pasture has decreased. This area has decreased
due to large scale cultivation on them due to high population pressure.
We feed our huge cattle population on farm wastes and byproducts such
as grain chaff, husk, molasses etc. This puts huge pressure on our farm
lands as they have to produce food for humans and for our cattle.
- What are fallow lands? How much is total cultivated area if the
fallow land is included under cultivated area? Why fallow lands are
decreasing?
Ans. Fallow lands are cultivated once or twice over
two to three years and then left uncultivated for many years. It is
because the soils are of poor quality and the cost of production is very
high.
If these lands are included in the net sown area then the total cultivated area will be 54% of total land of India.
- What is the desired percentage of forest area essential for
maintenance of the ecological balance in India? How are forests helpful?
Ans.
Forest area in the country should be 33 per cent of geographical area
for maintenance of the ecological balance. The livelihoods of millions
of people depend on the forests.
- What are waste lands & land put to non-agricultural uses?
Ans. Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas.
Land put to other non-agricultural uses includes settlements, roads, railways, industry etc
- What is main cause of land degradation in India?
Ans.
Continuous use of land over a long period of time without taking
appropriate measures to conserve and manage it has resulted in land
degradation.
Self Activity 2
Study the figure showing waste lands and answer the following questions:
- Below are given in List A the names of different waste lands of
India and in List B the percentages of waste lands. Write against each
waste lands, the relevant percentage of it.
LIST A (i) Water eroded area, (ii) forest eroded area (iii) saline & alkaline land and (iv) Wind eroded area.
LIST B 10%; 28%; 6% and 56%
Ans.
- Which type of waste land is largest of all types? Mention its percentage.
Ans.
- Why this type of wasteland largest in all types. Give one reason.
Ans.
Q.21 Describe the natural as well as human causes of land degradation in India.
Ans. The natural causes are:
- Erosion caused by running Water such as streams and rivers in hilly areas.
- Depletion of forests.
- Increase in salinity & alkalinity of land due to water logging and droughts.
- Erosion caused by the wind in semi-arid and arid areas.
The human factors are:
- Mineral processing activities: - The mineral processing like
grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for
ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust in the atmosphere. It
retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil after it
settles down on the land.
- Industrial activities: - In
recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major source
of land and water pollution in many parts of the country.
- Mining activities: - Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars and traces of over-burdening.
- Deforestation:
- In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa
deforestation due to mining have caused severe land degradation.
- Overgrazing:
- In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
- Over irrigation: -
In the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, over
irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to water logging
leading to increase in salinity.
Q.
22 Describe various measures to solve the problems of land degradation in India.
Ans. There are many ways to solve the problems of land degradation.
- Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to some extent.
- In dry and arid areas:
- Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on over grazing,
stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes are some of the
methods to check land degradation.
- In industrial and suburban areas:
- Proper management of waste lands, control of mining activities,
proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after
treatment can reduce land and water degradation.
Q.23 Define the concept of soil.
Ans. The top most layer of the earth crust which is composed of organic
and non-organic matter is called 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. The soil is a
living system. It takes millions of years to form soil up to a few cm
in depth.
Q.24 Describe the factors which control the formation of soil.
Ans. A number of factors contribute to the soil formation and fertility.
- Parent rocks: - the rock on which the soil is
formed decomposes and disintegrates under the processes of weathering.
The characteristics of rocks influence the characteristics of soils. For
example on lava rocks black soils and iron oxide rich rocks red soils
are formed.
- Climate: - climate influence the rate of weathering of rocks and type of vegetation, thus these influence the characteristics of soils.
- Slope:
- the nature of relief and slope influence the accumulation of soils.
Mountains have thin soil cover but the plains have thick soil cover.
- Time: - time provides maturity to the 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.
Q.25 Mention the basis of classification of soils of India.
Ans. On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation, colour,
thickness, texture, age, chemical and physical properties, the soils of
India are classified in different types.
Q.26 Name the different types of soils found in India.
Ans. the different soils found in India are:
- Alluvial soils
- Black soils
- Laterite soils
- Red and yellow soils
- Forest and mountainous soils
- Arid soils__.
Q.27 Describe any four important characteristics of
alluvial soils.
Ans. Important characteristics of alluvial soil are:
- The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
- As we move inlands towards the river valleys, soil particles appear some what bigger in size.
- In
the upper reaches of the river valley i.e. near the place of the break
of slope, the soils are coarse. Such soils are more common in piedmont
(foot of mountains) plains such as Duars, Chos and Terai.
- According to their age alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than the Khadar. Khadar soil has more fine particles and is more fertile than the bangar.
- Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile.
- Mostly
these soils contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and
lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other
cereal and pulse crops.
- Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.
- Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation.
Q.28 Mention important regions of alluvial soils.
Ans. important regions of alluvial soils are:
a. The entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil. These have been
deposited by three important Himalayan river systems– the Indus, the
Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
b. These soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor.
c. Alluvial soil is also found in the eastern coastal plains
particularly in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna
and the Kaveri rivers.
Q.29 Describe any four characteristics of
black soil found in India.
Ans. Important characteristics of black soils are:
a. These soils are black in colour and are also known as
regur soils. Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as
black cotton soil.
b. It is believed that climatic conditions along with the parent rock
material are the important factors for the formation of black soil.
c. The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material.
d. They are well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.
e. In addition, they are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium
carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime. These soils are generally poor in
phosphoric contents.
f. They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
g. These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless
tilled immediately after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon
period.
Q.30 Mention important regions of black soils.
Ans. important regions of black soils are:
a. This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (
Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows.
b. They cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and
c. Extend in the south east direction along the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
Q.31 Describe any four characteristics of
red and yellow soil found in India.
Ans. Important characteristics of red and yellow soils are:
a. Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall.
b. These soils develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
c. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.
Q.32 Mention important regions of red and yellow soils.
Ans. important regions of red and yellow soils are:
a. In the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
b. Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and
c. Along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
Q.33 Describe any four characteristics of
Laterite soil found in India.
Ans. Important characteristics of Laterite soils are:
a. Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘later’ which means brick.
b. The laterite soil develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall.
c. This is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
d. Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro organisms,
particularly the decomposers, like bacteria, get destroyed due to high
temperature.
e. Laterite soils are suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers.
f. After adopting appropriate soil conservation techniques particularly
in the hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this soil is
very useful for growing tea and coffee.
g. Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for crops like cashew nut.
Q.34 Mention important regions of laterite soils.
Ans. important regions of laterite soils are:
a. These soils are mainly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Orissa and Assam
Q.35 Describe any four characteristics of
arid soil found in India.
Ans. Important characteristics of arid soils are:
a. Arid soils range from red to brown in colour.
b. They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature.
c. In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.
d. Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and moisture.
e. The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by
Kankar because of the increasing calcium content downwards. The
Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the infiltration of water.
f. After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable as has been in the case of western Rajasthan.
Q.36 Describe any four characteristics of
forest soil found in India.
Ans. Important characteristics of forest soils are:
a. These soils
are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are available.
b. The soils texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are formed.
c. They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
d. In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic with low humus content.
e. The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.
Q.37 Define the term soil erosion.
Ans. The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is
described as soil erosion. The soil erosion is of many types:
a. When the running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels it is called
gullies.
b. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as
bad land.
c. In the Chambal basin such lands are called
ravines.
d. 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.
e. Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as
wind erosion.
Q.38 State how is the balance between the soil formation and soil erosion get disturbed?
Explain the factors which cause soil erosion.
Ans. This balance is disturbed due to
human activities like
a. deforestation,
b. over-grazing,
c. construction and mining,
d. Defective methods of farming: Ploughing in a wrong way i.e. up and
down the slope form channels for the quick flow of water leads to soil
erosion.
It is also disturbed due to
natural forces like:
a. Wind,
b. Glacier and
c. Running water leads to soil erosion.
Q.39 Explain the different methods of controlling soil erosion.
Ans. Some of the methods of controlling soil erosion are:
a.
In Hilly areas: Ploughing along the contour lines
can slow down the speed/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. Western and central Himalayas
have well developed terrace farming.
b.
Agricultural regions: 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.
c.
Dry areas: 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.
