JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

JAC Board Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

→ Everything, that is available in our environment and can be used to satisfy our needs, is termed as resources, provided, it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.

→ Resources are a function of human activities. Human beings themselves are essential components of resources.

→ Types of Resources: Resources can be classified into different categories:
(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.

→ Resource Planning: This is a technique or skill of proper utilisation of resources.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

→ Resource Planning in India: Resource planning ,is a complex process which involves:
(a) Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country. This involves surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the resources.
(b) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.
(c) Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.

→ Conservation of Resources: Irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems. To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.

→ Land Resources:

  • India has land under variety of relief features like mountains, plateaus, plains and islands. About 43 per cent of the land area is plain, which is either used for agriculture or industry. 30 per cent of the total surface area of the country are mountains and ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
  • The plateau region accounts for about 27 per cent of the area of the country. It possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.
  • The use of land is determined both by physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types and human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture and tradition, etc.

→ Land Degradation and Conservation Measures: Human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mining and quarrying have contributed significantly in land degradation. Measures like afforestation, proper management of grazing, planting of shelter belts of plants, control on overgrazing, etc., can help to reduce land degradation in dry areas.

→ Soil as a Resource: Soil is a living system. It takes millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth. The important factors in the formation of soil are relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time.

→ Types of Soil
(a) Alluvial soil: Alluvial soil as a whole is very fertile. Mostly this soil contains 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 pf alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

(b) Black soil: This soil is black in colour and is also known as regur soil. Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil. Black soil consists of higher proportion of clay and thus can retain moisture for a long time. The soil is sticky and when wet, it is difficult to work unless tilled immediately after the monsoon.

(c) Red soil: This soil develops a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in the areas of low rainfall.

(d) Laterite soil: Laterite soil develops in the areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall. This is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain. This soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.

(e) Arid soil: Arid soil ranges from red to brown in colour. It is generally sandy in texture and saline in nature. In some areas Hie salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.

(f) Forest soil: This soil is found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are available.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

→ Soil Erosion and Conservation: Some human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mining and quarrying have contributed significantly in land degradation.

→ Some methods of soil conservation are:
(a) Afforestation
(b) Controlled grazing
(c) Contour Ploughing
(d) Terrace Farming
(e) Strip Cropping
(f) Shelter belts
(g) Crop Rotation

→ Biotic: These are obtained from biosphere and have life.

→ Abiotic: Those things which are composed of non-living things.

→ Renewable Resources: The resources which can be renewed or reproduced.

→ Non-Renewable Resources: These resources take millions of years in their formation.

→ Individual Resources: Resources which are owned privately by the individuals.

→ Community Owned Resources: Resources which are accessible to all the members of the community.

→ National Resources: Resources belonging to the nation.

→ International Resources: International institutions which regulate some resources.

→ Potential Resources: Resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised.

→ Developed Resources: Resources which are surveyed and their quality and quantity have been determined for utilisation.

→ Sustainable Development: Sustainable economic development means ‘development should take place without damaging the environment.

→ Soil Erosion: The removal of top fertile soil cover due to various reasons like wind, glacier and water.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

JAC Board Class 10th Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

JAC Class 10th Geography Resource and Development InText Questions and Answers

Page 1

Question 1.
Can you identify and name the various items used in making life comfortable in our villages and towns. List the items and name the material used in their making.
Answer:

Location Item Material used in making them
Villages Proper houses Bicycles and motorcycles Kerosene stoves and LPG Bulbs and tube lights Bricks, cement, wood, glass, other building materials

Steel, rubber, etc.

Steel, brass, etc.

Copper, tungsten, glass, etc.

Towns Cooking gas stove and cylinder Cars and motorcycles Fans, room coolers and air conditioners Refrigerators and TV sets Steel, brass, rubber, etc.

Steel, plastic, brass, etc.

Steel, copper, plastics, etc.

Steel, copper, plastics, glass, etc.


Page 2

Question 2.
Identify at least two resources from each category.
Answer:
Types of resources based on origin

  1. Biotic Resources: Animals and human beings
  2. Abiotic Resources: Metals and rocks
  3. Renewable Resources: Solar and wind energy.
  4. Non-Renewable Resources: Coal and petroleum
  5. Individual Resources: Plots and houses
  6. Community Resources: Playing grounds and public parks
  7. National Resources: Forests and wildlife
  8. International Resources: Ocean and sky (beyond certain limits)

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 3.
Prepare a list of stock and reserve resources that you are familiar with from your local area.
Answer:
Try to find out information about different resources as you can. Below, there is an example of how you can write about one or two of them.
Stock

  1. Water in isolated form. We do not have adequate technology to make it fit for drinking.
  2. There is oxygen in my area because many trees are present here, so due to lack of technology we can’t take oxygen gas and hydrogen gas to form a water molecule.

Reserve

  1. There is a dam few kilometres away from my town which has reserved water for future generations.
  2. There are some granaries which has reserved foodgrains for future generations.

Question 4.
Imagine, if the oil supply gets exhausted one day, how would this affect our life style.
Answer:
Do it yourself. Sample answer is given. Transport plays a major role in the society, i. e., it is helpful for transporting of goods or grains from one place to another. So this will also affect their modem lifestyle. It would be harder for the people to generate electricity. Oil is needed to produce electricity through generators.

Question 5.
Plan a survey in your colony/village to investigate people’s attitude towards recycling of the domestic/agricultural wastes. Ask questions about:
(a) What do they think about resources they use?
(b) What is their opinion abQuestion ut the wastes, and its utilisation?
(c) Collage your results.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Page 4

Question 6.
Prepare a list of resources found in your state and also identify the resources that are important but deficit in your state.
Answer:
Do it yddrself activity. Sample answer is given. A number of minerals are found in our state. Some of them are Potassium, Calcium, Sodium, Coal, Petroleum, Iron ore, etc. But all these are not available in abundant quantity. We have a deficit of coal and bauxite.

Question 7.
What resources are being developed in your surroundings by the community/village panchayats/ward level communities with the help of community participation?
Answer:
Biomass energy, bio-gas, water (by digging well), solar energy (by setting up solar panels), etc., are developed in our surroundings by the community village . panchayats/ward level communities with community participation.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 8.
Find out reasons for the low proportion of net sown area in these states.
Answer:
Net sown area in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur is low mainly due to the hilly and rocky terrain. They are also largely covered with dense forests, which will need to be cut to develop agriculture. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are covered with dense tropical forests and so net sown area is low.

Question 9.
Try to do a comparison between the two pie charts given for land use and find out why the net sown area and the land under forests have changed from 1960¬61 to 2014-15 very marginally.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development 1
Answer:

  • Change in net sown area:In 2014-15, net sown area was = 45.5%
  • In 1960-61, net sown area was = 46.26%
  • Change in this year = 46.26%-45.5% = .76%
  • Change in land under forest = 23.3%-18.11% = 5.19%

JAC Class 10th Geography Resource and Development Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following type of resource ¡s iron ore?
(a) Renewable
(b) Biotic
(c) Flow
(d) Non-renewable
Answer:
(d) Non-renewable

(ii) Under which of the following type of resourçe can tidal energy be put?
(a) Rplenishab1e
(b) Human-made
(c) Abiotic
(d) Non-recyclable
Answer:
(a) Rplenishab1e

(iii) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab?
(a) Intensive cultivation
(b) Deforestation
(c) Over irrigation
(d) Overgrazing
Answer:
(c) Over irrigation

(iv) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised?
(a) Punjab
(b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh
(c) Haryana
(d) Uttarakhand
Answer:
(d) Uttarakhand

(v) In which of the following states black soil is predominantly found?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Jharkhand
Answer:
(b) Maharashtra

Question 2.
Answer the following questions in about 30 words:
(a) Name three states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it.
(b) What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main features of this type of soil.
(c) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?
(d) What are the biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples.
Answer:
(a) States having black soil are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows. Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

(b) Alluvial soil is found in the entire northern plains and river deltas of the eastern coast. Three main features of alluvial soil are:

  1. Alluvial soil consists of proportions of sand, silt and clay.
  2. Alluvial soil as a whole is very fertile. This soil contains adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
  3. Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation.

(c) To stop soil erosion in the hilly areas following steps can be taken:
(i) Afforestation- planting of trees on slopes.

(ii) Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing.

(iii) Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion.

(iv) 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. birds, marine life and human beings are some of the examples of biotic resources. Abiotic Resources: Resources which are composed of non-living things are abiotic resources. Land, water, soil and minerals are some of the examples of abiotic resources.

Question 3.
Answer the following questions in about 120 words:
(a) Explain land use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not increased much since 1960-61?
(b) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources?
Answer:
(a) In India, land resources are primarily divided into agricultural land, forest land, land for pasture and grazing and waste land. According to the data, about 54% of the total land area is cultivable or fallow, 23.3% is covered by forests, and 3.3% is used for grazing. The rest is waste land.
The land under forest has not increased since 1960-61 because:

  1. After independence demand for more land to expand agriculture, mainly after Green Revolution.
  2. Developmental works and infrastructural facilities led to clearance of forests areas.
  3. Industrialization and urbanization also decreased the forest area.

(b) (i) Technical and economic development involves more utilization and exploitation of resources for the purpose of present development.

(ii) The history of colonization reveals that it was the higher level of technological development of the colonizing countries that helped them to exploit resources of other regions and establish their supremacy over the colonies

(iii) According to Gandhiji, the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modem technology are the root cause for resource depletion at global level.

(iv) Economic development takes place through proper utilization of available resources for the purpose of advancement of present generation.

(v) With economic development the capacity of accessing or consuming of resources by the people increases and technical development makes further resources available at their disposal.

(vi) Technical development makes resources accessible and usable. It aids in further exploitation as well as creation of new resources.

NCERT ‘Project’ Activity

Question 1.
Make a project showing consumption and conservation of resources in your locality.
Answer:
Make aproject/chart with these guidelines.

Resources How we consume
Agricultural Resources For food, clothing, etc.
Water Resources For drinking,-washing, irrigation, etc.
Industrial Resources Such as kitchenware, washing machine, electronic goods, etc.

Question 2.
Have a discussion in the class: how to conserve various resources used in your school.
Answer:
Do it yourself.

Question 3.
Imagine if oil supplies get exhausted, how will this affect our life style?
Answer:
If oil supplies get exhausted, it will adversely affect our life style.

  1. Without oil, it will be difficult to run industries.
  2. Transportation facilities will be affected
  3. Agricultural production will suffer and come to a standstill.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 4.
Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the hidden answers:

  1. Natural endowments in the form of land, water, vegetation and minerals.
  2. A type of non-renewable resource.
  3. Soil with high water retaining capacity.
  4. Intensively leached soils of the monsoon climate.
  5. Plantation of trees on a large scale to check soil erosion.
  6. The Great Plains of India are made up of these soils.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development 2
Answer:

  1. Resource
  2. Minerals
  3. Black
  4. Laterite
  5. Afforestation
  6. Alluvial

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development 3

JAC Class 10 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

JAC Board Class 10th Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Resource which can be renewed again are
(a) National resource
(b) Potential resource
(c) Renewable resource
(d) Stock
Answer:
(c) Renewable resource

Question 2.
Balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future is called
(a) sustainable development
(b) resource conservation
(c) resource development
(d) human resource development
Answer:
(a) sustainable development

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 3.
How much percentage of land is plain in India?,
(a) 41%
(b) 45%
(c) 43%
(d) 47%
Answer:
(c) 43%

Question 4.
The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is called
(a) soil
(b) sand
(c) mineral
(d) organic matter
Answer:
(a) soil

Question 5.
Land degradation due to over irrigation can be seen in the states of:
(a) Punjab and Haryana
(b) Assam
(c) Odisha
(d) Mizoram
Answer:
(a) Punjab and Haryana

Question 6.
How many Economic zones are there in India? *
(a) Five
(b) One
(c) Two
(d) Ten
Answer:
(a) Five

Question 7.
Which dhe of the following resources can be acquired by a Nation?
(a) Potential resources
(b) International resources
(c) National resources
(d) Public resources
Answer:
(c) National resources

Question 8.
Which one of the following soil is the best for cotton cultivation?
(a) Red soil
(b) Black soil
(c) Laterite soil
(d) Alluvial soil
Answer:
(b) Black soil

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 9.
Which one of the following term is used to identify the old and new alluvial respectively?
(a) Khadar & Tarai
(b) Tarai & Bangar
(c) Bangar & Khadar
(d) Tarai & Dvars
Answer:
(c) Bangar & Khadar

Question 10.
Which type of soil develops due to high temperature and evaporation?
(a) Arid Soil
(b) Forest Soil
(c) Black Soil
(d) Red Soil
Answer:
(a) Arid Soil

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is the main purpose of resources?
Answer:
Resources are a function of human activities. The main purpose of resources is to satisfy the basic needs of mankind.

Question 2.
On the basis of status of development resources are classified into how many categories?
Answer:
On the basis of status of development resources are classified into four categories – Potential, Developed, Stock and Reserved.

Question 3.
What can lead to socio-economic and environmental problems?
Answer:
Irrational consumption and over¬utilisation of resources may lead to socio¬economic and environmental problems.

Question 4.
Name four ecological crisis.
Answer:
Global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.

Question 5.
Name the soil which covers the largest part of India.
Answer:
Alluvial soil

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 6.
The use of land is determined by which factors?
Answer:
The use of land is determined by both physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types and human factors such as population density, technological capability and culture and traditions, etc.

Question 7.
What is fallow land?
Answer:
It is the land cultivated once in two or three years which is then left for one or two seasons to regain its fertility.

Question 8.
How can resources contribute to development?
Answer:
Resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate technological development and institutional changes.

Question 9.
Name two factors responsible for the formation of soil.
Answer:
Climate and rocks are the two factors responsible for the formation of soil.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by resources? How are resources classified?
Answer:
Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable. Resources can be classified on the following ways:

  1. On the basis of origin: Biotic and abiotic.
  2. On the basis of exhaustibility: Renewable and non-renewable.
  3. On the basis of ownership: Individual, Community, National and International.
  4. On the basis of status of development: Potential, Developed, Stock and Reserves.

Question 2.
What is resource planning? Give three phases of resource planning?
Answer:
Resource planning means proper and judicious use of resource. Resource planning is a complex process which involves:

  1. Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country. This involves surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the resources.
  2. Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.
  3. Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.

Question 3:
What is the difference between Stock resources and reserves?
Answer:

Stock Resources Reserves
(i) The things present in the nature which have the potential to satisfy the human needs but due to non-availability of appropriate technology, these cannot be used for the time being, are called Stock. (i) These are the subset of stock which can be put to use with the help of existing technology but they are still unused.
(ii) For example, water. It has oxygen and hydrogen. These can be used as a source of energy but we do not have technology _ to use it. (ii) These can be used for meeting future generation requirements.

Question 4.
Give two factors that determine soil fertility.
Answer:

  1. Soil fertility depends on its composition. Sandy soil is not suitable for agriculture as they do not retain water which is needed for survival. The ideal soils contain a mixture of sand and clay.
  2. The humus content determines soil fertility. Organic farm manures improve humus content.

Question 5.
Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. Explain.
Answer:
It is the medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on the earth. Soil is a living system. It takes millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth. 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.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 6.
Give a brief note on the productivity of alluvial soil.
Answer:
Alluvial soils are very fertile. Mostly these soils contain proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and oth$r 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.

Question 7.
What are the ways to solve the problems of land degradation?
Answer:
There are many ways to solve the problems of land degradation: Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to some extent. Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on overgrazing, stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes. 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 in industrial and suburban areas.

Question 8.
Explain the importance of conservation of resources.
Answer:
Conservation of resources is necessary for the following reasons:

  1. Resources are important for any development activity but irrational consumption and overuse of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems. To overcome these problems, resource conservation at every level is necessary.
  2. If resources are not conserved at this point of time, then our future generation will be left with no resources at all. So it is very important to start conserving resources now.

Question 9.
What is the inter-relationship between nature, technology institutions?
Answer:
Human beings interact with nature to fulfil their needs using the resources that are available. They also transform the natural stuff into resources through technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic development.

Question 10.
State three characteristics of black soil.
Answer:
Three characteristics of black soil are:

  1. Black soil consists of higher proportion of clay and thus can retain moisture for a long time.
  2. It develops deep cracks during summer which helps in aeration.
  3. Black soil is sticky and when wet, it is difficult to work unless tilled immediately after the monsoon.

Question 11.
What is Agenda 21?
Answer:
It is the declaration signed by the world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims at achieving global sustainable development. It is an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities.

Question 12.
What is sustainable development?
Answer:
Sustainable economic development means ‘development should take place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.’

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources.
Answer:

Renewable resources Non-renewable resources
(i) The resources which get renewed by physical, chemical or mechanical processes are known as renewable resources. (i) These resources occur over a very long geological time. They gradually get exhausted with use.
(ii) These resources are generally available throughout the world. (ii) These resources are generally unevenly distributed on the earth.
(iii) Some of the examples are water, solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy and k forest. (iii) Some of the examples are minerals, coal and petroleum.

Question 2.
Distinguish between biotic resources and abiotic resources.

Biotic resources Abiotic resources
(i) These resources are obtained from Biosphere. – (i) Basically, they are those things which are composed of non-living things.
(i) These include flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock, human beings, etc. (ii) These include rocks, metals, lands, air, mountains, rivers, etc.
(iii) Minerals such as coal and petroleum are included in this category because they are , formed from decayed organic matter. (iii) Minerals such as gold, iron, copper, silver, etc., come in this category.

Question 3.
Describe the different types of soils in India emphasizing on any two characteristics.
Answer:
India has varied relief features, landforms, climatic realms and vegetation types. All of these have contributed in the development of various types of soils.
(i) Alluvial soil

  1. Alluvial soil as a whole is very fertile. Mostly this soil contains adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
  2. Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

(ii) Black soil

  1. Black soil is made up of extremely fine, i.e., clayey material. It is well-known for their capacity to hold moisture. In addition, it is rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.
  2. This soil is black in colour and is also known as regur soil. Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.

(iii) Red soil

  1. Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in the areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
  2. This soil develops a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.

(iv) Laterite soil

  1. Laterite soil develops in the areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall. This is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
  2. It is suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers. 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.

(v) Arid soil

  1. Arid soil ranges from red to brown in colour. It is generally sandy in texture and saline in nature. In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.
  2. Due to the dry climate and high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and moisture.

(vi) Forest soil

  1. This soil is found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are available. The soil’s texture varies according to the mountain Environment where it is formed. It is loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
  2. In the snow covered areas ofthe Himalayas, this soil experiences denudation and is acidic with low humus content.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 4.
Explain any four human activities which are mainly responsible for land degradation in India.
Answer:
Human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, construction and mining have contributed significantly to land degradation.

  1. Mining sites are abandoned after mining work is complete leaving deep scars and traces of over-burdening.
  2. In the states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha deforestation has occurred due to mining.
  3. In the states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
  4. In Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, over-irrigation is one of the main reasons for land degradation due to water logging leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
  5. The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generates huge quantity of dust in the atmosphere which retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil after it settles down on the land.
  6.  Industrial effluents as waste have become a maj or source of land and water pollution.

Question 5.
What are the steps taken to promote soil conservation?
Answer:
Methods for soil conservation are :

  1. Afforestation:
    In some areas the original vegetation cover has been removed, such as in the Shiwalik hills. In such areas, both afforestation and reforestation are dneeded to hold the soil. Development of deserts can be checked by planting trees along the margins of desert.
  2. Controlled grazing:
    The number of cattle to be grazed on slopes should be according to the capacity of the pastures.
  3. Terraced farming:
    Slopes can be cut into a series of terraces for cultivation, so as to slow down the flow of rain water.
  4. River dam: River dams are built in the upper course of rivers to control floods and check soil erosion.
  5. Contour ploughing:
    Contour ploughing, terracing and bunding is done to check soil wash on slopes. Ploughing is done at right angles to the hill slopes.
  6. Crop rotation:
    Crop rotation system should be used and the land should be left fallow for some time. Soil fertility can be maintained in this way.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 6.
Explain the land use pattern of India.
Answer:
(i) Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq km. Land use data, however, is available only for 93 per cent of the total area because the land use reporting for most of the north-east states except Assam has not been done fully. Some areas of Jammu & Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have also not been surveyed.

(ii) The land under permanent pasture has also decreased.

(iii) Most of the lands other than the current fallow lands are either of poor quality or the cost of cultivation of such lands is very high. Hence, these lands are cultivated once or twice in about two to three years and if these are. included in the net sown area, the percentage of NSA in India comes to about 54 of the total reporting area.

(iv) The pattern of net sown area varies greatly from one state to another. It is over 80 per cent of the total area in Punjab and Haryana and less than 10 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

(v) Forest area in the country is far lower than the. desired 33 per cent of geographical, area, as it was outlined in the National Forest Policy (1952).

Activity Based Questions

Question 1.
Look at the picture carefully and explain the formation for soil.
JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development 1
Answer:
The soil is a living system. It takes millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth. The important factors in the formation of soil are relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time. 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 and inorganic materials.

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development

Question 2.
Explain the distribution of relief features in India through the diagram.
JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development 2

Question 3.
Explain the types of soil found in different regions of India on a map.
Answer:
See the given map of India.
JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 1 Resource and Development 3

JAC Class 10 Social Science Important Questions