Thane

Grade 10
Geography- Soil-Notes

Definition:

Soil is the thin, loose upper most layer of the earth’s crust which supports plant life and
indirectly animal life.

Importance of soil:

• Soil is the medium in which plants grow.

• Very important natural resource of India as agriculture depends on it.
• Animals and microbes find shelter in it.
• Reduces floods by absorbing water.

The process of soil formation is called pedogenesis.

The study of soil is called peodology.

Soil formation:

• Soil is formed due to the weathering of rocks.

Factors affecting soil formation:

• Parent rock , Topography, Climate (Range of temperature), Vegetative cover,

Amount of rainfall, Role of animals.

Soil texture :

It refers to the size of soil particles. It can be sand, silt, clay. Sands are the largest particles.
Silt is just large enough to be seen. Clay is microscopic.

When does soil loose its fertility?

• Continuous agricultural use.
• Destruction of vegetative cover.
• Lowering of water table.

Difference between Bangar and Khadar

Bangar Khadar
1.Found in the upper reaches of the river. 1. Found in lower valley.
2. Old alluvium thus not very fertile. 2. Newer deposits thus very fertile.
3.Coarser and non uniform (Has lime nodules 3. Finer and more uniform.
known as kanker)

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 Difference between alluvial soil of North India and South India.
Answer will be comparison between Inland and coastal alluvial.

Factors affecting soil fertility.

1. Sufficient depth to allow aeration of roots.
2. Sufficient quantity of nutrients so that it can supply adequate nutrient to the plant.
3. Humus.

What is humus?

Dead organic matter in soil is called humus. It helps the soil to remain porous, water
retentive and fertile.

What is soil profile?

Vertical cross section of soil is known as soil profile.

It can be divided into

Top soil: (most important layer, since it contains humus)
Sub soil: (contains moisture but no humus )
Weathered particles and
Parent rock.

In which two ways can the soil be divided?

 Sedentary soil also known as “In situ”. They are found where they are formed
(found in their places of origin) eg. Black soil, Red soil.
 Transported soil, these soils are carried away by agents of gradation like rivers
and winds eg. Alluvial soil.

Alluvial Soil
FORMATION LOCATION
Transported soil or Inland alluvial: Found in the
Riverine soil (mainly plains of Indus, Ganga and
found in river basin) Brahmaputra. These soils are
Local names: Bhangar porous , loamy soil and
and Khadar. contains humus. Thickness is
Formed by the 500 m
sediments brought Deltic alluvial:
down by rivers. The Found in deltas of
rivers deposit very fine Brahmaputra, Sunderbans,
particles of soil called Krishna and Kaveri. More moist
alluvium. These soils and compact and has humus.
are mixtures of sand, Coastal alluvial:
clay and silt (loamy Found along the east coast ,
MAIN MINERALS
Rich in potash , lime , humus
(Ph L)
Can hold water because of fine
particles.
The soil of Deccan coastal strip
is darker and non-porous
because the alluvium is mixed
with black soil.

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 soils). non-porous, clayey, darker in
colour and doesn’t contain
humus.

DEFICIENT MINERALS MAIN FEATURES CROPS

Nitrogen Very fertile. Covers 40% of Food Crops: Rice and wheat
The coastal alluvial of India. Cash Crops: Oil seeds, cotton,
south India doesn’t The alluvial soil of upper Ganga sugarcane, jute (sunderban)
contain humus. valley is dry, porous, sandy,
faint yellow and consists of clay
and organic matter.
While the soil of lower Ganga
valley i.e., of West Bengal and
Bangladesh are more compact,
moist and less coarse.
It is fertile soil as its rich in
potash, lime and is fine grained.
Easily tillable as light and
porous (loamy)

States: Uttarakhand , Bihar ,

Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh
and West Bengal.

LATERITE SOIL
Formation :
. In situ
. Laterite means 'bricks' in Latin.
This soil is formed due to leaching of laterite rocks under typical monsoonal conditions of
high temperature and heavy rainfall with alternate dry and wet periods.
. Minerals get percolated to the lower layers of soil due to heavy rainfall so called leached
soils.

Location : Summits of Western Ghats in Karnataka, Goa and Kerala.

. Summits of Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa.
. Summits of Garo, Khasi Jaintia Hills in Assam and Meghalaya.

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Main Minerals: Rich in iron oxide so red in colour.

Deficient Mineral
. Poor in Phosphorous, lime , organic matter, silica and nitrogen so not fertile.

Main Features :
. Becomes very hard like a brick when it dries up.
. Coarse, porous, friable and does not retain moisture.
. Lacks humus as humus gets removed by the bacteria which thrives well in high temperature.
. Leaching or desilication is the process by which the nutrients like silica and lime get
percolated down below the soil due to heavy rain thus leaving the top soil infertile.

Crops :
. Cashew and Tapioca.
. Plantation crops: Tea, Coffee, Rubber.
This soil is unsuitable for agriculture due to high content of acidity and inability to retain
moisture . These are suitable for brick making.

RED SOIL
Formation :
. In situ.
. Second after alluvial soil in the area covered.
. Red in colour as they contain large amount of Iron Oxide.
. Formed by weathering of ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks.

Location:
. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa, North-eastern part of Andhra Pradesh.
. These practically encircle the entire black soil region on all sides.

Main Minerals: Rich in Potash, Lime and Iron Oxide.

Deficient Mineral : Poor in phosphorous, organic matter and nitrogen, so not fertile.

Main features :
. Cultivation is done with the help of fertilizers and needs irrigation support for cultivation.
. Coarser, porous, friable and does not retain moisture.
Responds well to fertilisers.

Crops : Rice, sugarcane, tobacco, millets , gram, pulses.

BLACK SOIL

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Formation States/Region Main Minerals
Insitu Maharashtra, Gujarat Potash, Lime and
Regur or Cotton Soil or Lava Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Iron(Magnesium)
Soil Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Very Fertile even without
Formed due to weathering of humus
basaltic lava rocks
Area: Deccan Trap

DEFICIENT MINERAL Main Features CROPS

Phosphorous, Nitrogen and It is moisture retentive (clayey) Cash Crop: Cotton and
organic matter thus suitable for dry farming Sugarcane and oil seeds

50% clay contain thus soil Food crops: wheat, jowar

expands when wet and
becomes sticky that is why it
needs to be tilled after the first
rain.

This soil is known for self

ploughing quality. Deep cracks
develops when the soil gets
dry. This helps in air circulation.

Black in color due to high

amount of iron.

Soil Erosion
It is the detachment and transportation of top soil by the various agents of denudation such
as running water, wind and glaciers, thereby making the soil infertile.

Causes of Soil erosion:

1. Deforestation
2. Over grazing
3. Mining
4. Unscientific farming practices

Areas suffering from soil erosion

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 1. Outer Himalayas (Shivaliks) due to Deforestation, floods and landslides and over
grazing .

2. North East India (Assam & West Bengal) due to heavy rain, steep slopes, Jhumming
cultivation and Gully erosion .

3. Chambal Valley due to gully erosion by River Chambal and its tributaries.

4. Thar Desert due to wind erosion as there is lack of vegetative cover.

5. South & S.E India (Nilgiri, Sahayadri hills) due to steep slope, heavy rains, faulty
methods of cultivation.

Difference between Sheet and Gully Erosion

Sheet Erosion Gully Erosion

1. Horizontal erosion by water (removal of 1. Vertical erosion (Rivers cut

even layer of top soil by rain) . The main deep gullies and thus soil is
unscientific cultivation. removed.)
2. Slow removal 2. Is faster
3. Occurs on gentle slope 3. Occurs on steep slopes.
Prominent in upper Ganga and Prominent on banks of
Brahmaputra courses Chambal and Sabarmati.

Soil Conservation

• It is an effort made by man to reduce the rate of soil erosion by taking preventive
measures.

• There is an urgent need to consere the soil because it forms slowly but is destroyed
easily.

Need to conserve soil

1. To sustain huge population (fertile soil).

2. To prevent desertification and to check floods.
3. Raise the level of underground water.

Methods of soil conservation

1. Afforestation – Planting of trees and other vegetation on hill slopes and uncultivated
land.

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It helps in the following ways.

a. Roots hold the soil.

b. Plants reduce the speed of flowing water.
c. Checks the speed of wind.

2. Restricted grazing of animals

3. Plugging of gullies

4. Planting of shelter belts

5. Construction of dams in the upper course of rivers.

6. Proper farming techniques

Hilly areas:

a. Terrace farming.
b. Construction of bunds.
c. Contour ploughing.
Flat areas:

a. Strip cropping.
b. Crop rotation.
c. Shelter belts (wind breaks)

Objective of soil conservation programmes

1. To slow down the process of erosion.

2. To restore the degraded land.
3. To improve availability of water and soil moisture.

Soil Conservation Programmes in India

1. Integrated Watershed Management (Punjab plains and Gangetic Basin) (By preventing
floods).

2. Control of shifting agriculture (North Eastern States) Encouraging Terrace farming and
contour ploughing.

3. Reclamation and Development of Ravine areas (Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,

Rajasthan) plugging gullies. Ravines found along the banks of Chambal and Kali Sindh.

IMPORTANT TERMS

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1. Terrace Farming
The hill slopes are cut into a number of terraces having horizontal top and steep slopes.
These terraces do not allow the soil being washed away by running water.
2. Contour Bunding
Construction of Bund (Bank) along the contour.
3. Shelter Belts
Farmers plant trees in several rows to check wind erosion and to check migration of sand
dunes from the Thar Desert. Also known as Wind Breaks.
4. Plugging Gullies
Filling of cracks with soil.
5. Badland
Agricultural land that has been fragmented due to the formation of gullies and now it lies as
a wasteland.
6. Strip Cropping
Cultivation of crop in strips to check the fast blowing winds. Two different species of trees
are planted in alternate rows to check soil erosion and reduce the flow of water.
7. Contour Ploughing
Ploughing is done following the contours, that is the land is ploughed at right angle to the
slope. The ridges and furrows made due to ploughing break the flow of water down the hill,
therefore gullies do not form easily and run off is reduced, plants get more water and
excessive soil loss is controlled. Going up and down the slopes, promotes the formation of
gullies.
8. Crop Rotation
A system under which farmers grow different types of crops one after another, on the same
piece of land, to maintain the fertility of soil.