CLASS X GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER 1 RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS:

Q1.Why only 93 percent of the total geographical area is measured for land use pattern in India?
(1M)

Ans: It is because of the fact that most of the North-East states except Assam is inaccessible and
some parts of Jammu and Kashmir is occupied by Pakistan and China, that accounts to about 7
percent of the total area.

Q2. What is the main cause of deforestation in Madhya Pradesh?(1M)

Ans: Mining is the major cause of deforestation in Madhya Pradesh.

Q3. Khadar is the geographical area popularly related to which soil type?(1M)

Ans: Khadar is related to the new alluvial soil.

Q4. What is another name of black soil?(1M)

Ans: Regur is another name of black soil.

Q5. Define ravine.(1M)

Ans: Ravine is a bad land of clayey soil having deep channels as gullies and usually found in Chambal
valley.

Q6. What is soil erosion?(1M)

Ans: The denudation of the soil cover and its subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion.

Q7. What is contour ploughing?(1M)

Ans: Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is
called contour ploughing.

Q8. Which type of soil is found in the piedmont zone of Western Ghats?(1M)

Ans: Red and yellow soil is found in the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.

Q9. What do you mean by the word “laterite”?(1M)

Ans: Laterite has been derived from the latin word ‘later’which means brick.

Q10. Why soil in some parts is red and yellow in colour?(1M)

Ans: The soil that develops on crystalline and metamorphic rocks have iron diffused in it, this makes
the soil red. It turns yellow when the diffusion of iron occurs in hydrated form.

Q11. What are the two types of soil erosion found in India?(2M)
Ans: The two types of soil erosion found in India are:

i) Gully erosion: Gullies cut the clayey soils into deep creeps and the land becomes unfit
for cultivation and is popularly known as bad land
ii) Sheet erosion: Sheet erosion washes away top soils over large areas and productivity is
mostly decreased.

BROAD QUESTIONS:

Q1. Give reasons for the low percentage of net sown area in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur
and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (3M)

Ans: The reasons for the low percentage of net sown area are:

i) States of northeast are rocky, mountainous, not suitable for agriculture

ii) Most of the area is densely forested and climate is harsh
iii) In Andaman and Nicobar Islands, besides densely forested:
Too much rains hamper the agricultural activities
Growth rate of trees and other vegetation is very high

Q2. Which factors are responsible for land degradation in India? (5M)

Ans: The factors responsible for Land degradation are:

i) Expansion of mining and quarrying have contributed to land degradation. The mining
sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete. It leaves deep scars and traces of
over-burdening.
ii) Over- grazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation
iii) Over-irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to waterlogging leading to
increase in salinity and alkalinity in soil
iv) Mineral processing such as grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and
soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust in the atmosphere. It
restricts the process of infiltration of water into the soil after it settles down on land
v) Industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land and water pollution in
many parts of the country

Q3. Describe the properties of alluvial soil found in India. (5M)

Ans: Alluvial soils are the most important and widely spread soils in India. The entire Northern plains
are made up of Alluvial soils.

The properties of Alluvial soil are:

i) It consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. According to their age alluvial
soils are classified as old alluvial(Bangar) and new alluvial(Khadar)
ii) It is very fertile
iii) It is ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat, and other cereals and pulse crops
 iv) Due to high fertility of the soil, region of alluvial soil is intensively cultivated and densely
populated
v) Soil in the drier area is more alkaline

Q4. Give the characteristics of the soil used for growing cotton. List the areas in India where this soil
is found. (1M+3M+1M)

Ans: Black soil is used for growing cotton.

The major characteristics of black soil are:

i) It is made up of fine clayey material with high retention capacity

ii) It is rich in soil nutrients like calcium carbonate, magnecium, potash and lime, but poor
in phosphoric content
iii) It develops deep crack in hot weather, helping in proper aeration of the soil

It is found in the plateau areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as well as
in the Godavari and Krishna valleys.

Q5. What are the main factors affecting the formation of soil? Describe each factor briefly. (3)

Ans: The factors affecting the formation of soil are :

i) The parent rock or bed rock on which the soil is formed decomposes and disintegrates
under the processes of weathering which in turn influence the characteristics of soils
ii) Climate influences the rate of weathering of rocks and type of vegetation, influencing
the soil characteristics
iii) Nature of relief and slope influences the accumulation of soil. Mountains have thin soil
cover whereas plains have thick soil cover. And time provides maturity to soil as layer
after layer accumulates and lower layer is different in composition than the upper layers.

Q6. Suggest any five measures to solve the problem of land degradation. (5M)

Ans: The following measures that can help to solve the problem of land degradation are:

i) Afforestation over deforested areas

ii) Proper management of grazing on permanent pastures
iii) Planting and growing thorny bushes in the deserts
iv) Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents after treatment
v) Planting shelter belts and control on mining activities

Q7. Suggest the measures of soil conservation.(4M)

Ans: The following are the measures of soil conservation:

i) Terrace farming: Farming along the hill slopes by cutting it into terraces
ii) Contour Ploughing: By ploughing along the contour lines, water does not run down the
slopes restricting soil erosion
iii) Shelter belt: Planting rows of treesalong the edges of fields helps in checking soilerosion
through wind
iv) Strip cropping: Dividing the field into strips and letting grass grow between the crops
breaks the force of the wind thereby checking soil erosion