SOIL RESOURCES

IT IS THIN LAYER OF LOOSE MIXTURE OF SMALL ROCK PARTICLES AND ROTTING

MATTER THAT COVERS THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.

FORMATION- VARIOUS FORCES OF NATURE SUCH AS CHANGING

TEMPERATURE, RUNNING WATER AND WIND AFFECT FORMATION OF SOIL.
THESE FORCES OF NATURE ALONG WITH THE CHEMICAL AND ORGANIC
CHANGES THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE SOIL CONTRIBUTE TO THE EVOLUTION OF
SOIL.
HUMUS, SILICA, SAND AND CLAY ARE CONSTITUENTS OF SOIL.

SOIL FERTILITY – STRENGTH OF THE SOIL TO SUPPORT PLANT LIFE.

1. IT CONTAINS ORGANIC MATTER THAT IMPROVES THE STRUCTURE OF
THE SOIL.
2. IT HAS ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE TO SUPPLY ESSENTIAL
NUTRIENTS TO THE PLANTS.
3. IT HAS SUFFICIENT DEPTH TO ENABLE THE PLANTS TO GROW THEIR
ROOTS AS PER THEIR REQUIREMENTS.

RESIDUAL SOIL TRANSPORTED SOIL

FORMED IN THEIR ORIGINAL
POSITION BY BREAKING UP OF THE
PARENT ROCK.
THEY HAVE WELL DEFINED SOIL
PROFILE
BLACK, RED AND DESERT SOIL
TRANSPORTED BY VARIOUS AGENTS
OF EROSION AND CONSIST OF
SEDIMENTS CARRIED AND
DEPOSITED BY RIVERS AND WINDS.
THEY DO NOT HAVE WELL DEFINED
SOIL PROFILE
ALLUVIAL SOIL

ALLUVIAL SOIL-:
FORMATION- BY THE SEDIMENTS BROUGHT DOWN BY THE RIVERS
THE RIVERS DEPOSIT VERY FINE PARTICLES CALLED ALLUVIUM IN THEIR PLAINS
DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR LONG JOURNEY. THE RESULTANT ALLUVIAL
SOIL IS KNOWN AS RIVERINE SOIL BECAUSE IT IS MAINLY FOUND IN THE RIVER
BASINS.
IT IS A MIXTURE OF SAND, CLAY AND SILT CALLED LOAM
BHANGAR OR THE OLDER ALLUVIUM KHADHAR

COMPOSED OF LIME NODULES OR LIGHT IN COLOUR AND IS COMPOSED

KANKER AND HAS A CLAYEY OF NEWER DESPOSITS
COMPOSITION
IT IS NOT VERY FERTILE IT IS FERTILE

➢ “KHADHAR IS MORE FERTILE THAN BHANGAR.” GIVE REASON.

➢ KHADHAR IS MORE FERTILE THAN BHANGAR AS NEW LAYERS ARE
DEPOSITED YEAR AFTER YEAR DURING MONSOON FLOODS.

DISTRIBUTION-:
1. INLAND ALLUVIUM-: PLAINS OF THE GANGA, THE INDUS AND THE
BRAHMAPUTRA RIVERS, EXTENDING FROM PUNJAB AND SINDH TO
BANGLADESH AND ASSAM.
2. DELTAIC ALLUVIUM-: IN DELTAS OF GANGA- BRAHMAPUTRA,
MAHANADI, GODAVARI, KRISHNA AND KAVERI RIVERS.
3. COASTAL ALLUVIUM-: IT IS OF TIDAL ORIGIN. IT IS FOUND IN THE
COASTAL STRIPS OF PENINSULAR INDIA. IT IS ALSO FOUND IN THE
PLAINS OF GUJARAT.

CHARACTERISTICS-:
➢ COLOUR-: VARIES FROM LIGHT GREY TO DEEP BLACK
SHADES DEPEND ON-
A) THE DEPTH OF DEPOSITION
B) THE TEXTURE OF THE MATERIALS
C) THE TIME TAKEN FOR MATURITY

➢ TEXTURE-:
UPPER REACHES OF THE RIVER- DRY, COARSE, POROUS AND SANDY AND
GETS FINER AND MOIST AS THE RIVER FLOWS DOWN.
CONSISTS OF CLAY AND ORGANIC MATTER
SOIL PARTICLES ARE LARGE AND NON-UNIFORM
FOUND UPTO THE DEPTH OF 500 METRES
 ➢ MINERALS-:
• VARIES IN NATURE FROM SANDY LOAM TO CLAY.
IT IS VERY FERTILE AS IT IS RICH IN MINERALS LIKE IRON, MAGNESIA,
ALUMINA, POTASH AND LIME BUT POOR IN PHOSPHOROUS,
NITROGEN AND ORGANIC MATTER.
• IT IS DEFICIENT IN NITROGEN AND HUMUS, EXCEPT THE ALLUVIUM
OF GANGA DELTAIC REGION WHICH IS RICH IN HUMUS.
• IN THE DRIER AREAS, IT IS MORE ALKALINE.

➢ CROPS-:
“ALLUVIAL SOIL IS EASILY TILLABLE” AS IT IS LIGHT AND POROUS
SUITABLE FOR THE GROWTH OF A LARGE VARIETY OF RABI AND KHARIF
CROPS.
FERTILE AND SUITABLE FOR CULTIVATION OF RICE, WHEAT,
SUGARCANE, COTTON, TOBACCO, GRAM AND OILSEEDS.
IN LOWER GANGA-BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY IT IS USEFUL FOR JUTE
CULTIVATION.

BLACK SOIL-:
ALSO KNOWN AS BLACK COTTON SOIL OR REGUR SOIL
IT IS RESIDUAL SOIL- IT IS FORMED AT THE PLACE OF ITS ORIGIN OVER THE
UNDERLYING ROCKS.
“IT IS KNOWN AS LAVA” SOIL SINCE IT IS FORMED BY DENUDATION OF
VOLCANIC ROCKS.
DISTRIBUTION-: DECCAN LAVA TRACTS WHICH PARTS OF MAHARASHTRA, M.P,
GUJARAT, ANDHRA PRADESH, KARNATAKA AND SOME PARTS OF TAMIL NADU.
➢ COLOUR-: BLACK

➢ FORMATION-: FROM WEATHERED LAVA ROCKS

➢ TEXTURE-:
“IT IS HIGHLY RETENTIVE OF WATER” AS IT IS FINE AND CLAYEY IN
NATURE.
 “THIS SOIL EXPANDS WHEN WET AND BECOMES DIFFICULT TO
PLOUGH” BECAUSE OF HIGH CLAY CONTENT.
DURING DRY SEASON, IT SHRINKS AND DEVELOPS BIG CRACKS WHICH
HELP IN AIR CIRCULATION. THIS CAUSES SELF PLOUGHING.
IT RETAINS THE MOISTURE FOR A VERY LONG TIME WHICH HELPS THE
CROPS, ESPECIALLY THE RAIN FED ONES TO SUSTAIN EVEN DURING THE
DRY SEASON DUE TO SLOW ABSORTION AND LOW OF MOISTURE.
➢ MINERALS-: HIGH QUANTITES OF LIME, IRON, MAGNESIUM AND
GENERALLY POOR PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHOROUS, NITROGEN AND
ORGANIC MATTER.
➢ CROPS-: SOIL IS VERY FERTILE IN MOST OF THE PLACES.
SUITABLE FOR CULTIVATION OF COTTON, JOWAR, WHEAT, LINSEED,
GRAM, CITRUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, TOBACCO AND SUGARCANE.

“IT IS SUITABLE FOR DRY FARMING” AS IN ANY SEASON IT HAS

MOISTURE STORED IN ITS SUBSOIL AND THE MOISTURE RETENTIVENESS
OF THE BLACK SOIL MAKES IS SUITABLE FOR DRY FARMING.

RED SOIL-:
➢ FORMATION-: PROLONGED WEATHERING OF CRYSTALLINE ROCKS

➢ DISTRIBUTION-: PLATEAU REGION OF PENINSULAR INDIA EXTENDING

NORTHWARDS ALONG KONKAN COAST.
TAMIL NADU, KARNATAKA, ANDHRA PRADESH, SOUTH-EAST
MAHARASHTA, CHATTISHGARH, PARTS OF ODISHA, JHARKHAND,
BUNDELKHAND, MEGHALAYA, MIZORAM, MAINIPUR, TELEGANA AND
NAGALAND.

➢ COLOUR-: RED AS IT CONTAINS LARGE AMOUNT OF IRON OXIDE. AT

SEVERAL PLACES, ITS COLOUR CHANGES AND IT APPEARS BROWN OR
GREY. IT LOOKS YELLOW WHEN IT OCCURS IN A HYDRATED FORM.

➢ TEXTURE-: POROUS, LOOSE AND AERATED; GENERALLY SHALLOW; pH

VALUE RANGES FROM 6.6 TO 8.0.
➢ MINERALS-: POOR IN NITROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS, POTASSIUM AND
ORGANIC MATTER. IT CONTAINS SOLUBLE SALTS IN SMALL QUANTITIES.

➢ CROPS-:
• IT IS IDEAL FOR DRY FARMING AS IT IS FORMED IN AREAS WITH LOW
RAINFALL.
• IT IS NOT FERTILE BUT RESPONDS TO FERTILIZERS
• SUITABLE FOR GROWING VEGETABLES, RICE, RAGI AND TOBBACO.
• GROUNDNUT AND POTATOES CAN BE GROWN ON COARSE SOILS AT
HIGHER LEVELS AND SUGARCANE ON HEAVY CLAYS AT LOWER CLAYS.

LATERITE SOILS-:
FORMATION-: DUE TO LEACHING IN AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN.
“IT IS A RESIDUAL SOIL” AS IT IS FORMED BY LEACHING DUE TO TROPICAL
RAINS.
➢ EXPLAIN THE TERM LEACHING. WHAT IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS?
➢ LEACHING IS THE PROCESS IN WHICH NUTRIENTS GET PERCOLATED
DOWN BELOW THE SOIL DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL; THUS, LEAVING
THE TOPSOIL INFERTILE. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS DESILICATION.
➢ “LIME AND SILICA ARE LEACHED AWAY AND ALUMINIUM
COMPOUNDS ARE LEFT BEHIND” DUE TO HEAVY RAINS.
UPLAND LATERITES- FORMED OVER HILLS AND UPLANDS
FROM THERE THEY ARE TRANSPORTED BY STREAMS TOWARDS LOWLANDS-
LOWLAND LATERITE

➢ COLOUR-: RED; PRESENCE OF IRON OXIDE WHICH IS FORMED BY

LEACHING.
THE SOLUBLE PLANT FOODS LIKE POTASH ARE REMOVED FROM THE
TOPSOIL LEAVING ALUMINA AND IRON OXIDE.
➢ TEXTURE-: COARSE TEXTURE, SOFT AND FRIABLE

➢ MINERALS-: POROUS SOIL; SILICA IS REMOVED BY CHEMICAL ACTION;

POOR IN LIME, NITROGEN AND MAGNESIUM
RICH IN IRON OXIDE AND POTASH

“IT IS ACIDIC IN NATURE” AS ALKALIS ARE LEACHED.

 ➢ USE-: AS A BRICK AND IS CONSIDERED SUITABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS

➢ CROPS-:
IT DOES NOT RETAIN MOISTURE AND HENCE IS NOT FERTILE.
CROPS LIKE TAPIOCA, TEA, COFFEE AND CASHEWNUTS
LATERITE SOIL HAS LOW FERTILITY BECAUSE OF HIGH ACIDITY AND
LOW MOISTURE RETENTION; THUS, WITH THE HELP MANURE RAGI,
SUGARCANE AND RICE CAN BE GROWN.
PADDY- LOWER ELEVATION
TEA, CINCHONA, RUBBER AND COFFEE- HIGHER ELEVATION

SOIL EROSION- REMOVAL OF THE TOP FERTILE SOIL BY WIND, WATER AND
HUMAN ACTIVITIES.
➢ GULLY EROSION-: DUE TO HEAVY RAINFALL; DEEP GULLIES ARE
FORMED ON THE SOIL AND REMOVE THE SOIL NUTRIENTS.
➢ SHEET ERIOSION-: GENTLE SLOPES WHERE THE THIN LAYER OF
TOPSOIL IS REMOVED DUE TO RAIN WATER
➢ RILL EROSION-: DUE TO PROLONGED SHEET EROSION, FINGER
SHAPED RILLS OR GROOVES ARE FORMED OVER A LARGE AREA.
➢ LEACHING-: WHEN SOIL IS LEFT BARE AFTER HARVESTING, THE
NUTRIENTS OF THE SOIL ARE PERCOLATED BELOW OR LEACHED DUE
TO RAINFALL
➢ SHORE EROSION-: THE POWERFUL WAVES OF THE TIDAL WATERS OF
THE SEA DAMAGE AND DESTROY THE COASTAL AREAS.
➢ STREAM BANK EROSION-: THE STREAMS AND RIVERS CHANGE THEIR
COURSE BY CUTTING ONE ANOTHER’S BANK, THEREBY DEPOSITING
SILT LOADS.

➢ Alluvial soils found in the lower courses and the upper courses of rivers.
Answer: Difference between alluvial soils in the upper and lower courses
of the rivers:
 Upper course Lower course

It is finer and finest in the lowest

1. It is coarser i.e. particles bigger in size.
section.

2. It is dry, less compact. It is more moist and more compact.

➢ State two differences between Khadar and Bhangar Soil.

Answer:

Khadar Soil Bhangar Soil

1. The newer alluvium is called Khadar. The older alluvium is called Bhangar.

It contains pebbles and gravels. It is

2. It is fine textured and more fertile.
less fertile.

➢ Black Soil and Alluvial Soil.

Answer:

Black Soil Alluvial Soil

1. Made by lavita. Made by rivers.

2. Black in colour. Yellow in colour.

3. Rich in humus. Rich in iron.

➢ Alluvial soil of the northern plains and the alluvial soil on the coastal plains of
India.
Answer:

Alluvial Soil of Northern Plains Alluvial Soil on the Coastal Plain

1. Light in colour Dark in colour

2. Sandy Clayey

3. Porous Non porous

4. Coarse in texture Fine in texture

➢ Sheet erosion and Gully erosion.

Answer:

Sheet Erosion Gully Erosion

1. Occurs on even surface layer. Occurs on steep slopes.

2. The top Soil is removed. Steep sided valley are formed.

3. Found in Western India. Found in Chambal ravines.

4. Sheet erosion is harmful since it removes the Gullies cut up agricultural land and

finer and more fertile top Soil. make it unfit for cultivation.

WIND EROSION-: TAKES PLACE WHERE THERE IS LESS VEGETATION OR

NO VEGETATION DUE TO HIGH VELOCITY A STRONG MOVEMENT OF
WINDS ANS DEPOSITION OF SOIL PARTICLES.
WHEN WIND MOVES SOIL PARTICLES 0.1-0.5 mm IN SIZE IN BOUNCING
OR HOPPING WAY, IT IS KNOWN AS SALTATION WHILE THOSE WITH
GREATER THAN 0.5mm AND MOVES BY ROLLING ARE CALLED SOIL
CREEP

EROSION DUE TO HUMAN ACTIVITIES-: LARGE SCALE DEFORESTATION

BY MAN HAS BEEN WITNESSED IN THE OUTER HIMALAYAS, THE
WESTERN AND EASTERN GHATS FOR VARIOUS LAND USE LIKE
CONSTRUCTING RAILWAY LINES, ROADS, BUILDING, ETC.
THE UNCONTROLLED GAZING OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS IS AN IMPORTANT
FACTOR FOR CAUSING SHEET, GULLY AND RILL EROSION.

CAUSES FOR SOIL EROSION-:

1. HEAVY POPULATION PRESSURE ON LAND-:
FOREST COVER CONTINUES TO BE LOW- 21.54%
POPULATION- INCREASING (1 BILLION-2000)
MORE FORESTS ARE DESTROYED TO HOUSE AND FEED THE GROWING
POPULATION
2. NATURE OF RAINFALL-:
INDIA RECEIVES 80-90% OF RAINFALL IN MONSOON SEASON.
HEAVY DOWNPOUR DURING MONSOON MONTHS CAUSES FLOODS
 IN THE REMAINING MONTHS – DROUGHTS ARE COMMON
THIS AFFECTS THE SOIL
3. OVERGRAZING-: THE CATTLE FREELY GRAZE IN THE OPEN LANDS
MAKING THEM BARE OF VEGETATION. WINDS CARRY AWAY DRY SOIL
PARTICLES FROM THE BARE LANDSCAPE- SOIL EROSION.
4. BAD FARMING TECHNIQUES-: THE FARMING TECHNIQUES AND
SMALL SIZE OF HOLDINGS LEAD TO SOIL EROSION ON LARGE SCALE.
5. TOPOGRAPHY-: THE NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF INDIA, SHIWALIKS
AND HILLY REGIONS IN THE SOUTH ARE AFFECTED BY SOIL EROSION
DUE TO STEEP SLOPES AND HEAVY RAINFALL.
6. DEFORESTATION-: FORESTS ARE DESTORYED SO THAT MORE LAND
CAN BE USED FOR CULTIVATION. CUTTING OF TREES EXPOSES THE
SOIL TO WATER AND WIND- SOIL EROSION

PREVENTIONS-:
1. Terrace Farming- It is a method of farming when step-like structures
are created on hilly slopes.

2. Shelter Belts- Farmer plant trees in several rows on the outer part of
their agricultural land to stop soil erosion.

3. Strip Cropping- Crops are grown in alternate strips of land to check

the impact of the winds.

4. Constructing Dams- River cause soil erosion, Dams are built in upper
course of rivers to control soil erosion.

5. Contour Ploughing- It is a farming technique which is used in hilly

areas. It involves ploughing along the outline of the fields in a circular
manner.

6. Plugging Gullies-: The gullies are made in the soil are plugged with
deposition of silt during heavy rains.
7. Planting trees-: Trees are planted along the edges of the fields, the
waste land and on the steep slopes to prevent soil erosion and to
enhance the capacity of the soil to retain water.
SOIL CONSERVATION MEANS PREVENTION OF SOIL LOSS FROM EROSION
OR PREVENTION OF REDUCED FERTILITY OF SOIL CAUSED BY OVER
USAGE, ACIDIFICATION, SALINISATION OR OTHER TYPES OF SOIL
CONTAMINATION.
ADVERSE EFFECTS-:
1. LOWERING OF THE WATER TABLE AND DECREASING SOIL MOISTURE.
2. RECURRENCE OF LANDSLIDES
3. SILTING OF CANAL AND RIVER BEDS