CH-1 RESOURCES

QUESTION AND ANSWERS

Q.1. Define the term ‘Resource’.

A.1. Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs provided its
technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as resource.

Q.2. How do human beings accelerate their economic development?

A.2. The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an inter-dependent
relationship between nature, technology and institutions. Human beings interact with nature through
technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic development.

Q.3. Mention the classification of resources.

A.3.

A. On the basis of Origin

(i) BIOTIC RESOURCES

 All the living things obtained from biosphere.

 Example – Flora and Fauna

(ii) ABIOTIC RESOURCES

 All the non-living things.

 Example – Rocks and Metals.

B. On the basis of Exhaustibility

(i) RENEWABLE RESOURCES

 These can be renewed by physical, chemical or mechanical processes.

 Example – Solar and Wind Energy, Water, Forests.

(ii) NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

 These resources take millions of years in their formation.

 Example – Minerals and Fossil Fuels.

C. On the basis of Ownership

(i) INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES

 These are owned privately by individuals.

 Examples – owing of land by farmers, owing of plots by individuals.

(ii) COMMUNITY OWNED RESOURCES

 These are accessible to all members of the communities.

 Examples – Public parks, playgrounds.
(iii) NATIONAL RESOURCES

 All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within the political boundaries and
oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles (22.2km) from the coast belong to the nation.

(iv) INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES

 The oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone and are
regulated by international institutions.

D. On the basis of the status of development

(i) POTENTIAL RESOURCES

 Found in regions but have not been utilized.

 Example – Wind and Solar Energy.

(ii) DEVELOPED RESOURCES

 Have been surveyed and quality and quantity have been estimated.
 Development depends on the availability of technology and the extent of feasibility.

(iii) STOCK RESOURCES

 Non – availability of technology to access these resources

 Example – The technology to use hydrogen as a source of energy still be found.

(iv) RESERVE RESOURCES

 Subset of stock.
 Can be used with the existing technology.
 But being utilized to limited extent.
 Example – Water in the dams is a reserve, which can be used in future.

Q.4. What is the result of indiscriminate use of resources by human beings?

A.4. Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals. Accumulation of resources in few
hands leads to division of society into two segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crisis such as global warming, ozone
layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.

Q.5. Define the term ‘Sustainable Development’.

A.5. Sustainable economic development means ‘developemnt should take place without damaging the
environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future
generations.

Q.6. When and Where was the Earth Summit held? What was it convened for?

A.6. First international Earth Summit was held in June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The summit was
convened for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic
development at the global level. More than 100 countries participated. It led to adoption of Agenda 21.
Q.7. What is Agenda 21?

A.7. 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.

Q.8. Describe the diversity in availability of resources in India.

A.8.

(i) states like Chhattisgarh , Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh are rich in mineral and coal deposits.

(ii) States like Arunachal Pradesh is rich in water resources but lacks in infrastructure.

(iii) States like Rajasthan has abundance of solar and wind energy but lacks in water resources.

(iv) Ladakh has rich cultural heritage but it is deficient in water.

Q.9. List the stages involved in Resource Planning.

A.9. 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 setup for
implementing resource development plans.

(3) matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.

Q.10. What are the important factors for Resource Development?

A.10.

(i) Quality of Human Resources – physically , mentally, emotionally healthy population.

(ii) Institutions – Quality education and Skill Development.

(iii) Technology – Creating appropriate technology based on skill and capabilities.

(iv) Physical environment – Explore resources based on skills acquired and technology available.

Q.11. Explain Gandhi’s views on Conservation of Resources.

A.11.

(I) Resources should be used only for meeting one’s needs.

(ii) Resource depletion due to greed of individuals and application of modern technology.

(iii) Wanted to replace mass production by production by the masses.

Q.12. Give an account of land under different relief features in India.

A.12. India has land under a variety of relief features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains and islands.

(1) About 43% of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.

(2) Mountains account for 30% of the total surface area of the country and ensure perennial flow of
some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.

(3) About 27% of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals,
fossil fuels and forests.

Q.13. List the different categories of land utilization.

A.13. Land resources are used for the following purposes:

1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation.
i) Barren and waste land.
ii) Land put to non-agricultural uses; e.g. buildings, roads factories etc.
3. Other uncultivated land
i) Permanent pastures and grazing land
ii) Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves
iii) Culturable waste land
4. Fallow lands
i) Current fallow (left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year)
ii) Other than current fallow (left uncultivated for the past 1-5 agricultural years)
5. Net sown area: area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as
gross cropped area.

Q.14. Why is land use data available only for 93% of the total geographical area of India?

A.14. Land use data is available only for 93% of the total geographical area of India because:

1. The land use reporting for most of the northeast states except Assam has not been done fully.
2. Some areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have also not been
surveyed.

Q.15. List the categories of land use that have registered an increase from 1960-61 to 2008-09.

A.15. Forests, Area under non-agricultural uses, Current fallow, and Net Sown area

Q.16. List the categories of land use that have registered decrease from 1960-61 to 2008-09.

A.16.

1) barren and unculturable lands

2) Permanent pastures and grazing land
3) Area under miscellaneous tree crops and groves
4) culturable waste land
5) fallow other than current fallow

Q.17. What are the causes of Land Degradation?

A.17.

1) Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars and traces of over-
burdening.
2) In Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa deforestation due to mining have caused
severe land degradation.
3) In Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra overgrazing is one of the main reasons of
land degradation.
4) In Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh over irrigation is responsible 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 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.
6) In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land and water
pollution in many parts of the country.

Q.18. How can the problem of Land Degradation be solved?

A.18. There are many ways to solve this problem.

1) Afforestation and proper management of Grazing can help to some extent.

2) Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on over grazing, stabilization of sand dunes by growing
thorny bushes are some of the methods to check land degradation.
3) 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.

Q.19. Describe the term soil and explain the factors of its formation.

A.19. Soil is the top layer of the earth’s crust which is loose fragmented and consists of both organic and
inorganic substances. It is medium of plant growth.

Factors of soil formation:

1) PARENT ROCK: It determines the color, texture and composition of the soil. The inorganic
substances of the soil are derived from the parent rock.
2) TEMPERATURE: It influences the number of organisms and rate of evaporation. In humid tropical
areas organic matter decomposes at a faster rate.
3) RAINFALL: In areas of heavy rainfall leaching is very common. Therefore, salts are leached and the
soil formed is acidic.
4) PALNTS AND BACTERIA: Humus is derived from decomposition of vegetation. It makes the soil very
fertile. The humus present in soil provides nutrition to plants. Bacteria are also an important part of
the soil. They make the soil unproductive by consuming humus.
5) RELIEF (TOPOGRAPHY): The altitude relief and slope of the land influences the rate of accumulation
of soil particles. On steep slopes a thin layer of soil if formed. On hill slopes, water, glaciers and wind
blow away the soil and deposit it in the valleys below.
6) TIME: It takes a long time for the weathered particles to undergo changes and form a layer of soil.
Upon establishment of balanced relationship with the surrounding under favorable conditions soil
layers are formed.

Q.20. Explain the Classification of Soils.

Q.20. Classification of Soils is as follows :

ALLUVIAL SOILS

(I) Areas :

 Is mainly found in North region of India.

 In Gujarat and Rajasthan.
 Also in the details of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.

(ii) Characteristics

 Consists of sand , silt and clay.

 Based on age can be classified into Khadar and Bangar.
 Is very fertile.
 Most suitable for cultivation of sugarcane, paddy and wheat.
 Areas with this type of soils are highly populated and intensively cultivated.

BLACK SOILS

(i) Areas:

 North – west Deccan Plateaus

 Plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

(ii) Characteristics

 Is black in colour
 Is ideal for growing cotton.
 Is made up of clayey material.
 Develop deep cracks which helps in aeration of the soil.
 Is sticky when wet.

RED AND YELLOW SOIL

(i) Areas

 Parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh

 Southern parts of middle Ganga plain.
 Piedmont zone of western Ghats

(ii) Characteristics

 Reddish colour due to diffusion of iron into crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
 Looks yellow when it occurs in hydrated form.
LATERITE SOIL

(i) Areas

 Western regions of Maharashtra, Odisha

 Parts of West Bengal
 North-east regions

(ii) Characteristics

 Derived from Latin word later, which means brick.

 Result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
 Is rich in humus
 However, it is prone to erosion and degradation.
 Useful for growing tea and coffee.

ARID SOIL

(i) Areas

 Rajasthan

(ii) Characteristics

 Red to brown in colour

 Salt content is high
 Soil lacks humus and moisture
 Due to the formation of kankar layer at the bottom, the penetration of water is restricted.

FOREST SOIL

(i) Areas

 In the hilly regions and mountainous area.

(ii) Characteristics

 Loamy and silty in the valley side

 Coarse grained in the upper slopes
 In the upper slopes of Himalayas soil has low humus content
 Soil on the river terraces and alluvial fans is fertile.

Q.21. What is Soil Erosion? Explain the major types of soil erosion prevailing in India.

A.21. The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion.
Generally, there is a balance between soil formation and soil erosion. But this balance can be disturbed
by the natural or human factors.

TYPES OF SOIL EROSION:

1) Sheet Erosion: When the top layer of the soil is removed over a large area by the running water, it is
called as sheet erosion.
2) Gully Erosion: the running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels as gullies.
The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as badland.
3) Wind Erosion: wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion.
4) Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming. Ploughing in a wrong way i.e. up
and down the slope from channels for the quick flow of water leading to soil erosion.

Q.22. Explain any four proper farming techniques which can be used for soil conservation.

A.22.

1) Crop rotation: if the same crop is sown in the same field year after year, it consumes certain
nutrients from the soil making it infertile. Crop rotation can conserve soil erosion.
2) Settled agriculture: checking and reducing shifting agriculture by persuading the tribal people to
switch over to settled cultivation.
3) Terracing and Contour Ploughing: terracing and contour ploughing across the hill slope is a very
effective and one of the oldest methods of soil conservation. Hill slope is cut into a number of
terraces having horizontal top and steep slopes on the back and front. Contour ploughing involves
the construction of bank along the contour.
4) Shelter belts and strip cropping: 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.
Planting lines of trees to create shelter belts also works in a similar way. Rows of such trees are
called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to the stabilization of sand
dunes and in establishing the desert in western India.