• The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface

of the earth is called soil.

• It is closely linked to land. Landforms determine the type
of soil.
• Soil is made up of organic matter, minerals and
weathered rocks found on the earth. This happens
through the process of weathering.

• The right mix of minerals and organic matter make the

soil fertile.
 SOIL PROFILE
▪ The soil is found in layers, which are
arranged during the formation of soil.
These layers called horizons, the
sequence of layers is the soil profile.

▪ The layers of soil can easily be observed

by their color and size of particles. The
main layers of the soil are topsoil, subsoil
and the parent rock. Each layer has its
own characteristics.
 FACTORS OF SOIL FORMATION
• The major factors of soil formation are the nature of the parent rock and climatic
factors.
• Other factors are the topography, role of organic material and time taken for the
composition of soil formation.
• All these differ from place to place.
 FACTORS OF SOIL FORMATION

HOME WORK
3. Explain the factors of soil formation.
 DEGRADATION OF SOIL
• Soil erosion and depletion are the major threats to soil as a resource.
• Both human and natural factors can lead to degradation of soils.

SOIL EROSION SOIL DEPLETION

Soil erosion is the process in which soil It is the inability of soil to support
moves from one place to another by natural the growth of crops.
or man-made processes.
WEB CHART
CAUSES OF SOIL
 WEB CHART

MULCHING
INTERCROPPING CONTOUR BARRIERS

CONTOUR SHELTER
PLOUGHING METHODS OF SOIL CONSERVATION BELTS

TERRACE FARMING ROCK DAM

 WEB CHART
CLASS WORK
Q.2. The following image shows the state of soil erosion in India.

What are the main reasons behind the soil erosion in India?
How can we solve those problems?
 Activity-1

On the political outline map of India, mark and label the

i) different types of soils found in India

ii) draw a soil profile

 Activity-2
A mind map is a diagram that displays information visually, providing a structured way to
capture and organize ideas. To create a mind map, add land, soil and water topic to the center of
your map. From the main idea, add related ideas and keywords as new topic bubbles.