ANSWERS KEY

ANSWER:

(i) Temperature and rainfall are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation.

(ii) Deforestation and the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers in
agricultural lands are two factors contributing to land degradation.

(iii) Land is among the most important natural resources. It provides habitation to a wide
variety of flora and fauna. Human beings use land for various purposes such as agriculture,
forestry, mining, building houses and roads, and setting up industries.

(iv) Two steps that the government has taken to conserve plants and animals:

(a) Has set up national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves for protecting
natural vegetation and wildlife; for example, the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

(b) Has banned the killing of lions, tigers, deer, great Indian bustards and peacocks. It has
also prohibited the trade of the species of plants and animals protected under the
international agreement CITES.

(v)Three ways to conserve water:

(a) Rain-water harvesting

(b) Reducing wastage of water

(c) Replenishing ground water by promoting afforestation

(i) Which one of the following is not a factor of soil formation?

(a) Time (b) Soil texture (c) Organic

matter

(ii) Which one of the following methods is most appropriate to check soil erosion on steep
slopes?

(a) Shelter (b) Mulchin (c) Terrace cultivation

belts g

(iii) Which one of the following is not in favour of the conservation of nature?

(a) Switch off the bulb when not in use

 (b) Close the tap immediately after using

(c) Dispose polypacks after shopping

ANSWER:
(i) Land use (c) Productive use of land

(ii) Humus (d) Organic matter deposited on top soil

(iii) Rock dams (a) Prevent soil erosion

(iv) Arable (b) Land suitable for agriculture

land

(i) Ganga−Brahmaputra plain of India is an overpopulated region.

This statement is true. Plains and river valleys offer suitable land for agriculture. Hence,
these are densely-populated areas of the world.

(ii) Water availability per person in India is declining.

This statement is true. Though water is present in abundance, fresh water is a scarce
resource. Water availability is a serious problem in many regions of the world. Due to the
wastage of water, deforestation, and the pollution and depletion of fresh water reserves
(such as rivers and ground water), the availability of water is fast declining.

(iii) Rows of trees planted in the coastal areas to check the wind movement is called
intercropping.

This statement is false. The described process is called shelter belts.

Intercropping is the process in which different crops are grown in alternate rows, and are
sown at different times to protect the soil from rain wash.

(iv) Human interference and changes of climate can maintain the ecosystem.

This statement is false. Human interferences and climatic changes for the most part
adversely affect the balance of the ecosystem.
Very Short Answer Type Question

1. Which country has the highest percentage of land under forest?

Answer: Japan

2. Which country has the highest percentage of land under cropland?

Answer: India

3. Which country has the highest percentage of land under pasture?

Answer: Australia

4. What are the major threats to soil as a resource?

Answer: Soil erosion and depletion are the major threats to soil as a resource.
5. What method of soil conservation is used in coastal and dry regions?

Answer: Shelter belts are used to protect the soil in coastal and dry regions.

6. What percent of fresh water is fit for human use?

Answer: Only 1 per cent of freshwater is available and fit for human use.

7. What make the soil fertile?

Answer: The right mix of minerals and organic matter make the soil fertile.

8. What affect the rate of humus formation?

Answer: Flora, fauna and micro-organism affect the rate of humus formation.

9. Why is ocean water not fit for human consumption? Answer: The ocean
water is saline. Hence it is not fit for human consumption.

10. What is soil?

Answer: The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is
called soil.

Short Type Answer Questions

1. Which are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation?

Answer: Temperature and rainfall are the two main climatic factors
responsible for soil formation.

2. Which method is most appropriate to check soil erosion on steep

slopes?

Answer: Terrace farming is the most appropriate method to check soil erosion
on steep slopes.

3. What do you mean by shelter belt?

Answer: Rows of trees planted in the coastal areas to check the wind
movement is called shelter belt.

4. How are forest classified on the basis of latitude?

Answer: Forests are classified as tropical or temperate based on their location

in different latitudes.

5. What are the major types of vegetation in the world?

Answer: The major vegetation types of the world are grouped as forests,
grasslands, scrubs and tundra.

6. How are vultures important to the environment?

Answer: Vulture due to its ability to feed on dead livestock is a scavenger and
considered a vital cleanser of the environment.
7. What percentage of Earth is covered by land?

Answer: Land covers only about thirty per cent of the total area of the earth’s
surface and all parts of this small percentage are not habitable.

8. What is national park?

Answer: National park is a natural area designated to protect the ecological

integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations.

9. How is soil formed?

Answer: Soil is made up of organic matter, minerals and weathered rocks

found on the earth. This happens through the process of weathering.

10. What is weathering?

Answer: Weathering is the breaking up and decay of exposed rocks, by

temperature changes, frost action, plants, animals and man. Answer: Plains
and river valleys offer suitable land for agriculture. Hence, these are the
densely populated areas of the world.

11. Why are plains and river valleys densely populated? Answer:

Plains and river valleys offer suitable land for agriculture. Hence, these are the
densely populated areas of the world.

12. Why Ganga Brahmaputra plain of India is an over populated region?

Answer: Ganga Brahmaputra plain of India is an over populated region
because it has even topography and highly fertile soil.

13. What are the different types of soil found in India?

Answer: Different types of soil found in India are alluvial, black, red, laterite,
desertic and mountain soil.

14. Why is fresh water the most precious substance on earth?

Answer: Fresh water is the most precious substance on earth because only 1
per cent of freshwater is available and fit for human use.

15. What is rain water harvesting?

Answer: Rain water harvesting is the process of collecting rain water from roof
tops and directing it to an appropriate location and storing if for future use.

16. Write any two reasons for land degradation today?

Answer: Reasons for land degradation are:

 Deforestation
 Overuse of chemical feritilisers or pesticides
17. What has led to a large scale destruction of forest cover and arable
land?

Answer: Growing population and their ever growing demand has led to a
large scale destruction of forest cover and arable land.

18. How to prevent surface runoff?

Answer: Forest and other vegetation cover slow the surface runoff and
replenish underground water. Water harvesting is another method to save
surface runoff.
19. Suggest one way to control water pollution.

Answer: Water pollution can be controlled by treating sewage, agricultural

chemicals and industrial effluents suitably before releasing them in water
bodies.

20. What is intercropping?

Answer: Intercropping is a multiple cropping practice in which different crops

are grown in alternate rows and are sown at different times to protect the soil
from rain wash.

21. Why Earth is called water planet?

Answer: Water is a vital renewable natural resource. Three-fourth’s of the

earth’s surface is covered with water. It is therefore appropriately called the
‘water planet’.

22. What is biosphere?

Answer: Natural vegetation and wildlife exist only in the narrow zone of
contact between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere that we call
biosphere.

23. What do you mean by ecosystem?

Answer: In the biosphere living beings are inter-related and interdependent

on each other for survival. This life supporting system is known as the
ecosystem.

24. What is termed as Land use?

Answer: Land is used for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry,

mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries. This is commonly
termed as Land use.
25. Why land is considered an important resource?

Answer: Land is considered an important resource because it is used for

different purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads
and setting up of industries.

26. Which areas are sparsely populated or uninhabited?