Land and Soil

Resources
By Mohammed Taha
And Aazim
Subahani
Land Resources
Humans live on land and fulfil most of their needs by
products obtained from land. It provides most of our
requirement for food, clothing and shelter. However, only
a small portion of the total surface area of the earth is
covered by land, making its availability for human use
very limited. Even this small amount is not all suitable
for human habitation.
About 90% of the world’s population lives in only 30%
of its land area. The rest of the land is either very thinly
populated or uninhabited. This is due to the harsh
climatic conditions or inhospitable relief features in these
areas
 95%
Of our requirement for food, clothing and shelter is obtained from
land
 30%
Of the total surface area of the Earth is covered by
land
Land use
The term ‘land use’ denotes
the different uses that land is
put to such as cultivation,
grazing, mining,
constructing roads, houses
and other buildings and
setting up of industries.
Factors affecting land
use
The amount of land put to a particular use varies from one region to another. The
utilisation of land depends upon various factors, both physical and human.
Physical factors
The physical factors of a region such as relief features, soil, climate, natural vegetation,
availability of water and minerals are important in deciding the land use of the region.
The river plains, which are made up of rich alluvial deposits are very fertile. They are,
thus, used for the cultivation of crops. The Ganga plain in India and the Hwang Ho Basin
in China are good examples. The high mountain slopes may not be suitable for
agriculture, but their thick forest cover and scenic beauty is a source of attraction for
tourists.
The plates regions of the world, like the African plateau or the Deccan plateau in
India, are storehouses of minerals. Mining activities and related industries are most
common in these areas.
Human and economic factors
These are also important in determining the type of land use. For example, in
densely populated areas, farmlands or forests may be cleared for constructing
buildings , roads and railways to meet the demands of the people .
Another example is the prairies of the USA and Canada where the development of
roads and railways has converted much of these grasslands into extensive farms of
wheat and corn.
COUNTRY CROPLAND PASTURE FOREST OTHER

India 57 4 22 17

UK 29 46 10 15

USA 21 26 32 21

Australia 6 56 32 21

Brazil 9 20 66 5

China 10 34 14 42

Canada 5 4 39 52
Conservation of land
Land is a finite resource. To make optimum utilisation of land, its use should be
planned properly. The nature of the land and the needs of the local people have to be
taken into account while preparing the land use plan. Unplanned and haphazard land
use may cause serious problems like shortage of farmlands, soil erosion and
desertification.
Some of the measures that could prevent land degradation are:
- afforestation,
- planting of shelter belts
- controlling soil erosion
- check on overgrazing
- scientific methods of agriculture
- controlled use of fertilisers and pesticides
- control on wasteful mining
- proper management of waste lands
Soil Resources
Soil is the uppermost layer of the Earth’s
crust. It’s a mixture of fine powdered,
rocky material and humus. The thin top
layer of the soil is very important for the
growth of plants. The process of soil
formation is very slow, taking thousands
of years to get a 2-3 cm thick layer of
soil.
Soil profile
Topsoi
l• The very fine particles of rock such
as clay, silt and sand form the upper
layer of the soil. This layer also
contains humus. Roots of plants are
confined to this layer
Subsoi
l Below the topsoil is the subsoil.
•
Rainwater collects in this layer. It
is made up of weathered rock, silt,
clay and some nutrients such as
soluble minerals and iron oxides
Substratum
• This layer lies in between the
subsoil and the parent bedrock. It
consists of weathered rocks.
Bedrock
• The last layer, at the bottom of
the soil profile, is the parent
bedrock. It is a solid layer of
unweathered rock.
Soil Formation
Soil formation
Nature of the parent rock

The original rock from which the soil is formed is called the parent rock. The basic material of the soil
and the minerals present in it will depend upon the type of parent rock. For example, clayey soil is
derived from shale which is a type of rock while sandy soil comes from the weathering of sandy stone

Climatic Conditions

The climatic conditions, particularly temperature and precipitation, affect soil formation. Greater
variations of temperature and more moisture in air increase in the rate of weathering, thereby
accelerating the process of soil formation.
Topograph
y
The topography or slope of the land in a particular region is also important. On a steep slope the
weathered rock particles cannot get deposited as they keep sliding down the slope under the force of
gravity. On gentle slopes and flat lands, however, soil gets accumulated easily.

Humus

Humus or the dead remains of plants and animals provides organic matter to the soil and adds to its
fertility.

Time

Time is a very big factor in the formation of soil. It gives maturity to the soil. The old layers of the soil
will be deeper than the newly formed ones because they have taken a long time in their formation.
Agents of erosion

The various agents of erosion such as running water and wind, also contribute in soil formation by
depositing the materials carried by them. For example, the river plains are covered with fertile alluvial
soil. Loess is a type of soil deposited by wind.
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YOU