Chapter 2

Natural Resources: land, Soil and Water

Reference Notes

❖ Earth is a unique planet because it is the only planet where life is

possible due to the presence of four spheres- Lithosphere, Hydrosphere,
Atmosphere and Biosphere.
❖ Earth’s surface is divided into two parts- land and water.
❖ Land covers about 30% of the total surface area of the earth. Water
covers about 70% of the total surface area of the earth.

LAND RESOURCES

A. Land as a resource:-

i) Meaning of land resource:- Land is the most important natural resource

upon which all human activities related to food, clothing, shelter and
employment are based.

ii) Uses of land:- Land is used for growing crops, building houses,
constructing roads and railway tracks, establishing industries, grazing animals,
mining, etc.

B. Lithosphere:-

i) Meaning of soil:- Lithosphere consists of loose surface material called soil.

ii) Composition of soil:- Soil is a combination of organic and inorganic

matter. Soil also contains water and air, which occupy its pore spaces.

The organic component consists of dead and decomposed parts of animals,

and plants known as Humus.

The inorganic component is formed by rock particles and minerals, such as

lime, iron, etc. as a result of weathering process of rocks.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

C. Reason for uneven distribution of population on land:-

1. About 90% of the world’s population is inhabited in the plain areas of

alluvial soil of the tropical and sub-tropical areas. These are the areas of
intensive crop cultivation with high yields and support dense
population.
2. In contrast sparse population is seen in areas of high altitudes, deserts
and equatorial regions where slopes are steep, temperature is either too
hot or too cold, soils are thin and infertile. The inhabitants of these areas
are engaged in hunting, fishing, gathering and shifting agriculture.

D. Land Use Pattern

i) Meaning of land use pattern:- Land is used for various purposes, such as
agriculture, building of houses, construction of roads and railways, grazing of
animals, etc. This is known as land use pattern. The percentage of land used
for various purposes varies from one region to another.

ii) Factors affecting the utilisation of land:- The utilisation of land is

determined by-

Physical factors- Like relief, soil, climatic conditions, mineral resources, etc.

Human factors- Like density of population and the technological and social
requirements of the people.

iii) Importance of land use pattern:-

1. The study of land use pattern is important for the economic planning of
nation.
2. It helps in assessing shortcomings in the land utilisation.
3. Countries decide the land use according to the development goals and
availability of natural resources.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

E. Reasons for uneven distribution of forest:-

1. According to the scientific norms, 33% area of world should be under

forest to maintain ecological balance. At present, only 31.6% area of the
world is covered by forest. Out of this, 93% of the forests are naturally
occurring while 7% are man-made.
2. The earth’s forest cover is unevenly distributed with some countries
having most of their land covered by forest while others have only
limited forest cover.
3. It is very important to conserve forest by discouraging deforestation and
encouraging afforestation.

F. Need for conservation of land:-

1. The availability of land on earth is limited.

2. There is tough competition between the agriculture and other sectors
over the usage of land.
3. Land also suffers from problems like soil erosion, degradation and
deforestation.

G. Methods for land conservation:-

1. It is essential to reduce land degradation and ensure the optimum use of

land resources for the benefit of present and future generation.

2. Land management should be followed for achieving productive and

balanced ecosystem.
3. The socio-economic needs of the people should be integrated for the
best utilisation of land.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

 SOIL RESOURCES

A. Uses of soil:-

1. For farmers- As a resource soil is of immense value to the farmers.

Agricultural production is mainly dependent upon the fertility of soil. Rich and
deep soil cover, with a high degree of fertility, increases agricultural
production. On the other hand, if the soil cover is shallow and thin, it lacks
fertility. As a result, agricultural production will be less. Thus, fertile soil helps
in maintaining food security of the world.

2. For plants:- A thick layer of fertile soil is very important for the growth of
plants.

3. For animal food:- Animals also depend upon the soil to satisfy their basic
needs, as soil gives nutrients to plants.

4. For animal habitat:- It gives shelter to insects and animals like rats, snakes,
ants, earthworms, etc.

5. Other uses:- Soil is also used for making bricks and pottery.

B. Factors affecting soil formation:-

Soil formation is influenced by five factors-

1. The Parent Rock: The original rock from which soil is formed by the process
of weathering is known as the parent rock.

For example, the black soil of India is derived from the lava rock.

[Link] Topography: Topographical variations such as mountains, plateaus and

plain affect the thickness of soil cover. In mountainous regions, on the steep
slopes, the top layer of soil is shallow and thin. On other hand, at gentle slopes,
the soil cover is thick and deep. Soil cover is always thick in plain.

For example, the northern plains of India have a thick soil cover as compared
to the Himalayas.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

[Link] Climate: Climatic factors like temperature and rainfall, affect the soil
formation. In the areas of high rainfall and extreme temperature, rocks are
weathered easily.

For example, in Rajasthan, due to extreme difference in day and night

temperature, rocks expand and contract, which results in quick formation of
soil. In regions of heavy rainfall, soluble rock material gets dissolved and
washed away by running water.

4. The Vegetation Cover: At times, plants grow in the cracks existing in a rock.
With time, roots of plants start penetrating in the cracks and make them
wider. As a result, cracks disintegrate into smaller pieces and help in the soil
formation. Remains of or decomposed plants and animals provide humus to
the soil which enriches the fertility of the soil.

For example, the soil of densely forested area is rich in humus content.

5. Time: Time gives maturity to the soil. Although soil is a renewable resource,
yet it takes thousands of years to develop a very thin layer of soil on the
earth’s surface.

For example, the Nile delta and the delta formed by the Ganga and
Brahmaputra rivers have very deep and fertile soil cover.

C. Soil Erosion

Meaning:- The removal of the top layer of the soil by natural agents such as
water, wind, glacier etc. is called soil erosion.

Causes:- Soil erosion is caused by mankind’s unwise actions, such as

deforestation, over-grazing and mining.

D. Soil conservation:-

Meaning:- Soil conservation means prevention of soil from being eroded

Methods of soil conservation:-

1. Afforestation is the process of planting more trees and seeds on the

land. It reduces the surface runoff and binds the soil.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

 2. Rows of trees or shelter belts are planted in desert regions to protect
the fields from wind erosion.
3. Steps should be taken to check reckless cutting or felling of trees.
4. Floods should be avoided by building dams across the rivers.
5. Terrace farming and contour ploughing should be encouraged across
the hill slopes.
6. Scientific agricultural practices like rotation of crops, strip cropping, etc,
should be systematically followed.
7. Overgrazing by animals like sheep and goats must be checked. Fodder
crops should be raised. The free movement of animals in the fields
should be restricted.

WATER RESOURCES

Earth is called a WATERY PLANET because nearly 70% of the earth surface is
covered with water.

A. Distribution of water:-

1. About 97% of the earth’s total water is present in the oceans and seas.
2. This is saline water which supports marine life, but is not suitable for
human consumption or for watering crops.
3. The remaining 3% is fresh water, which is found in the following forms:
- 0.32% is available in lakes, river, atmospheric and soil moisture, etc.
- 2% is in the form of ice caps and glaciers.
- 0.68% is available as ground water.

B. Reasons for uneven distribution of water:-

1. Most of the fresh water on the earth is found in the rivers, streams,
lakes, ponds, ice caps and underground water.
2. Fresh water is found in abundance at places which receive heavy rainfall.
Availability of water is less in the areas where rainfall is low.
3. For example -

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

 Areas of high rainfall: Equatorial regions in South America, Africa, and
South-East Asia.

Areas of low rainfall: Tropical deserts- Sahara, Arabian, Central and

Western Australia, Kalahari, Central and Northern Eurasia, Central Asia,
Polar areas, etc.

C. Hydrological Cycle/ Water Cycle:-

• The main source of fresh water is rainfall. The rain water continuously
gets recycled in nature through evaporation, condensation and
precipitation, which is known as hydrological cycle.

D. Pollution of water and its effects:-

• The quality of water in some rivers is adversely affected as the untreated

industrial waste and urban waste is dumped into them, which makes river
water unsuitable for consumption.
• Polluted water, if consumed, causes many diseases like cholera,
jaundice, typhoid, etc.
• Polluted water also disturbs the ecosystem.
E. Multipurpose River Valley Projects:-

Meaning:- Multipurpose River Valley Project is a dam or series of dams that

are constructed across the river for storing water.

Objectives:- The stored water is used for several purposes, such as irrigation,
generating hydroelectricity, afforestation, flood control, navigation, etc.

Examples:- Some major multipurpose river valley projects are- Damodar River
Valley Project and Hirakud Dam in India, Aswan in Egypt and Hoover Valley
Project in USA.

F. Ecological problems caused by large dams-

▪ Extensive forests submerged under water.

▪ River water gets diverted.
▪ Population gets displaced.
▪ Results in soil erosion.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH

 ▪ Aquatic life gets affected.
▪ During excessive rainfall, floods are caused.
G. Conservation of Water:-

Need :-Water is an indispensable resource. The sources of water are limited

and are reducing every year.

Due to the effects of global warming, the frequency of rain has also become
unpredictable. Therefore, it is very essential to conserve water.

Methods of conservation of water:-

• Water harvesting is one of the methods of saving surface water

runoff.
• The surface water runoff can be minimised by having vegetation
cover to improve underground storage.
• The demand of water for industries can be met by recycled water.
• The domestic demand can also be reduced by using modern
methods of recycling. The already used water can be reused for
watering plants, flushing toilets, etc.
• Water can be saved by adopting modern methods of irrigation,
such as drip or trickle irrigation technique and sprinkler method of
irrigation.
• The rain water can be impounded by making dams across the
rivers.
• Water can be conserved by installing water fixtures, such as
sensor taps in public places.
• Maintenance of lakes and ponds also helps in increasing the
aquifer(water table) of underground water.
• Water can be conserved by educating and sensitising people
towards the urgent need to conserve water and not to waste fresh
water.

HANSRAJ MODEL SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH