Recourse and development.

Questions & Answers Chapter 1.pmd (ncert.nic.in)
Q.1. Define a resource.
Ans:
Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as Resource.
Resources are a function of human activities. Human beings themselves are essential components of resources. They transform material available in our environment into resources and use them.

Q.2. How resources are classified?
Ans:
Resources can be classified in the following ways –
(a) On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic
(b) On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable and non-renewable
(c) On the basis of ownership – individual, community, national and international
(d) On the basis of status of development – potential, developed stock and reserves.

Q.3. what is meant by biotic resources?
Ans:
Biotic resources are obtained from biosphere and have life such as human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.

Q.4. what is meant by abiotic resources?
Ans:
All those things which are composed of non-living things are called abiotic resources. For example, rocks and metals.

Q.5. what is meant by renewable resource?
Ans:
The resources which can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes are known as renewable or replenishable resources. For example, solar and wind energy, water, forests and wildlife, etc.

Q.6. what is meant by non-renewable resource?
Ans:
Non-renewable resources occur over a very long geological time. Minerals and fossil fuels are examples of such resources. These resources take millions of years in their formation. Some of the resources like metals are recyclable and some like fossil fuels cannot be recycled and get exhausted with their use.

Q.7. what is meant by individual resources?
Ans:
Individual resources are owned privately by individuals. Many farmers own land which is allotted to them by government against the payment of revenue. Urban people own plots, houses and other property. Plantation, pasture lands, ponds, water in wells etc. are some of the examples of resources ownership by individuals.
Q.8. what is meant by community resource?
Ans:
Community resources are resources which are accessible to all the members of the community. Village commons (grazing grounds, burial grounds, village ponds, etc.) public parks, picnic spots, playgrounds in urban areas are examples of community resource.

Q.9. what is meant by national resource?
Ans:
All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within the political boundaries and oceanic area upto 12 nautical miles (19.2 km) from the coast termed as territorial water and resources therein belong to the nation.

Q.10. what is meant by potential resource?
Ans:
Potential resources are resources which are found in a region, but have not been utilised. For example, the western parts of India particularly Rajasthan and Gujarat have enormous potential for the development of wind and solar energy, but so far these have not been developed properly.

Q.11. Define a stock.
Ans:
Materials in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but human beings do not have the appropriate technology to access these, are included among stock. For example, water is a compound of two inflammable gases; hydrogen and oxygen which can be used as a rich source of energy, but we do not have the required technical ‘know-how’ to use them for this purpose. Hence, it can be considered as stock.

Q.12. what are reserves?
Ans:
Reserves are the subset of the stock, which can be put into use with the help of existing technical ‘know-how’ but their use has not been started. These can be used for meeting future requirements. River water can be used for generating hydroelectric power but presently, it is being utilised only to a limited extent. Thus, the water in the dams, forests etc. are a reserve which can be used in the future.

Q.13. Discuss some major problems that have surfaced due to indiscriminate use of resources.
Ans:
Indiscriminate use of resources by human beings has led to the following major problems.

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

Q.14. why is resource planning essential?
Ans:

• An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace.
• If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues, the future of our planet is in danger.
• Therefore, resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life.
• Sustainable existence is a component of sustainable development.

Q.15. what is meant by sustainable development?
Ans:
Sustainable economic development means ‘development should take place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.’

Q.16. write a note on Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992.
Ans:

• In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first International Earth Summit.
• The Summit was convened for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection and socioeconomic development at the global level.
• The assembled leaders signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological Diversity.
• The Rio Convention endorsed the global Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for achieving Sustainable Development in the 21st century.

Q.17. write a note on Agenda 21.
Ans:

• It is the declaration signed by 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.
• One major objective of the Agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.

Q.18. why there is a need for balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional and local levels?
Ans:

• Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources.
• It has importance in a country like India, which has enormous diversity in the availability of resources.
• There are regions which are rich in certain types of resources but are deficient in some other resources.
• There are some regions which can be considered self sufficient in terms of the availability of resources and there are some regions which have acute shortage of some vital resources.
• For example, the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits while Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural development. The state of Rajasthan is very well endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks in water resources. The cold desert of Ladakh is relatively isolated from the rest of the country. It has very rich cultural heritage but it is deficient in water, infrastructure and some vital minerals.
• This calls for balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional and local levels.

Q.19. Explain the process of resource planning.
Ans:
Resource planning is a complex process which involves:
(i)                  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.
(ii)                Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.
(iii)               Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.

Q.20. the conservation of resources is important. Explain.
Ans:
Resources are vital for any developmental activity. But irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems. To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.
.20. the conservation of resources is important. Explain.
Ans:
Resources are vital for any developmental activity. But irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems. To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.

Q.21. Land is a resource. Explain.
Ans:
We live on land, we perform our economic activities on land and we use it in different ways. Thus, land is a natural resource of utmost importance. It supports natural vegetation, wild life, human life, economic activities, and transport and communication systems. However, land is an asset of a finite magnitude, therefore, it is important to use the available land for various purposes with careful planning.

Q.22. write a note on land resources in India.
Ans:

• India has land under a variety of relief features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains and islands.
• About 43 per cent of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.
• Mountains account for 30 per cent of the total surface area of the country and ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects
• About 27 per cent of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.

Q.23. write a note on land utilization in India.
Ans:
Land resources are used for the following purposes:
1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation
(a) Barren and waste land
(b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land)
(a) Permanent pastures and grazing land,
(b) Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area),
(c) Cultivable waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
4. Fallow lands
(a) Current fallow-(left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year),
(b) Other than current fallow-(left uncultivated for the past 1 to 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.24. Give reasons for land degradation in India.
Ans:

• There are about 130 million hectares of degraded land in India.
• Approximately, 28 per cent of it belongs to the category of forest degraded area, 56 per cent of it is water eroded area and the rest is affected by saline and alkaline deposits.
• Some human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and quarrying too have contributed significantly in land degradation.
• Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars and traces of over-burdening.
• In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa deforestation due to mining have caused severe land degradation.
• In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
• In the states of 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.

Q.25. Discuss some of the ways to solve the problem of land degradation.
Ans:

• There are many ways to solve the problems of land degradation.
• Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to some extent.
• Planting of shelter belts of plants, controls on over grazing, stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes are some of the methods to check land degradation.
• 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.26. Soil is a resource. Explain.
Ans:

• Soil is the most important renewable natural resource.
• It is the medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on the earth.
• The soil is a living system. It takes millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth.
• Relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are important factors in the formation of soil.
• Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions of running water, wind and glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil.
• Chemical and organic changes which take place in the soil are equally important. Soil also consists of organic (humus) and inorganic materials

Q.27. How is soil classified?
Ans:
On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation, colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical and physical properties, the soils of India can be classified in different types.

Q.28. Write a short note on alluvial soil.
Ans:

• This is the most widely spread and important soil. In fact, the entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil.
• These have been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems– the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
• The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
• As we move inlands towards the river valleys, soil particles appear some what bigger in size.
• In the upper reaches of the river valley i.e. near the place of the break of slope, the soils are coarse.
• Such soils are more common in piedmont plains such as Duars, Chos and Terai.
• Apart from the size of their grains or components, soils are also described on the basis of their age.
• According to their age alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar).
• The bangar soil has higher concentration of kankernodules than the Khadar. It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the bangar.
• Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile. Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
• Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

Q.29. Write a short note on Black soil.
Ans:

• These soils are black in colour and are also known as regur soils.
• Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.
• It is believed that climatic conditions along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil.
• This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows.
• The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material.
• They are well-known for their capacity to hold moisture. In addition, they are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.
• These soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents.
• They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
• These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.

Q.30. write a short note on red and yellow soils.
Ans:

• Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
• Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
• These soils develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
• It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

Q.31. write a short note on laterite soil.
Ans:

• Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘later’ which means brick.
• The laterite soil develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall.
• This is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
• Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro organisms, particularly the decomposers, like bacteria, get destroyed due to high temperature.
• Laterite soils are suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers.
• These soils are mainly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and the hilly areas of Orissa and Assam.
• After adopting appropriate soil conservation techniques particularly in the hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.
• Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for crops like cashew nut.

Q.32. write a short note on arid soil.
Ans:

• Arid soils range from red to brown in colour.
• They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature.
• In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.
• Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and moisture.
• The lower horizons of the soil are occupied byKankar because of the increasing calcium content downwards.
• The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the infiltration of water.
• After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable as has been in the case of western Rajasthan.

Q.33. write a short note on forest soil.
Ans:

• These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are available.
• The soils texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are formed.
• They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
• In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic with low humus content.
• The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.

Q.34. Explain the process of soil erosion.
Ans:

• The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion.
• The processes of soil formation and erosion go on simultaneously and generally there is a balance between the two.
• Sometimes, this balance is disturbed due to human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc., while natural forces like wind, glacier and water lead to soil 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 bad land. In the Chambal basin such lands are called ravines.
• Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. In such cases the top soil is washed away. This is known as sheet erosion.
• Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion.
• Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming.
• Ploughing in a wrong way i.e. up and down the slope form channels for the quick flow of water leading to soil erosion.

Q.35. Define contour ploughing.
Ans:
Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing.
Q.36. which steps can be taken for soil conservation.
Ans:

• Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing.
• Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. Western and central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming.
• 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 also works in a similar way. Rows of such trees are called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India.