Important Questions CBSE Class 10th : Social Science Year 2009 (Solved)
(Land and Soil Resources)

Question .1. What are natural resources?
Answer : Natural gifts in the form of land, water, vegetation and minerals are called natural resources and Rule.

Question .2. Give examples of human-made resources?
Answer : Examples of human-made resources are:-
(i) Buildings (ii) Villages (iii) Cities (iv) Machines (v) Industries (vi) Roads (vi) Railways

Question .3. How was black soil formed?
Answer : Black soils have been formed from the weathered lava flows found in the Deccan Trap region.

Question .4. Where are black soils found in India?
Answer : Black soils are found in Maharastra, Western Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat states of India.

Question .5. Why is conservation of resources necessary?
Answer : Conservation of resources is necessary means the resources should be used in a judicious and planned way. Non-renewable resources like minerals demand extra care as they cannot be renewed.

Question .6. Name inexhaustible resources of energy?
Answer : Conservation of resources is necessary means the resources should be used in a judicious and planned way. Non-renewable resources like minerals demand extra care as they cannot be renewed.

Question .7. What is resource development?
Answer : Resource development is not an exploitation but preservation and reuse of the resources to satisfy human need.

Question .8. What is resource planning?
Answer : It is a technique or skill of proper utilization of resources. It involves the three stage as follows:-
(i) Preparation of inventory of resources
(ii) Evaluation in terms of availability for development
(iii) Planning for exploitation of resources.

Question .9. Classify resources on the basis of origin and availability?
Answer : Types of resources on the basis of their origin:-
(i) Biotic
(ii) Abiotic
Types of resources on the basis of their availability:-
(i) Renewable or inexhaustible resources
(ii) Non-renewable or exhaustible resources

Question .10. Give examples each of resources on the basis of origin?
Answer : (i) Biotic resources:- forest and animals.
(ii) Abiotic resources:-water and soil.

Question .11. What do you mean by land degradation?
Answer : Land degradation is the depletion of the land due to faulty agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation and mining.

Question .12. Name the biotic minerals?
Answer : Land degradation is the depletion of the land due to faulty agricultural practices, overgrazing, deforestation and mining.

Question .13. What precaution should be taken while using the natural resources?
Answer : We should keep in mind the following:-
(i) The nature of resources
(ii) The type of resources
(iii) The size of their reserves

Question .14. State some examples of exhaustible resources which are renewable?
Answer : Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron etc are exhaustible but can be reused.

Question .15. Give three examples of renewable resources?
Answer : Forests, Wildlife, Water, Solar, Wind and Tidal energy.

Question .16. State resources used by industries.
Answer : Forest, Agriculture, Wildlife, Water, Mineral and Power resources.

Question .17. How soil is formed?
Answer : Soil is formed by the number of process and the most important of them are:-
(i) Parent rock
(ii) Climate
(iii) Local topography
(iv) Long period of time

Question .18. State some adverse effect of increasing agricultural production?
Answer : To increase agricultural production, insecticides and fertilizers are used which causes pollution and effect plant and animal life.

Question .19. What are the effects of mining?
Answer : Unscientific practices of mining releases dust and smoke and land becomes unsuitable for agriculture.

Question .20. Which resources demand extra care and why? Give examples?
Answer : Non-renewable resources demand extra care because they can’t be renewed and their supply is limited.
Example:- Coal, Petroleum and other minerals.

Question .21. How soil is the basic resources of agriculture?
Answer : Plants and crops grow on soil and its growth depends upon the fertility of the soil.

Question .22. How soil erosion is caused?
Answer : Soil erosion is caused due to wind, rain and human activities.

Question .23. Mention the names of any two major soil types found in India?
Answer : (i) Alluvial soil (ii) Black or Regur soil.

Question .24. Write two salient features of Khadar soil?
Answer : Khadar is the new alluvium containing fine particles. It is renewed frequently and is more fertile.

Question .25. Name four broad types of soils found in India. Mention two characteristics of a soil which is most important and widespread?
Answer : Four broad types of soils found in India are:-
(i) Alluvial soil
(ii) Black/Regur soil
(iii) Red soil
(iii) Laterite soil
The most important and widespread soil is alluvial soil. It’s Characteristics are:-
(i) This soil is formed by the deposits of the river.
(ii) It covers about 43% of the total area.
(iii) The soil is very fertile.

Question .26. Name two nutrients in which alluvial soil is deficient. Briefly write how fertility of soil affected distribution of population?
Answer : Alluvial soil is deficient in organic and nitrogenous nutrients. The distribution of population are affected as:-
(i) Due to fertile alluvial soil West Bengal is densely populated.
(ii) The Northern plains are densely populated due to the same reason.
(iii) Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir are sparsely populated due to presence of desert and mountain soil.

Question .27. State the methods of controlling soil erosion?
Answer : The methods are:-
(i) Reducing flow of water by constructing small bunds.
(ii) Planting trees [Afforestation]
(iii) Contour ploughing
(iv) Avoiding overgrazing

Question .28. State the land use pattern in India?
Answer : Net sown area = 46%
Forest cover = 22%
Culturable wasteland = 05%
Fallow land = 08%
Permanent Pastures = 04%
Wasteland = 14%
Tree crops = 01%

Question .29. Explain how human activities have caused land degradation?
Answer :
(i) Overgrazing and deforestation have destroyed the vegetation.
(ii) Surface mining have caused degradation of the land.
(iii) The mineral processing like:-
(a) Grinding of limestone in cement industries.
(b) Grinding of calcite and soapstone in ceramic industries which generates large amount of dust and release in the atmosphere.
When it settles down in the surrounding area and affects infiltration of water and crop cultivation.

Question .30. Distinguish between Natural Resources and Cultural Resources?
Answer :

Question .31. Distinguish between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources?
Answer :

Question .32. Distinguish between Reusable and Non-reusable resources?
Answer :

Question .33. Differentiate between Red soil and Laterite soil?
Answer :

Question .34. Differentiate between Alluvial soil and Black soil?
Answer :

Question .35. Differentiate between Khadar soil and Bhangar soil?
Answer :

Question .36. Differentiate between Biotic and Abiotic resources?
Answer :

Question .37. What are the roles of human being in the process of resources development and management?
Answer : (i) Economic development of a nation depends mainly on the richness, development and management of resources.
(ii) Overpopulation results in overexploitation of resources.
(iii) To increase agricultural production, fertilizers and insecticides are used. This causes pollution and affects animal and plant life.(iv) Unscientific exploitation of mineral releases dust and affect the fertility of the land.

Question .38. Why is resources necessary for human beings?
Answer : (i) Natural resources are gift to a nation. These are the backbone of the economy of the nation.
(ii) These provide base for the economic development of a nation.These help us to create goods or provide services. Human have created their own world of living by utilizing these resources.
(iii) Both natural resources e.g. soil, water, minerals etc and man-made resources e.g. cities, machines etc are essential for living.

Question .39. Describe briefly the distribution of alluvial and black soil in India?
Answer : Alluvial soils are formed by the deposition of silt brought by rivers. These are found in the Northern Plains from Punjab, Rajasthan to the Brahmaputra valley in Assam. These are also found in coastal plains formed by the deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery.
Black soils formed by the weathering of lava flows in the North-western part of the Deccan plateau. These covers the area in Gujarat, Mharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Question .40. How does industry cause land degradation?
Answer : The mineral processing like grinding of:-
(a) lime stone for cement industry
(b) soapstone for ceramic industry generate and release heavy amount of dust to the atmosphere. It settles down in the
surrounding areas and affects infiltration of water and crop cultivation. Industrial effluents and wastes have became the major
cause of land and water pollution.

Question .41. Which is the most important soil of India? Write three main characteristics of this soil?
Answer : The most important soil of India is alluvial soil. It covers over 43% of the total area.The characteristics of alluvial soil are:-(i) These are formed by the silt deposition of rivers.
(ii) These are fertile.
(iii) They have a fine particles.
(iv) There are two types of alluvial soil – Khadar and Bhangar.

Question .42. Why is conservation of resources necessary? Discuss the methods of conservation of soil resources?Answer : Conservation of resources is judicious and planned use of natural resources as improper and overuse may deplete them.Methods of conservation of soil resources:-
(i) Overgrazing should be avoided as it may destroy the vegetation cover.
(ii) Contour planning should be adopted.
(iii) Terracing should be done to form steps which will check the speed of flow of water and reduce erosion.
(iv) Shrubs and trees should be planted to check the force of the wind.
(v) Deforestation should be avoided.
(vi) Different plant with different harvesting period should be grown in strips, so that the farm is not without plants at any time.

Question .43. What is fallow land ? Give two examples showing how it is converted into cultivated land?
Answer : Fallow land is cultivated once in two or three years to conserve moisture and regain fertility. This land is 5 to 7 percent in India. It is converted into cultivated land by:-
(i) Making irrigation available.
(ii) The greater use of fertilizers.

Question .44. How are alluvial soils formed? How is ‘Bhangar’ alluvium different from ‘Khadar’?
Answer : Alluvial soils are formed by the deposition of silt brought by the rivers in the river basins and coastal plains.
For difference see Q. No. 35.

Question .45. Describe the land use pattern of India?
Answer : (i) The land is a fixed asset. It should be used in a planned manner.
(ii) Land use data is available for 93% of the area as follows:-
Net shown area ------------- 46%
Forest covers ---------------22%
Culturable waste land ------05%
Fallow land ------------------ 08%
Permanent pasture ---------- 04%
Waste land ------------------- 14%
Tree crops -------------------- 01%
(iii) The net sown area and the land under forests have increased.
(iv) The land under permanent pasture is 4% which is very low. Cattle are reared mainly on farm wastes, grain chaff and few
fodder crops.
(v) If the fallow land is included under cultivated area, the net sown area would increase.