CLASS 8 SST GEOGRAPHY - LAND, SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES

Lesson 2

LAND, SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES

 

Learning Objectives

Understand the distribution of natural resources

Know how these resources are utilized

Learn how these resources can be conserved

 

In the previous chapter we learnt that land, soil and water are examples of ………………...

Can you guess how important are these resources for our survival?

Our very existence depends on ……………………………...

Life would not have been possible on Earth without ………………………...

These major natural resources are of ………………………….. for us.

………………., ………………………. and …………………………. are some of the factors that decide the way these resources are utilized.

One has to always keep in mind that ………………………….. of these resources will endanger their availability and quality in future.

Therefore, these resources need to be …………………………………...

 

Land Resources

We meet all our basic needs such as ………………………………… from land.

……………….. is a major resource that has been utilized by human being right from the beginning of their existence on Earth.

 

Remember….

The total land area of India is …………………………….

The land utilization statistics for ………………… of the entire area that is, ……………………… is available.

Out of which the net sown area is ……………………… which amounts to a remarkable ………………..

 

We know that a major portion of the Earth's surface is covered with …………….., only ……………………….. is covered with land.

You will be surprised to know that just …………………… is habitable where …………….. of the world population lives.

…………………… of land area either consists of places such as desert, snow covered mountains, dense forests or inhospitable rocky terrains.

It is almost impossible to live in such extreme conditions.

…………………………… are best suited for habitation.

These are fertile places suitable for …………………… and most of the human needs can be easily fulfilled here.

…………………………… are therefore the most densely populated areas of the world.

 

Land Use

Land is required for a number of purposes such as ……………………………………..

The land use pattern depends on the human factors such as ……………………….. as well as the physical factors such as …………………………………..

As discussed earlier landforms are not the same everywhere, there are ……………………………………………

Land can also be categorized as …………………., ………………….., …………………, ………………., ……………………, ……………….. and so on according to their use.

 

Mountains

……………………. are usually covered with snow and are the source of many rivers.

The major rivers of India arise from the Himalayas such as ………………………………..

Mountains are …………………..

They are usually thinly populated because of ……………………………..

It is impossible to live at the higher altitudes as ………………………………………..

These days …………………………. are being developed and more land is being made ………………………..

In India, places like Shimla and Kashmir are famous for ……………………...

Mountains have always been an attraction for ……………………………….

Mountains are rich in ……………….; ……………………………………….. also abound here.

Ural Mountains at the border of Europe and Asia are rich in …………………………………………………..

The rivers arising from the mountains help ……………………………………..

 

Plateaus

Plateaus are also known as …………………….

They consist of ………………………...

Most of the plateaus are rich in minerals since they were formed by …………………...

……………………., the highest in the world, is spread over an area of some …………………………..

It is also known as …………………………...

In India it sends the monsoons towards ……………………..

The soil of the plateau is ……………………..

The rivers here help ………………………………...

 

Plains

They are densely populated and …………………….. of the world's population has settled in these places.

…………………………. are all present here.

The soil is fertile as ………………………… that flow through the plain.

……………………….. in India is a good example.

The roads and railways are well developed.

Places are well connected.

One doesn't have to pass through difficult terrain.

Raw material and labour for industry is easily available.

All these factors help ………………………………….. leading to ………………………… for the people.

 

Conservation of Land

Land is a very important resource which directly affects our survival.

It needs to be preserved with utmost care.

……………………………………… must be avoided to save it from degradation.

Some of the activities that cause degradation of land resources are:

•       Cutting down forest covers and setting up factories and industries.
•       Using agricultural land for making buildings.
•       Indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemicals.
•       Covering land with concrete.

We need to be …………………… to keep our land resource from degrading.

We must try to …………………… of this valuable resource.

 

Soil

……………………….. is the thin loose covering on the surface of the Earth that provides anchorage and nutrients to plants.

Without soil no agriculture is possible.

It is also a home for …………………. that live inside the soil.

Also, soil provides support to ………………………… and so on.

Soil constitutes inorganic matter such as ………………….., organic matter ……………………………..

 

Formation of Soil

Soil is formed from loose fine particles of ………………………..

………………………….. are the agents of erosion that bring about weathering in the rocks which disintegrate into smaller particles.

……………………………………. also enhance the rate of weathering.

The basic quality of the soil depends on ……………………….. from which it is formed.

 

Remember.

It takes about …………………… to form a 2.5 cm thick layer of fertile soil.

 

With the passage of time these particles become ……………………. and soil layers become ………………..

Soil keeps changing with time as ……………………………..

……………………………… decompose and mix with the soil.

They form the organic part of the soil known as ………………….

Humus adds ………………… to the soil and makes it …………………..

It also makes the soil ……………………. and increases ……………………………. which is essential for plant growth.

…………………………………………. also affect soil formation with their activities.

 

Soil Profile

The different layers of soil are referred to as ……………………..

These layers are known as …………………………….

The way in which the horizons are arranged is known as ………………………..

The soil profile differs from place to place.

Horizon A:

This is the topmost layer or …………………...

It consists of ………………. that supports plant growth.

It holds ………………. and is …………….. in colour.

Horizon B:

This is the area below the horizon A and is known as …………………….

It has very less amount of ……………………… and mainly consists of ……………………..

Horizon C:

This is below horizon B and consists of …………………….. of which horizon A and B are made.

Bedrock:

This is made of solid rock.

 

Types of Soil Found in India

India is a vast country with different geographic features.

There are a variety of soils found here, let us study about them and find out how they differ from each other.

 

Alluvial soil

It is the soil brought down by the rivers.

The loose and weathered material is carried by …………………… and deposited along its banks.

This kind of soil is ……………………..

The best example is ……………………………………...

It forms a huge portion of the land area of India.

This soil is very good for …………………………..

Red soil

As the name suggests, it is reddish in colour due to the presence of ………………………..

It is sandy and is suitable for growing …………………………….., etc.

This kind of soil is found in ………………………………...

Black soil

This soil is good for the growth of cotton therefore it is also known as ………………...

Clay like in nature, it is found in the states of ……………………………………

Laterite soil

This kind of soil is found in …………………………...

The heavy rains wash away …………………………., due to which the top soil loses its nutrients.

…………………………. need to be added to the soil to make it fertile.

This soil, found in ………………………, is suited for the growth of ………………………….

Sandy or Arid soil

Sandy or arid soil is found in ……………………….., which is sandy.

It is dry as …………………………………….

It is not very fertile as …………………………...

Peaty soil

This soil is also known as …………………… as ………………………………..

Due to …………………………………. this soil is rich in humus and is dark in colour.

It is found in ……………………………………… which are covered with evergreen forests.

 

Conservation of soil

You already know that soil is a very important natural resource.

It is required for the sustenance of life on the Earth.

It is imperative to check the degradation of soil.

Soil erosion is …………………………………...

………………………. is the most fertile part of the soil, if it is lost then it leads to the degradation of the soil.

We will read about the methods that can be adopted to check soil degradation.

……………………….. are made in the hilly regions.

In this method, barriers or bundings are made with the help of …………………………..

There are ………………… in front of the barriers to collect water.

………………….. - In this method rocks are collected and stacked to prevent soil erosion.

……………………… includes making flat broad steps on the slopes, which are used for growing crops like rice.

This method prevents soil erosion by …………………………………..

Shelter belts refer to ………………………………..

Intercropping and crop rotation

In intercropping, ………………………………….

Crop rotation is the method of ………………………………….

Both the methods prevent the depletion of nutrients from the soil.

……………………………. to regenerate the nutrients in the field.

In this method no crop is grown on the field for a season or so and the field is left fallow.

Mulching is the method of ……………………………………………….

Water

Water is another life supporting natural resource.

Life first started in ………………….. on the Earth.

The Earth is known as the blue planet because of …………………………………...

………………….. of Earth's surface is covered with water.

The major portion of water, which is about ………………….., is stored in the oceans and seas.

You will be surprised to know that fresh water is only ……………… of the Earth's water, out of which 98.8% is ………………………………………...

Rivers, lakes and the atmosphere contain ……………………. of all fresh water.

 

Water Cycle

Water on Earth continuously moves between the atmosphere, water bodies, surface water, ground water and plants.

This movement of water is known as ………………………….

Scientifically, the water cycle follows ……………………………………...

During this process, water changes from ………………………….. and then again …………………...

Water from oceans, rivers and other water bodies evaporates due to ………………. and changes into …………………….

When the water vapours condense to form ………….. and fall down as ……………………..

This makes water a ……………………. resource.

The rainwater that fills up the water bodies is known as …………………… while some of it seeps inside the Earth and is known as ……………………...

The total volume of water remains …………………. on the Earth, it can neither be …………………..

You might have noticed some places experience ………………. while other places have ………….

Due to certain factors like …………………………. the balance gets disrupted.

 

Water Shortage

Water is not only required for ………………………. but in a number of numerous other important activities like ……………………………..

…………………… is also generated through water.

Due to …………………………………………., the consumption of water has increased manifold.

Availability of fresh water has become a matter of concern either due to ……………………….

There is shortage of water around the world.

………………………………………. are facing a water crisis.

 

Conservation of Water

We are all aware of the importance of water in our life.

This precious resource needs to be conserved for …………………………………...

……………………………………………. need to be adopted.

There is ………………………………….. due to pollution, which is a matter of concern and needs to be checked.

Water resources like …………………………. are either drying up or getting polluted.

…………………………….. enhances runoff which decreases the replenishment of ground water.

……………………………. containing chemicals like ……………………….. degrade and pollute water.

People need to be educated through ……………………………………………….

……………………… can play a major role in educating the public in this field.

…………….. is the primary source of water as …………………… and …………………………...

Much of the rainwater that falls on the ground goes waste as ………………… and ………………..

Collection and utilization of rainwater is known as ……………………………...

 

Remember...

You will be surprised to know that ………………………… is wasted from a leaky tap per year.

This kind of wastage needs to be taken care of because we tend to overlook them.

 

Rainwater can be harnessed on ………………….

………………………………. can also be harnessed.

…………………………………. can be harnessed too.

The water thus harvested can help ……………………………...

It can be used for ……………………………………..

It can also be used for ………………………….

It helps in maintaining ……………………………………..

 

We Now Know

………………… is the most important natural resource which fulfills our basic needs of food, shelter, etc.

Landforms are …………………….. everywhere, there are ………………………………...

Land can be categorized as …………………………………………. according to their use.

Soil is ……………………………………… that provides nutrients to the plants.

Without soil …………………….. is possible.

Soil is formed from …………………………..

The process in which the top soil gets removed is known as ………………………..

Water is …………………… resource. ……………..% of Earth's surface is covered with water.

Water on the Earth continuously moves between ………………………………….

This movement of water is known as the …………………………...

……………………………….. is very essential for life to continue on the Earth.

 

 

Evaluation

A. Fill in the blanks.

1. Soil is formed from loose fine particles of …………………… rocks.

2. Water is a …………………. resource.

3. Rain is the …………………… source of water.

4. The organic part of the soil known as …………………………..

5. Water cycle is scientifically …………………. and ……………………… cycle.

B. Choose the correct answer.

1. Percentage of land that is habitable is

a. 20%

b. 30%

c. 50%

d. 40%

2. Land provides us

a. shelter

b. food

c. minerals

d. all the above

3. The land use pattern depends on

a. population

b. technological advancement

c. land forms

d. all of the above

4. Soil is

a. loose covering on the Earth's surface

b. found below the Earth's surface

c. not required for agriculture

d. none of the above

C. Match the columns.

Column A

1. keeping the field fallow

2. shelter belts

3. horizon A

4. soil erosion

Column B

a. humus

b. regenerates the nutrients

c. soil gets removed

d. checks high velocity winds

D. Answer the following questions.

1. How is land an important resource?

2. What are the factors responsible for land use patterns?

3. Write about the reasons responsible for land degradation.

4. How is soil formed?

5. What is meant by soil profile?

6. What is soil erosion?

7. How can you check soil erosion? Describe any two methods in detail.

8. What is water cycle?

9. Why is it necessary to conserve water?

10. What is water harvesting?

 

Activity Time

A. Interview members of at least 5 families in your neighbourhood and find out how much water is used by each family on daily basis. Take help from the table given in the lesson. What methods are they adopting to conserve water?

B. Find out from your parents or grandparents about the changes in the land use pattern in your locality in the last ten years. Write a report.