Chapter 1
Chapter 1
EXERCISES
1 . Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab?
(a) Intensive cultivation (c) Over irrigation
(b) Deforestation (d) Overgrazing
Ans : d
(ii) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised?
(a) Punjab (c) Haryana
(b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh (d) Uttarakhand
(iii) In which of the following states black soil is predominantly found?
(a) Uttar Pradesh (c) Rajasthan
(b) Maharashtra (d) Jharkhand
2 . Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Name three states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it.
Answer: (i) Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and sugarcane.
(ii) What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main features of this type of soil.
Answer: Alluvial soil
a) Alluvial soils are very fertile.
b) As it has more kankar nodules, old alluvial is less fertile than new alluvial.
c) They are ideal for growing sugarcane, wheat and paddy.
(iii) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?
Answer: In the hilly areas, soil erosion can be controlled b y ploughing across contour lines, making use of terrace farming techniques and using strips of grass to check erosion by wind and water.
3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Explain land use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not increased much since 1960-61?
Answer: (i) The land resources of India are mainly divided into agricultural land, forest land, land destined for pasture and grazing, and waste land. Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas, and land used for other non-agricultural purposes such as housing, roads and industry. According to the latest data, about 54% of the total land area is cultivated or fields, 22.5% is covered by forest, and 3.45% is used for pasture. The rest is wasteland, with traces of miscellaneous cultivation.
Improper use of forest land has degraded the amount of available land, and made it difficult to conserve forests. Human activities such as deforestation, mining and quarrying have contributed to the slow rate of forest growth. Thus, since 1960-61, the land under forest has increased by only about 4%.
(ii) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources?
Answer: Technical and economic developments have led to greater utilization of resources due to various factors. During the colonial period, imperialist powers used their technological and economic superiority to establish control over other countries and thereby gain access to the resources of the latter. Now the wealth of a country became accessible to the citizens of its colonial rulers as well, thus increasing consumption. Also, due to technical and economic advances, the population is increasing due to lower mortality rates at all ages. With the development of medicine and healthcare, fewer people die from accidents, diseases, childbirth, etc. This has also contributed to greater use of resources.
PROJECT/ACTIVITY
1 . Make a project showing consumption and conservation of resources in your locality.
Answer:
2. Have a discussion in the class – how to conserve various resources used in your school.
Answer:
3. Imagine if oil supplies get exhausted, how will this affect our life style?
Answer:
4. Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the hidden answers.
Answer:
(i) Natural endowments in the form of land, water, vegetation and minerals.
(ii) A type of non-renewable resource.
(iii) Soil with high water retaining capacity.
(iv) Intensively leached soils of the monsoon climate.
