Long Answer – Class 10 – Social Science -Geography-Chapter 1 – Resource and Development

Class10- Long Answer-Geography-Ch1- Resource and Development

Q1.How are human activities responsible for the degradation of land?

Ans : a. Mining: Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars in states such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. Deforestation due to mining has caused severe land degradation.

b. Over irrigation: Over irrigation in the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, has caused water logging and increase in salinity of soil.

c. Overgrazing: Overgrazing in states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is a huge cause due to cattle population

d. Industries: Mineral processing industry like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust. This retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil.

e. Industrial waste: Industrial effluents also have become a major source of land degradation.

Q2. What are the four main factors which help in the formation of soil ?

Ans : The main factors that help in soil formation are : a. Parent rock : It influences the colour and texture of the soil. The mineral content of the soil also depends on the parent rock from which it is formed.

b. Climate : It influences the rate and types of weathering and erosion of the rocks. Weathering of the parent rocks due to climatic factors and natural forces leads to disintegration of rocks. Subsequently, this leads to the formation of soil.

c. Time : It determines the maturity of the soil. Soil is a living system. It takes millions of years to form soil upto a few centimetres in depth.

d. Relief: This refers to the landscape position and the slopes. Steep and long slopes mean water will run down faster and potentially erode the surfaces

Q3. What is meant by ‘Land Resource’ ?

 Ans : We live on land and it satisfies our needs in all the possible ways. Land resource, thus is, of much importance for us which includes forests, mountains, plains, plateaus and islands.

These support natural vegetation, wild life, economic activities, and transport and communication systems.

Therefore, it is necessary for us to use these resources in a wise manner and with careful planning, we should develop holistic and ecological approach towards economic development without compromising the ability of resources to future generations to meet their needs.

Though we have the right to meet our present needs by consuming natural resources, we should not deprive the future generations from it.

Q4. What is the purpose of ‘Land Utilisation’ ?

Ans : Land resources are used for the following purposes :

a. Forests.

b. Land not available for cultivation :

 (1) Barren and waste land.

(2) Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g., buildings, roads, factories, etc.

c. Other uncultivated land :

(1) Permanent pastures and grazing land.

(2) Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves.

(3) Cultural waste land’left uncultivated for more than 5 years.

 d. Fallow lands:

 (1) Current fallow land left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year.

(2) Other than current fallow land, left uncultivated for the past one to five years. e. Net sown area, sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as gross cropped area.