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Resources and Development: TBSE Class 10 Geography answers
Get here the notes, questions, answers, textbook solutions, summary, additional/extras, and PDF of TBSE (Tripura Board) Class 10 madhyamik Social Science (Geography/Contemporary India II) Chapter “Resources and Development.” However, the provided notes should only be treated as references, and the students are encouraged to make changes to them as they feel appropriate.
Summary
The process of transforming natural objects into useful resources involves an intricate relationship between technology, nature, and institutions. Human interaction with the environment is achieved by using technology to generate institutions that aim to boost economic development.
Many people wrongly assume that resources are freely available from nature, but the fact is that human activities create them. Humans are the key components that convert materials from the environment into resources that are later utilized. Resources are categorized based on their origin, exhaustibility, ownership, and status of development.
Biotic resources are derived from the biosphere and include life forms such as human beings, flora, fauna, fisheries, and livestock. In contrast, abiotic resources are non-living objects, such as rocks and metals.
Renewable resources can be replenished by physical, chemical, or mechanical processes, such as solar and wind energy, water, forests, and wildlife. Renewable resources can be continuous or flow resources.
Non-renewable resources, on the other hand, take geological time to form, such as minerals and fossil fuels. Some resources like metals are recyclable, while others such as fossil fuels cannot be recycled and get depleted after use.
Individuals, communities, nations, or international institutions can own resources. Private resources are those owned by individuals, such as farmland or property. Community-owned resources are available to everyone, such as public parks and urban playgrounds. National resources belong to the country and can be acquired by the government for public use.
Urban Development Authorities have legal powers to acquire land for public projects like roads, canals, and railways. Minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within political boundaries, and oceanic areas up to 12 nautical miles from the coast are classified as territorial water and belong to the nation. International institutions regulate resources such as the oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Earth’s resources can be classified as potential, developed, stock, and reserves. Potential resources are found in a region but have not yet been utilized, while developed resources have been surveyed and have determined for use. Stock resources are materials in the environment that are capable of satisfying human needs, but due to lack of appropriate technology, humans can’t access them. Reserves are a subset of stock resources that can be used with existing technical knowledge, but their use has not started.
Resource development and sustainability must be taken into account to avoid depletion caused by indiscriminate exploitation, greed, and accumulation in few hands, resulting in global ecological crises. Sustainable development includes sustainable living, and resource planning is crucial for sustainable development plans. India, with its diverse resources, requires balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional, and local levels. Resource planning involves identifying resources, evolving appropriate technology and institutional setups, and matching resource development plans with national development plans.
Textual questions and answers
Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which one of the following type of resource is iron ore?
(a) Renewable
(b) Biotic
(c) Flow
(d) Non-renewable
Answer: d) Non-renewable
(ii) Under which of the following type of resource tidal energy cannot be put?
(a) Replenishable
(b) Human-made
(c) Abiotic
(d) Non-recyclable
Answer: d) Non-recyclable
(iii) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab?
(a) Intensive cultivation
(b) Deforestation
(c) Over irrigation
(d) Overgrazing
Answer: c) Over irrigation
(iv) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised?
(a) Punjab
(b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh
(c) Haryana
(d) Uttarakhand
Answer: d) Uttarakhand
(v) In which of the following states black soil is predominantly found?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Jharkhand
Answer: b) Maharashtra
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: Black soil is predominantly found in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Cotton is the main crop grown on this type of soil.
(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: The type of soil found in the river deltas of the eastern coast is alluvial soil.
The three features of this type of soil are:
i. The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt, and clay.
ii. Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile.
iii. It contains an adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid, and lime.
(iii) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?
Answer: To control soil erosion in hilly areas, contour ploughing can be used to slow down the flow of water down slopes. Terrace cultivation can also be used to restrict erosion, and planting shelter belts of plants can help protect the soil. Strip cropping can also be used to divide large fields into smaller sections.
(iv) What are the biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples.
Answer: Biotic resources are resources that come from living organisms. Abiotic resources are resources that come from non-living things. Examples of biotic resources include water, forests, and wildlife, while examples of abiotic resources include iron ore and coal.
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: In India, land use patterns are divided into several categories. About 43 percent of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry. Mountains account for 30 percent of the total surface area of the country and ensure the perennial flow of some rivers, providing facilities for tourism and ecological aspects. About 27 percent of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels, and forests. The land under permanent pasture has also decreased.
The net sown area and the land under forests have changed from 1960–61 to 2008–09 very marginally due to a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons is that the policy of 1952, which was considered essential for the maintenance of the ecological balance, was not implemented properly. The land under permanent pasture has also decreased, which has made it difficult to feed the huge cattle population on this pasture land. Additionally, most of the other than the current fallow lands are either of poor quality or the cost of cultivation of such land is very high. This has resulted in these lands being cultivated once or twice in about two to three years, which affects the net sown area percentage of India.
(ii) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources?
Answer: Technical and economic development have led to an increase in the consumption of resources in several ways. Firstly, with the advancement of technology, more efficient and effective methods of production have been developed, leading to increased consumption of resources. This is because production processes have become more efficient and require more resources to produce the same amount of output. Secondly, economic development has also led to an increase in consumption of resources as more people are able to afford goods and services, leading to an increase in demand for resources. Additionally, economic development has also led to an increase in the number of industries, which require resources for production. Finally, economic development has also led to an increase in the number of people who are able to travel, leading to an increase in the consumption of resources for transportation.
Additional/extra questions and answers/solutions and MCQs
1. Are resources free gifts of nature?
Answer: No, resources are not free gifts of nature as is assumed by many. Resources are a function of human activities.
Q. In how many ways can resources be classified and what are they?
Answer: Resources can be classified in four 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. What are the different classifications of resources based on ownership?
Answer: Resources can be classified on the basis of ownership into four categories: individual, community, national, and international.
Q. What are biotic resources?
Answer: Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere and have life such as human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock, etc.
Q. What are abiotic resources?
Answer: Abiotic resources are composed of non-living things such as rocks and metals.
Q. What are renewable resources?
Answer: Renewable resources are resources that can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical, or mechanical processes. Examples of renewable resources include solar and wind energy, water, forests, and wildlife.
Q. What are non-renewable resources?
Answer: Non-renewable resources occur over a very long geological time. Minerals and fossil fuels are examples of such resources.
Q. Why do non-renewable resources take millions of years in their formation?
Answer: Non-renewable resources take millions of years in their formation because they occur over a very long geological time.
Q. Can all non-renewable resources be recycled?
Answer: No, not all non-renewable resources can be recycled. Some like metals are recyclable and some like fossil fuels cannot be recycled and get exhausted with their use.
Q. What are individual resources?
Answer: Individual resources are owned privately by individuals. Examples of individual resources include land, plots, houses, plantations, pasture lands, ponds, and water in wells.
Q. What are community-owned resources?
Answer: Community-owned resources are accessible to all the members of the community. Examples of community-owned resources include village commons, public parks, picnic spots, and playgrounds in urban areas.
Q. What are national resources?
Answer: National resources belong to the nation. The country has legal powers to acquire even private property for public good. Examples of national resources include minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within the political boundaries, and oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) from the coast, termed as territorial water and resources therein.
Q. What are international resources?
Answer: International resources are resources that are regulated by international institutions. The oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to the open ocean, and no individual country can utilize these without the concurrence of international institutions.
Q. What are potential resources?
Answer: Potential resources are resources found in a region, but have not been utilised, such as wind and solar energy in Rajasthan and Gujarat in western India.
Q. What are developed resources?
Answer: Developed resources are those whose quality and quantity have been determined for utilisation and whose development depends on technology and level of feasibility.
Q. What are stocks?
Answer: Stocks are materials in the environment that have the potential to satisfy human needs but cannot be accessed due to a lack of appropriate technology, such as hydrogen as a source of energy.
Q. What are reserves?
Answer: Reserves are a subset of stocks that can be put into use with existing technical know-how but are not currently being used, such as water in dams or forests that can be used for generating hydroelectric power.
Q. Why is resource planning essential?
Answer: Resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life as the depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals and countries can lead to global ecological crises, such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution, and land degradation. An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace.
Q. What is resource planning?
Answer: Resource planning is a widely accepted strategy for the judicious use of resources, which involves identifying and inventorying resources, evolving a planning structure, and matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.
Q. Why is resource planning important in India?
Answer: Resource planning is important in India because the country has enormous diversity in the availability of resources. Different regions of India are deficient in some resources and abundant in others, and hence, balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional, and local levels is required.
Q. What are the steps involved in resource planning?
Answer: The steps involved in resource planning include identifying and inventorying resources, evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill, and institutional setup, and matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.
Q. Is availability of resources a sufficient condition for development of a region?
Answer: No, the mere availability of resources is not a sufficient condition for the development of a region. Corresponding changes in technology and institutions are also required for development.
Q. Give an example of a region that is rich in resources but is economically backward.
Answer: There are many regions in India that are rich in resources but are economically backward. For example, the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits, but they are economically backward.
Q. What is needed for resources to contribute to development?
Answer: Resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate technological development and institutional changes.
Q. According to Gandhiji, what is the root cause of resource depletion at the global level?
Answer: Gandhiji placed the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology as the root cause for resource depletion at the global level.
Q. What is the importance of land as a natural resource?
Answer: Land is a natural resource of utmost importance as it supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life, economic activities, transport, and communication systems.
Q. What percentage of India’s land area is plain and what facilities does it provide?
Answer: About 43 per cent of India’s land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.
Q. What percentage of India’s land area is mountains and what facilities does it provide?
Answer: Mountains account for 30 per cent of India’s land area and ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
Q. What percentage of India’s land area is plateau region and what resources does it possess?
Answer: About 27 per cent of India’s land area is plateau region and it possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests.
Q. What factors determine the use of land in India?
Answer: The use of land in India is determined by physical factors such as topography, climate, soil types as well as human factors such as population density, technological capability, culture, and traditions, etc.
Q. What is the total geographical area of India?
Answer: The total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq km.
Q. Why is land use data not available for the entire geographical area of India?
Answer: Land use data is not available for the entire geographical area of India because the land use reporting for most of the north-east states except Assam has not been done fully. Also, some areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have not been surveyed.
Q. Why is it difficult to cultivate other than current fallow lands?
Answer: Other than current fallow lands are either of poor quality, or the cost of cultivation of such land is very high. Hence, these lands are cultivated once or twice in about two to three years, and if these are included in the net sown area, then the percentage of NSA in India comes to about 54 per cent of the total reporting area.
Q. How does the pattern of net sown area vary from one state to another in India?
Answer: The pattern of net sown area varies greatly from one state to another. It is over 80 per cent of the total area in Punjab and Haryana and less than 10 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, and Andaman Nicobar Islands.
Q. What is the significance of forests in India?
Answer: Forests in India are essential for the maintenance of ecological balance and the livelihood of millions of people who live on the fringes of these forests depends upon them.
Q. What is meant by waste land and land put to other non-agricultural uses?
Answer: Waste land includes rocky, arid, and desert areas, and land put to other non-agricultural uses includes settlements, roads, railways, industry, etc.
Q. What are the consequences of continuous use of land over a long period of time without taking appropriate measures to conserve and manage it?
Answer: Continuous use of land over a long period of time without taking appropriate measures to conserve and manage it has resulted in land degradation, which, in turn, has serious repercussions on society and the environment.
Q. What percentage of India’s basic needs are obtained from land?
Answer: Ninety-five per cent of India’s basic needs for food, shelter and clothing are obtained from land.
Q. What is the current situation of degraded land in India?
Answer: At present, there are about 130 million hectares of degraded land in India. Approximately 28 percent 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.
Q. What human activities have contributed to land degradation in India?
Answer: Human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, mining and quarrying, and over-irrigation have contributed significantly to land degradation in India.
Q. What are some ways to check land degradation in arid areas?
Answer: Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on overgrazing, stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes are some of the methods to check land degradation in arid areas.
Q. What are some methods to reduce land and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas?
Answer: 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. What is soil and why is it important?
Answer: Soil is the medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on earth. It is the most important renewable natural resource.
Q. What are some factors that contribute to the formation of soil?
Answer: 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 also contribute to the formation of soil.
Q. How are the soils of India classified?
Answer: The soils of India are classified based on the factors responsible for soil formation, such as colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical and physical properties.
Q. What are some human activities that contribute to land degradation in India?
Answer: Deforestation, overgrazing, mining and quarrying, over irrigation, and industrial effluents and waste are some human activities that contribute to land degradation in India.
Q. What are some ways to solve the problems of land degradation in India?
Answer: Afforestation, proper management of grazing, planting of shelter belts of plants, stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes, 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. What are alluvial soils?
Answer: Alluvial soils are the most widely spread and important soil in India. They are deposited by the three important Himalayan river systems i.e. the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, and are found in the northern plains, in a narrow corridor in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and in the eastern coastal plains.
Q. Where are coarse alluvial soils commonly found?
Answer: Coarse alluvial soils are more common in piedmont plains such as Duars, Chos, and Terai, particularly near the place of the break of slope in the upper reaches of the river valley.
Q. How are alluvial soils classified based on their age?
Answer: Alluvial soils can be classified based on their age as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar). Bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than Khadar soil, which has more fine particles and is more fertile than Bangar soil.
Q. What crops are ideal for growing in alluvial soil?
Answer: Alluvial soil is very fertile and mostly contains adequate proportions of potash, phosphoric acid, and lime, which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat, and other cereal and pulse crops.
Q. What are black soils?
Answer: Black soils are black in colour and are also known as regur soils. They are typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over the northwest Deccan plateau and are made up of lava flows.
Q. What are the important factors for the formation of black soil?
Answer: The important factors for the formation of black soil are believed to be climatic conditions along with the parent rock material.
Q. What are the characteristics of black soil?
Answer: Black soil is clayey and is well-known for its capacity to hold moisture. It is rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime, but generally poor in phosphoric contents. These soils are sticky when wet and develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
Q. What crops are ideal for growing in black soil?
Answer: Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.
Q. What type of rocks do red soils develop on and in which regions of India are they found?
Answer: Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks and is found in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau, parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
Q. Why do red and yellow soils develop a reddish color and where do they occur in a hydrated form?
Answer: Red and yellow soils develop a reddish color due to the diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. They occur in a hydrated form in areas of low rainfall.
Q. What is laterite soil and where does it develop?
Answer: Laterite soil develops under tropical and subtropical climate with alternate wet and dry seasons. It is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain. Lateritic soils are mostly deep to very deep, acidic (pH<6.0), generally deficient in plant nutrients and occur mostly in southern states, Western Ghats region of Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of West Bengal and North-east regions.
Q. Why are arid soils generally saline in nature and what is the composition of the lower horizons of these soils?
Answer: Arid soils are generally saline in nature due to the lack of moisture and humus caused by the dry climate and high temperature. The lower horizons of these soils are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing calcium content downwards, which restricts the infiltration of water.
Q. Which region in India has successfully made use of arid soils for cultivation after proper irrigation?
Answer: Western Rajasthan has successfully made use of arid soils for cultivation after proper irrigation.
Q. Where are forest soils found and how does their texture vary?
Answer: Forest soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rainforests 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.
Q. What is soil erosion and what are some human activities that can lead to it?
Answer: Soil erosion is the denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down. 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.
Q. What are some examples of soil erosion caused by natural forces?
Answer: 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. Water flowing as a sheet over large areas down a slope also causes erosion. Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land, known as wind erosion.
Q. What are some methods of soil conservation?
Answer: 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. Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow between the crops, and this method is known as strip cropping. Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way, and rows of such trees are called shelter belts.
Q. What are biotic resources?
a) Composed of non-living things
b) Obtained from the biosphere and have life
c) Both a and b
d) None of the above
Answer: b) Obtained from the biosphere and have life
Q. Which of the following is an example of a renewable resource?
a) Coal
b) Natural gas
c) Solar energy
d) Petroleum
Answer: c) Solar energy
Q. What are non-renewable resources?
a) Resources which can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes
b) Composed of non-living things
c) Resources which occur over a very long geological time
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Resources which occur over a very long geological time
Q. Which of the following is an example of abiotic resources?
a) Fisheries
b) Livestock
c) Rocks and metals
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Rocks and metals
Q. Which of the following is an example of individual resources?
a) Public parks
b) Village commons
c) Land owned by farmers
d) None of the above
Answer: c) Land owned by farmers
Q. What are community-owned resources?
a) Resources accessible to all the members of the community
b) Resources owned by individuals
c) Resources that belong to the nation
d) Resources regulated by international institutions
Answer: a) Resources accessible to all the members of the community
Q. What resources belong to the nation?
a) Resources owned by individuals
b) Community-owned resources
c) National resources
d) None of the above
Answer: c) National resources
Q. Which resources belong to the open ocean and require the concurrence of international institutions to be utilized?
a) National resources
b) Community-owned resources
c) Individual resources
d) International resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone
Answer: d) International resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone
Q. What are potential resources?
a) Unused resources
b) Developed resources
c) Stock resources
d) Subset of stock resources
Answer: a) Unused resources
Q. Which resources have been surveyed and their quality and quantity have been determined for utilization?
a) Potential resources
b) Developed resources
c) Stock resources
d) Reserve resources
Answer: b) Developed resources
Q. What are resources that have the potential to satisfy human needs but are not accessible due to a lack of appropriate technology?
a) Potential resources
b) Developed resources
c) Stock resources
d) Reserve resources
Answer: c) Stock resources
Q. What are resources that can be put into use with the help of existing technical know-how but their use has not been started?
a) Potential resources
b) Developed resources
c) Stock resources
d) Reserve resources
Answer: d) Reserve resources
Q. What is resource planning?
a) Strategy for the indiscriminate use of resources
b) Strategy for the judicious use of resources
c) Strategy for the depletion of resources
d) Strategy for the unequal distribution of resources
Answer: b) Strategy for the judicious use of resources
Q. Why is resource planning important in India?
a) India has a uniform distribution of resources
b) India lacks diversity in the availability of resources
c) India is deficient in some vital resources
d) India has an abundance of all types of resources
Answer: c) India is deficient in some vital resources
Q. What is the importance of balanced resource planning?
a) To promote indiscriminate use of resources
b) To ensure the unequal distribution of resources
c) To promote the depletion of resources
d) To ensure the judicious use of resources
Answer: d) To ensure the judicious use of resources
Q. Which state is well-endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks in water resources?
a) Jharkhand
b) Arunachal Pradesh
c) Rajasthan
d) Ladakh
Answer: c) Rajasthan
Q. Which of the following is NOT a necessary condition for the development of any region?
a) The availability of resources
b) Corresponding changes in technology and institutions
c) Matching resource development plans with overall national development plans
d) A high level of foreign investment
Answer: d) A high level of foreign investment.
Q. What percentage of India’s land is plain?
a) 43%
b) 30%
c) 27%
d) 50%
Answer: a) 43%
Q. Which relief feature of India accounts for 30% of the total surface area of the country?
a) Mountains
b) Plateaus
c) Plains
d) Islands
Answer: a) Mountains
Q. Which of the following is not included in the net sown area of India?
a) Permanent pastures and grazing land
b) Cultruable waste land left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years
c) Current fallow land left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year
d) Barren and waste land
Answer: d) Barren and waste land
Q. Which type of land is left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years?
a) Current fallow land
b) Barren and waste land
c) Other than current fallow land
d) Cultruable waste land left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years
Answer: c) Other than current fallow land
Q. What is the total geographical area of India?
a) 3.28 million sq km
b) 2.82 million sq km
c) 3.08 million sq km
d) 2.68 million sq km
Answer: a) 3.28 million sq km
Q. What percentage of India’s geographical area is surveyed for land use data?
a) 90%
b) 93%
c) 85%
d) 97%
Answer: b) 93%
Q. What is the desired percentage of forest area as outlined in the National Forest Policy (1952)?
a) 30%
b) 33%
c) 25%
d) 40%
Answer: b) 33%
Q. Which state has the highest percentage of net sown area?
a) Punjab
b) Haryana
c) Arunachal Pradesh
d) Mizoram
Answer: b) Haryana
Q. What percentage of India’s degraded land is affected by water erosion?
a) 28%
b) 56%
c) 16%
d) 75%
Answer: b) 56%
Q. Which of the following is not a reason for land degradation in India?
a) Overgrazing
b) Deforestation
c) Industrial effluents
d) Heavy rainfall
Answer: d) Heavy rainfall
Q. Which method can help in checking land degradation in arid areas?
a) Afforestation
b) Mining
c) Industrialization
d) None of the above
Answer: a) Afforestation
Q. What is the most important renewable natural resource?
a) Water
b) Soil
c) Air
d) Trees
Answer: b) Soil
Q. What are the important factors in the formation of soil?
a) Climate and relief
b) Vegetation and time
c) Parent rock and other forms of life
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
Q. What are the different types of soils in India?
a) Alluvial, black, red and laterite soils
b) Mountain, valley, plain and deltaic soils
c) Desert, forest, grassland and wetland soils
d) Sandy, loamy, clayey and peaty soils
Answer: a) Alluvial, black, red and laterite soils
Q. Which river systems are responsible for depositing alluvial soils in the northern plains of India?
a) Brahmaputra, Ganga and Narmada
b) Ganga, Yamuna and Sutlej
c) Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus
d) Indus, Mahanadi and Godavari
Answer: c) Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus
Q. Which type of soil is ideal for growing cotton?
a) Red Soil
b) Black Soil
c) Yellow Soil
d) Brown Soil
Answer: b) Black Soil
Q. What is the major factor responsible for the formation of black soil?
a) Climatic conditions
b) Presence of water bodies
c) Erosion
d) Deforestation
Answer: a) Climatic conditions
Q. Which soil is generally poor in phosphoric contents?
a) Black Soil
b) Red Soil
c) Yellow Soil
d) Brown Soil
Answer: a) Black Soil
Q. Which type of rocks are responsible for the development of red soil?
a) Igneous rocks
b) Sedimentary rocks
c) Metamorphic rocks
d) None of the above
Answer: a) Igneous rocks
Q. Which word describes the meaning of the term “laterite”?
a) Red soil
b) Brick
c) Sandy soil
d) Humus
Answer: b) Brick
Q. Which region of India is known for its lateritic soils?
a) North-east
b) Western Ghats
c) Indo-Gangetic plain
d) Himalayas
Answer: b) Western Ghats
Q. What type of crops are suitable for red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala?
a) Tea and coffee
b) Cashew nuts
c) Wheat and rice
d) Cotton and sugarcane
Answer: b) Cashew nuts
Q. What is the texture of forest soils found in the valley sides of mountainous areas?
a) Sandy
b) Loamy and silty
c) Clayey
d) Coarse grained
Answer: b) Loamy and silty
Q. What is soil erosion?
a) The formation of soil
b) The washing down of soil cover
c) The balance between soil formation and erosion
d) None of the above
Answer: b) The washing down of soil cover
Q. What human activities can disturb the balance between soil formation and erosion?
a) Deforestation
b) Over-grazing
c) Construction and mining
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
107. What is contour ploughing?
a) Ploughing up and down the slope
b) Ploughing along the contour lines
c) Ploughing in a circular manner
d) Ploughing in a straight line
Answer: b) Ploughing along the contour lines
