Q.1.What is a Resource? Give two examples.
Ans. Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided, it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable can be termed as Resource. Coal, water, air, minerals etc. are some examples of the resources.
Q.2.What is the role of humans in resource development?
Ans. (i) Human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic development.
(ii) Human beings transfer material available in our environment into resources and use them.
Q.3.How can the resources be classified based on origin? [CBSE 2010]
Ans. Biotic and Abiotic.
Q.4.What are abiotic resources? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. All those things which are composed of non – living things are called abiotic resources.
Q.5.A gas reserve has been discovered in an Ocean. The reserve is 19 km from the coast of the nation. Will it be considered an international resource or a national resource?
Ans. All the resources up to 12 nautical miles (19.2 km) from the coast are termed national resources. So this will be a national resource.
Q.6.“There is enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody’s greed”. Who said these words?
Ans. Mahatma Gandhi
Q.7.It is important to use the available land for various purposes with careful planning”. Give reason.
Ans. Because land is an asset of a finite magnitude.
Q.8. HOW can the resources be divided based on exhaustibility?
Ans. Renewable and Non-renewable.
Q.9. Classify the following resources as biotic and abiotic.
(i) Metals
(ii) Fauna
Ans. (i) Metals – abiotic (ii) Fauna – biotic
Q.10. Give a single word for the following :
(i) Materials that have the potential to satisfy human needs but human beings do not have the appropriate technology.
(ii) The resources which can be renewed or reproduced by physical, chemical or mechanical processes.
Ans. (i) Stock
(ii) Renewable
Q.11. Name any two states of India which are well endowed with solar energy.
Ans. Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Q.12. Name any two factors on which resource development depends.
Ans. (i) Technology
(ii) Quality of human resources.
Q-13. What is the total geographical area of India?
Ans. 3.28 million sq. km.
Q.14. Mention any two factors which determine the land use pattern of a nation.
Ans. (i) Topography (ii) Population
Q.15. What is wasteland?
Ans. An unused area of land like rocky, arid and desert areas.
Q.16. What is the net sown area? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Area sown once a year is known as net sown area.
Q.17. What is the gross sown area?
Ans. This represents the total sown area once/or more than once in a particular year i.e. the area is counted as many times as there are sowings in a year.
Q.18. Name any two states which have a high percentage of net sown area.
Ans. Punjab and Haryana
Q.19. Name any two states Which have a very low percentage of net sown area.
Ans. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram
Q.20. How much degraded land is present in India?
Ans. 130 million hectares.
Q.21. Name any two states where overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
Ans. (i) Madhya Pradesh (ii) Rajasthan
Q.22. What are biotic resources? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. These are obtained from the biosphere and have life such as human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.
Q.23. Name any two states where over-irrigation is responsible for land degradation.
Ans. (i) Punjab (ii) Haryana
Q.24. Name any two states where mining is responsible for land degradation.
Ans. Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.
Q.25. HOW over-irrigation leads to land degradation?
Ans. Over-irrigation degrades land due to waterlogging leading to an increase in salinity and alkalinity of the soil.
Q.26. HOW can land degradation be checked in Rajasthan as the state is having arid soil? Mention any two methods.
Ans. (i) Control over overgrazing.
(ii) Stabilisation of sand dunes.
Q.27. Suggest any two ways to check land degradation. [CBSE 2013, 14]
Ans. (i) Afforestation
(ii) Proper management of grazing
Q.28. Mention any two factors which have contributed to the development of various types of soils.
Ans. (i) Varied relief features.
(ii) Varied climatic conditions.
Q.29. ‘The entire northern plains are made of alluvial soils. Name the rivers due to which the soils have been deposited.
Ans. The Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
Q.30. HOW can the alluvial soil be classified according to its age?
Ans. (i) Khadar (ii) Bangar
Q.31. Out of Khadar and Bangar soil which is more fertile? Give one reason.
Ans. Khadar soil is more fertile because it has more fine particles.
Q.32. Name any two minerals present in alluvial soil which makes it ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereals.
Ans. Potash and lime.
Q.33. Name one important crop cultivated in :
(i) Alluvial soil (ii) Black-soil
Ans. (i) Alluvial – Wheat (ii) Black – Cotton.
Q.34. Which soil is ideal for growing cotton? [CBSE 2014]
Ans. Black soil.
Q.35. Which soil is well known for its capacity to hold moisture? Give reason.
Ans. Black soil. Because black soil is made up of extremely fine clayey material.
Q.36. Name a mineral in which the black soil is poor.
Ans. Phosphoric contents.
Q.37. Why black soil is tilled immediately after the first shower?
Ans. These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on.
Q.38. Name the soil which develops on crystalline igneous rocks.
Ans. Red soil.
Q.39. ‘Laterite’ has been derived from the Greek word ‘later’. What does the term later mean?
Ans. Brick.
Q.40. The running water cuts through clayey soils and makes deep channels. What are they called?
Ans. Gully erosion.
Q.41. Which state has mostly laterite soil?
Ans. Karnataka.
Q.42. Which soil types is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rainfall?
Ans. Laterite soil.
Q.43. Name the soil which develops in areas with high temperatures and heavy rainfall.
Ans. Laterite soil.
Q.44. Name any two crops associated with laterite soil.
Ans. Tea and coffee.
Q.45. Which soils are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature?
Ans. Arid soils.
Q.46. ‘The lower horizon of the arid soils are occupied by Eckankar’s. Give reason.
Ans. This is because of increasing calcium content downwards.
Q.47. Name any two natural factors which are responsible for soil erosion.
Ans. Wind and glacier.
Q.48. By which name is the badland known in the Chambal basin?
Ans. Ravines.
Q.49. What is sheet erosion?
Ans. When the top layer of the soil is removed over a large area by running water, it is called sheet erosion.
Q.50. What is wind erosion?
Ans. The wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land. This is known as wind erosion.
Q.51. What is contour ploughing?
Ans. Ploughing along the contour lines is known as contour ploughing.
Q.52. HOW did contour ploughing help in soil conservation?
Ans. Ploughing along the contour lines decelerates the flow of water down the slopes.
Q.53. What are shelterbelts?
Ans. Rows of trees that are planted in between the crops are known as shelterbelts.
Q.54. HOW do shelterbelts help in file conservation of soil?
Ans. The shelter belts break up the force of the wind.
Q.55. Name a method that has contributed significantly to soil conservation in western India.
Ans. Shelterbelts.
Q.56. What is the net sown area? What percentage of the total area is under the net sown area in India?
Ans. Area sown once in a year is known as net sown area. In 2008-2009, 46.24% of India’s area was under net sown area.
Q.57. What is the gross sown area?
Ans. Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus the net sown area is known as gross sown area.
Q.58. Which soil is the most widely spread in India?
Ans. Alluvial soil.
Q.59. What is bad land?
Ans. It is a land which is unsuitable for cultivation. Mainly soil erosion converts fertile land into bad land.
Q.60. What is gully erosion?
Ans. Gully erosion takes place when running water cuts deep ravines in the absence of vegetation. This type of erosion makes soil unfit for cultivation.
Q.61. What is strip cropping?
Ans. Under strip cropping, large fields are divided into strips and different types of crops are grown on alternative strips along contours or across the prevailing direction of winds. This breaks up the force of the wind.
Q.62. Mention any two man-made and two natural factors responsible for land degradation. [CBSE 2014]
Ans. (i) Man-made: Deforestation, over-grazing, mining, quarrying.
(ii) Natural: Water logging, wind, running water
Q.63. Name any four minerals in which the black soil is rich.
Ans. (i) Calcium carbonate (ii) Magnesium
(iii) Potash (iv) Lime
Q.64. What is leaching? Name the soils which develop due to leaching.
Ans. Leaching is a process by which the nutrients in the soil are washed away by heavy rains.
Laterite soils develop due to leaching.
Q.65. Mention any four proper farming techniques which can be helpful in the conservation of soil.
Ans. (a) Strip cropping
(b) Shelterbelt
(c) Contour ploughing
(d) Terracing
Q.66. State two disadvantages of the red soil.
Ans. (i) The soil lacks nitrogen, organic and phosphoric acid contents and is less fertile.
(ii) Red soils are porous but not retentive to moisture.
Q.67. ‘It is important to use the available land ‘ for various purposes with careful planning. Give reason.
Ans. Because it is an asset of a finite magnitude.
Q.68. Mention the various forces of nature which contribute to the formation of soil.
Ans. Change in temperature, the action of running water, wind and glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil
