Back to: MBOSE Social Science Class 10

Resource planning is an effort that is taken to prevent over exploitation of natural resources so that there is a balanced utilization of resources with minimum impact on the environment. 

Resource planning has three stages. Two of them are

• First Level Planning: It comprises the identification and preparation of resources. It involves surveying, mapping and estimation, and measurement of quantity, characteristics, and properties of resources.
• Second Level Planning: It involves the examining of resources form the points of view of technology, economy, and need.

On the basis of renewability or exhaustibility, resources can be grouped into two categories:

• Biotic Resources: Comprised all those that have got life in them. Example human being, livestock, fisheries, forest, flora and fauna etc.
• A biotic Resources: Comprised of those resources which lack life. Example of a biotic resource – rocks, minerals, land, water, etc.

It is essential to have resource planning because of the following reasons: It helps to identify the various resources present in different regions of the country. It helps in the conservation of various non-renewable/extinguishable resources. It helps in reducing wastage of resources.

Resource planning will lead to better conservation and management of resources: – Resource planning is the judicious use of resources. Resource planning becomes more important in a country like India, where resources are not distributed properly. For example; many states are rich in mineral and deficient in other resources, such as Jharkhand is rich in minerals, but there is problem of drinking water and other facilities, Arunachal Pradesh has plenty of water but lack of other development because of lack of resources.
These types of discriminations can be reduced or completely vanished with proper planning of judicious use of resources

Sustainable development: Sustainable development refers to the development work that is done to suffice the need of the present generation without damaging the environment and no compromising with the needs of the future generation.

Conservation of resources refers to the efficient usages of resources that are needed in our generation without harming future prospects.

Two factors determine land use pattern. These are-

• Physical factors: such as topography, climate, soil types, and climate.
• Human factors: This comprises of population density, technological capability, cultural traditions etc.

Soil: The uppermost layer of the earth’s crust in which plants grow is called soil. The soil is living and renewable natural resource. It is made of two components viz – organic and inorganic substances.

Indian soils are classified into six major types.

1. Alluvial soils – Alluvial soils are soils deposited by surface water. You’ll find them along rivers, in floodplains and deltas, stream terraces, and areas called alluvial fans
2. Black soils – Black soils are mineral soils which have a black surface horizon; enriched with organic carbon that is at least 25 cm deep. Black Soil color black as the soil is produced by the minerals present and by the organic matter content. Black soil is to be the best variety of soil for the cultivation of cotton. Besides cotton, it is also suitable for producing cereals, oilseeds, citrus fruits and vegetables, tobacco and sugarcane.
3. Red and yellow soils – Red soil is a type of soil that develops in a warm, temperate, moist climate under deciduous or mixed forest, having thin organic and organic-mineral layers overlying a yellowish-brown leached layer resting on an alluvium red layer. Red soils are generally derived from crystalline rock.
4. Laterite soils – The soil which contains little clay and more gravels of sandstones is called laterite soil. It generally red or pale brown in color. Laterite soil is found in hilly regions which receive heavy rainfall.
5. Arid Soils – Arid soils are the soils of desert or semi-desert regions and colours varies from red to brown. The soil has sandy texture and salinity. As precipitation is very low the temperature is high and evaporation is faster making it lack in moisture and humus.
6. Forest Soils – Forest soils form where it is not too hot, and not too cold. The type of soil that forms depends on what type of vegetation grows. Soils that formed under deciduous forests are very fertile and productive agricultural lands because of the decomposing leaves at the soil surface. Forest soils are generally very acidic, organic, and their chemical fertility is generally limited.

Removal of soil from the soil surface as a result of the action of natural agents such as running water, rainfall and wind are called soil erosion. Soil erosion causes a loss in fertility of the soil.

Land is considered an important resource because it can be used for various purposes like agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries. It also serves as a habitat for a variety of flora and fauna.

Land use pattern in India: The use of land is determined by the following factors:

1. Physical factors these include climate soil type topography etc

2. Human factors this include population density cultural traditional technological capability et c. In India land use data is available for only 93% of the total area because land use reporting of North Eastern states except Assam and some part of Jammu and Kashmir has not been surveyed. Between 1960 to 61 and 2008 to 2009 major changes took place in land use pattern.

Area under forest is far less than 33% which is necessary for maintenance of the ecological balance as per the National Forest policy of 1952. The land under permanent pastures is very low and still decreasing. We will not be able to properly feed our huge cattle population in future due to this problem. Most of the other than current fallows are of poor quality or cost of such cultivation is very high. These lands are cultivated once or twice in about 2 or 3 years and if these are included in the net sown area the NSA will become 54%. About 45% of land is used as net sown area, i.e farming.
About 22% of land under forest and the rest of land is used for various purpose like housing, recreation and for industrial activities.
Increasing population and subsequent increase in demand for resource is the main reason that forested land has not increased during this period.

Land Degradation: Land becomes degraded when its ability to support vegetation is questionable. Land degradation is brought about by various factors such as deforestation, poor land use, insecure land tenure, inappropriate land management practices, and poverty.

Main Causes of Land Degradation are as follows:

1. Deforestation:  Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves which contain many nutrients. Forests are also helpful in binding up of soil particles with the help of roots of vegetation. Therefore, cutting о forests will affect the soil adversely.

2. Excessive Use of Fertilizers and Pesticides:  Fertilizers are indispensable for increasing food production but their excessive use has occasioned much concern as a possible environmental threat. Excessive use of fertilizers is causing an imbalance in the quantity of certain nutrients in the soil. This imbalance adversely affects the vegetation. The word pesticides includes any form of chemical used for the control of unwanted herbaceous plants (herbicides), woody plants (arboncides), insects (insecticides) or any chemical that has biocidal activity affecting rodents, arachnids or any other population. After Second World War the use of pesticides increased tremendously.

Although their success in controlling pests on a short-¬term basis cannot be denied, but their long-term effectiveness in controlling pests or their overall effects on ecosystems (including human health) and environment has to be seriously questioned on two major grounds.

These are:

(a) Increasing concentration of pesticides residues as they move up the food chain; and

 (b) Rapid evolution of new breeds of pests that are immune to the pesticides applied.

Moreover, excessive use of these pesticides, results in an increase in the level of resistance by certain pests and it may kill some useful species like earthworm which are very helpful in maintaining soil fertility. Thus, the use of pesticides leads to decline in the fertility status of soil.

3. Overgrazing:  occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature reserves. Overgrazing signifies a serious environmental challenge in maintaining the natural balance of livestock on grazing lands, which reduces the productivity, usefulness, and biodiversity of the land.

4. Salination:  Increase in the concentration of soluble salts in the soil is called salination. India has about six million hectares of saline land.

The origin of saline soil depends on the following factors:

• Quality of Irrigation Water:  The ground water of arid regions are generally saline in nature. The irrigation water may be itself rich in soluble water and add to salinity of soils.
• Excess Use of Fertilizers:  Excess use of alkaline fertilizers like sodium nitrate, basic slag, etc. may develop alkalinity in soils.
• Capillary Action: Salts from the lower layers move up by capillary action during summer season and are deposited on the surface of the soil.
• Poor Drainage of Soil: Salts dissolved In Irrigation water accumulate on the soil surface due to inadequate drainage, especially during flood.
• Salts Blown by Wind: In arid region near the sea, lot of salt is blown by wind and gets deposited on the lands.

5. Water-logging: Excessive irrigation and improper drainage facility in the fields cause rise in the ground water level. This ground water mixes with surface water used for irrigation and creates a situation called water-logging. Ground water brings the salts of soil in dissolved state up to the surface where they form a layer or sheet of salt after evaporation. The term salinity is used for such a situation.

6. Desertification: Desertification is a widespread process of land degradation in arid, semi- arid, and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. The UNO Conference on Desertification (1977) has defined desertification as the “diminution or destruction of the biological potential of land, and can lead ultimately to desert like conditions.”

The major causes of desertification are mismanagement of forests, overgrazing, mining and quarrying. Dr. H. Dregne has listed desertification processes as follows:

• Degradation of vegetative cover;
• Water erosion;
• Wind erosion;
• Salinization;
• Reduction in soil organic matter; and
• Excess of toxic substances.

This problem varies from overgrazing in rangeland, to water and wind erosion in rainfed croplands, and to salinization in irrigated lands. In dry-lands, however, the most serious land-degradation problem is water and wind erosion.  Desertification and land degradation can contribute to local warming by reducing plant cover and increasing soil exposure, which changes the energy balance of an area. Deserts, semi-arid lands, and dry woodlands also constitute a large potential source of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Changes in climate, in turn, can intensify desertification and land degradation. These processes are aggravated by variations in weather, and climate change can increase such variability. If climate change continues unabated, the potential increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts would reinforce the variability of dry-land ecosystems. The increasing rate of desertification will be a threat to food security.

7. Soil erosion: Accelerated soil erosion by water and wind is the major land degradation process and this is a consequence of changed relationship between environmental factors which occur as a result of human interventions. Adverse changes in physical, chemical or biological characteristics of the soil result in reduced fertility and soil erosion. Other kinds of land degradation are as water-logging, chemical contamination, acidification, salinity and alkalinity etc.

Land degradation results from the combined effects of processes such as loss of biological diversity and vegetative cover, soil loss nutrient imbalance, decline in soil organic matter and decrease of infiltration and water retention capacity. Soil erosion means the removal of top fertile layer of the soil. Soil erosion by wind and water is the most common and extensive.

• Wind Erosion:  At places where there is no vegetation and soil is sandy, strong winds blow the loose and coarse soil particles and dust to long distances. The depletion of forests lead to loosening of soil particles due to lack of roots and moisture in soil. These loosened particles are more prone to soil erosion by winds.
• Water Erosion: Deforestation, overgrazing and mining, all are equally responsible for an increase in the rate of erosion by water. Water erosion is caused either by water in motion or by the beating action of rain drops. Water during heavy rains may remove the thin soil cover over large areas more or less uniformly.
• Sheet erosion occurs when a thin layer of topsoil is removed over a whole hillside paddock—and may not be readily noticed.
• Rill Erosion: If the Sheet erosion continues unchecked, numerous finger-shaped grooves may develop all over the area as a result of the silt-laden run off. This is called rill erosion.
• Gully erosion is an advanced stage of rill erosion because the unattended rills begin to attain the form of gullies, increasing their width, depth and length.
• Tunnel erosion:  Tunnel erosion is the removal of subsoil. When water penetrates through a soil crack or a hole where a root has decayed, the soil disperses and is carried away with the flow to leave a small tunnel.
• Stream bank erosion:  The major cause of stream bank erosion is the destruction of vegetation on river banks (generally by clearing, overgrazing, cultivation, vehicle traffic up and down banks or fire) and the removal of sand and gravel from the stream bed.
• Erosion on Flood Plains: Some of Queensland’s best agricultural land is on floodplains because of the high fertility soils and availability of water for irrigation. These areas are subjected to high velocity floods that erode soils with insufficient surface cover. This erosive flooding can remove the entire layer of cultivated topsoil exposing compacted subsoils. It is common for such areas to be stripped of 0.1 to 0.15m of topsoil. The risk of erosion on floodplains depends on: flood velocities—the bigger the flood, the higher the velocities, &  the orientation of crop rows and the amount of protective cover provided by crops or stubble when flooding occurs.
• Mass Movement: Mass movement occurs on cleared slopes in coastal areas. Gravity moves earth, rock and soil material down slope both slowly (millimetres per year) and suddenly (e.g. rock falls).Different forms of mass movement include: – soil creep, earthflow, slumping, landslips, landslides, rock avalanches.

Soil erosion due to water is the most serious land degradation problem in India. It causes land degradation through huge loss of top fertile soil along with plant nutrients through runoff water. It reduces the depth of soil where it takes place, depletes the ground water table, limits the moisture storage capacity and feeding zones of the crops, deteriorates the soil organic matter, destroys soil structure and impairs fertility due to nutrient losses.

Many factors contribute to water-logging. These include inadequate drainage, improved balance in the use of ground and surface water, planning crops not suited to specific soils. Water-logging is most the serious problem in Haryana, Punjab, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

8. Wasteland: Wastelands are the lands which are economically unproductive, ecologically unsuitable and subject to environmental deterioration. Estimates show that wastelands in India form about half of our country.

Wastelands are of two types:

• Culturable : The culturable wastelands include ravinous land, waterlogged land, marsh and saline lands, forest land, degraded land, strip land, mining and industrial wastelands.
• Unculturable:  unculturable wastelands include barren rocky areas, steep slopes, snow-capped mountains and glaciers.

9. Landslides: The sudden movement of the soil and the weathered rock material down the slope due to the force of gravity is called a landslide. Lad-slides are common in mountainous regions especially those which are situated along the river banks or near the coastline.

10. Industrialization and Urbanization: Development of industries for the economic growth of the country leads to excessive deforestation and utilization of land in such as way that it has lost its natural up gradation quality. Increasing growth of population and demand for more residential areas and commercial sectors is also one of the reasons for land degradation.

Following are some practices for controlling land degradation:

• Strip farming: It is & practice in which cultivated crops are sown in alternative strips to prevent water movement.
• Crop Rotation: It is one of the agricultural practice in which different crops are grown in same area following a rotation system which helps in replenishment of the soil.
• Ridge and Furrow Formation: Soil erosion is one of the factors responsible for lad degradation. It can be prevented by formation of ridge and furrow during irrigation which lessens run off.
• Construction of Dams: This usually checks or reduces the velocity of run off so that soil support vegetation.
• Contour Farming: This type of farming is usually practiced across the hill side and is useful in collecting and diverting the run off to avoid erosion.
• Afforestation and reforestation: Reforestation refers to planting trees on land that was previously forest whereas afforestation refers to planting trees on patches of land which were not previously covered in forest.
• Conservation tillage: Conservation tillage is a tillage system that creates a suitable soil environment for growing a crop and that conserves soil, water and energy resources mainly through the reduction in the intensity of tillage, and retention of plant residues.
• Using fertilizers: When crops are farmed and grown in a specific area of land, the crops use the nutrients present in the soil and develops. After repeated crop farming the ground gets depleted of its natural nutrients and as a result of the quality of the crops subsequently reduces after every cycle of farming.To reduce this problem fertilizers are used, to primarily boost nutrients into the ground and secondarily to kill the weeds and pests that damage the crops.
• Industrial waste water treatment : Proper discharge of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment also helps in controlling land degradation

Alluvial soils are considered to be the best for agriculture.  It is considered the most fertile soil. Alluvial soil contains an ample amount necessary nutrients like potash, phosphoric acid and lime.

• This is the most widely spread and important soil. Northern plains are made of alluvial soil, have been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems– the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
• These soils also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor. Alluvial soil is also found in the eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
• The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. As move inlands towards the river valleys, soil particles appear somewhat bigger in size. In the upper reaches of the river valley i.e. near the place of the break of slope, the soils are coarse. Such soils are more common in piedmont plains such as Duars, Chos and Terai.
• Apart from the size of their grains or components, soils are also described on the basis of their age. According to their age alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (Bangar) and new alluvial (Khadar). The bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than the Khadar. It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the bangar. Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile.
• Mostly these soils contain adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.
• Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated. Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation.

Black Soil:

• These soils are black in colour and are also known as regur soils. Black soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil. It is believed that climatic condition along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil.
• This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows. They cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and extend in the south east direction along the Godavari and the Krishna valleys.
• The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material. They are well-known for their capacity to hold moisture. In addition, they are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime. These soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents.
• They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil. These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.

Red and Yellow Soils:

• Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
• Yelllow and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
• These soils develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

Steps to stop soil erosion and promote its conservation: There are many methods that could be used to help prevent or stop erosion on steep slopes, some of which are listed below.

• Plant Grass and Shrubs. Grass and shrubs are very effective at stopping soil erosion. …
• Use Erosion Control Blankets to Add Vegetation to Slopes. …
• Build Terraces. …
• Create Diversions to Help Drainage.

Why Practice Soil Conservation: Soil conservation is an important part of conservation cropping systems. There are many benefits for producers who choose to employ soil conservation practices on-farm.

Increased Profits:

• Yields are equal to or greater than traditional tillage.
• Reduce use of fuel and labor.
• Requires less time.
• Lower machinery repair and maintenance costs.
• Potential reduction in fertilizer and herbicide costs.

Improved Environment:

• Improved soil quality and productivity.
• Reduced erosion.
• Increased water infiltration and storage.
• Improved air and water quality.
• Provides food and shelter for wildlife.

Soil Forming Factors

• Parent material—the rocks and deposits that formed the soil.
• The climate where the soils developed.
• Living organisms that changed the soils.
• The topography or slope of the land.
• The length of geological time the soils have been developing (age of the soil).

Properties of a Healthy Soil

• High organic matter content.
• Optimal nutrients and pH for plant growth.
• Stable aggregates to promote water infiltration.
• Large population of beneficial organisms.
• No compaction layers.
• No contamination.

Rebuilding soil health is important! Soil is a natural resource we must work to conserve for future generations. Practices such as reduced tillage and cover cropping can increase organic matter and improve soil health. There are several important ways producers can improve soil health.

Practices to Improve Soil Health

• Provide a cover to the soil. Bare soil is susceptible to wind and water erosion. Cover crops help protect soil from erosion and helps to build soil organic matter when cash crops are not actively growing. Cover crops can also supply plant nutrients, regulate soil temperature, improve soil structure, and suppress weeds.
• Disturb soil less. Tillage disrupts soil aggregates and increases risk of soil compaction. (Soil aggregates are groups of soil particles which are more strongly bound to one another than adjacent soil particles.) Stable soil aggregates help to prevent soil erosion. Aggregates also provide pore space for water and air to enter the soil, allowing plant roots to grow.) Compaction can hinder root growth and decrease production on agricultural soils. Tillage also speeds up the breakdown of soil organic matter. Reducing tillage can help prevent runoff, increase soil organic matter, and reduce erosion.
• Increase plant diversity. Different plants can provide a variety of different benefits to the soil. Increasing plant diversity through crop rotation can also help break pest cycles.
• Keep an active crop growing. Actively growing plants secrete sugars, organic acids, and other compounds that provide a good source for soil microorganisms. The area around plants is called the rhizosphere. This area contains the highest concentration of microorganisms in the soil. By keeping an actively growing crop in the soil, microorganisms can recycle nutrients to promote healthy soil.

Measuring Soil Health :

Changes in soil health happen over time. Therefore, measuring soil health is challenging. However, scientists can use tests to assess soil health.

• Soil organic matter. Soil organic matter increases the nutrient- and water-holding capacity of soil. Organic matter is an important indicator of soil health.
• Soil respiration. This test measures microbial activity in the soil. It is also a good predictor of plant-available nutrients from soil organic matter.
• Potentially mineralizable nitrogen. This test estimates the fraction of nitrogen in organic matter that may be converted to plant-available nitrogen. If soils have a high concentration of potentially mineralizable nitrogen, producers may be able to cut back on nitrogen fertilizer applications.
• Soil aggregation. Stable soil aggregates increase water infiltration into the soil and are good indicators of soil health.

Wind erosion is a natural process that moves soil from one location to another by wind power. Wind erosion can be caused by a light wind that rolls soil particles along the surface through to a strong wind that lifts a large volume of soil particles into the air to create dust storms. Wind erosion damages land and natural vegetation by removing soil from one place and depositing it in another. It is a common phenomenon occurring mostly in flat, bare areas. It causes soil loss, dryness and deterioration of soil structure.

• It damages both land and the quality of natural vegetation and suspended dust and dirt blow on to deplete the quality of the soil.
• It reduces the quality of nutrients and the entire productivity of the soil.

Terrace cultivation: method of growing crops on sides of hills or mountains by planting on graduated terraces built into the slope. Though labour-intensive, the method has been employed effectively to maximize arable land area in variable terrains and to reduce soil erosion and water loss.  Hilly region is prone to soil erosion and water scarcity. To prevent the loss of topsoil from the hills side terrace farming is done. The cut terraces allow water to slow down while they flow from the upper hill towards the lower side of the hill.

Terrace farming is practiced mainly in hilly areas. In India, it is practiced in hilly areas mainly like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and some north east states. It is also practiced in South area, like Andhra Pradesh.

Leaching: – The removal of soluble material from a substance, such as soil or rock, through the percolation of water, generally rain and irrigation. Organic matter is typically removed from a soil horizon and soluble metals or salts from a rock by leaching. Leaching differs from eluviations in that it affects soluble, not suspended, material and often results in the complete removal of the material from the soil or rock.

 Laterite soil is formed by leaching. Laterite soils are found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and in the hilly areas of Odisha and Assam