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Chapter-1, Resources and Development, Resources:, A resource is anything available in the environment that is useful to human beings, and it is, economically feasible, technologically accessible, and culturally acceptable., Types of Resources:, Resources are classified into the following categories:, ● On the basis of origin, a) Biotic resources: Resources obtained from the biosphere and living organisms like human, beings, plants, and animals, etc., b) Abiotic resources: Resources obtained from inanimate objects. Examples include rocks,, metals etc., ● On the basis of ownership, a) Individual resources: Resources that have private individual ownership. Examples: houses,, plots, etc., b) Community owned resources: Resources that are shared by all the members within a, community. Examples include public parks, playgrounds, etc., c) National resources: Resources that belong to the nation. National resources include, railways, forests, land within political boundaries and oceanic areas up to 12nautical miles from, the coast., d) International resources: Resources that are regulated by international bodies are termed as, international resources.Example: Oceanic area beyond 200 nautical miles of the exclusive, economic zone., ● On the basis of exhaustibility, a) Renewable resources: Resources that have the capability to be regenerated by any, physical, chemical, or mechanical process. Examples include solar and wind energy, water etc., b) Non-renewable resources: Resources that are exhaustible and cannot be regenerated., Examples are fossil fuels, minerals etc., ● On the basis of status of development
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a) Potential resources: Resources that are available in a region but have not been put to use, yet. For examples, the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat have great potential for harnessing wind, and solar energy, but these have not been developed yet., b) Developed resources: Resources whose potential has been properly analyzed based on, their technological accessibility and economic feasibility, and quantity for utilization has been, determined., c) Stock: These are the resources that are present in abundance in our surroundings but have, not been utilized yet due to the lack of adequate technology., d) Reserves: These resources are considered a subset of stock. The technology required to, utilize these resources is available, but their utilization has not begun yet. They have been, reserved for future necessities., Development of Resources:, The irresponsible use of resources has led to many obstacles:, ● Division of society into rich and poor., ● Exhaustion of resources., ● Global crises like global warming, ozone depletion etc., Therefore, there is a need for sustainable economic development which means that, development without damaging the environment. It also means that development that is being, done for the present generation should not compromise the development of future generations., Resource Planning, Resource planning is the practice that is employed for the sensible use of resources which, involves the following steps:, ● Identifying and making an inventory of resources., ● Creating a proper planning structure, including all the technology and skills required., ● Matching the resource development plan with overall national development plans., Land Resources, Land is a very important resource as it supports natural vegetation, wildlife, and various, economic activities., Distribution of land in India:, ● 43%- Plain area for agriculture and industrial use., ● 30%- Mountain area for tourism and ecology., ● 27%- Plateau region which is rich in minerals and fossil fuels., Land Utilisation, Land resources are used for the following purposes:, 1)Forests
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2) Land not available for cultivation, a) Barren and wasteland, b) Land put to non-agricultural uses, 3)Fallow lands, 4)Other uncultivated lands (excluding fallow land), 5)Net sown area, Land Use Pattern in India, Determinants of use of land in India:, ● Physical factors: climate, topography, and soil types, ● Human Factors: population density, technological capability, traditions etc.., Land Degradation and Conservation, Deforestation, mining, and quarrying contribute significantly to land degradation., Following these practices can help curb the problem of land degradation :, ● Afforestation, ● Control over grazing, ● Control over mining, ● Management of waste lands, Soil as A Resource, Soil is the most important renewable resource as it supports plant growth and survival of living, organisms., Classification of Soil, On the basis of various chemical and physical properties soil is classified as:Alluvial soil, 1.The entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil., 2.The Alluvial Soil is deposited by 3 important Himalayan river systems – the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra., It is also found in Rajasthan, Gujarat and eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the, Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri rivers., 3.The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay. As we move inlands, towards the river valleys, soil particles appear to be bigger in size whereas in the upper side of, the river valley, the soils are coarse., 4.Based on age, Alluvial soils can be classified as:, 5.Old Alluvial (Bangar): The Bangar soil has a higher concentration of kanker nodules than the, Khadar., 6.New Alluvial (Khadar): It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the Bangar., 7.Alluvial soils are very fertile. These soils contain an adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric, acid and lime, which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and, pulse crops.
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Black Soil, 1.This soil is black in colour and is also known as regur soil., 2.Climatic conditions along with the parent rock material are the important factors for the, formation of black soil., 3.The soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil., 4.This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan, plateau and is made up of lava flows., 5.The soil covers the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and, Chhattisgarh and extends in the south-east direction along the Godavari and the Krishna, valleys., 6.The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material and well-known for their, capacity to hold moisture., 7.Black soil is nutrients rich and contains calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime., 8.The soil is 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, 1.This type of soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern, and southern parts of the Deccan plateau., 2.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., 3.Found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along, the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats., Laterite Soil, 1.The laterite soil develops under tropical and subtropical climate with the alternate wet and dry, season., 2.This soil is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain., 3.Lateritic soils are acidic (pH<6.0) in nature and generally deficient in plant nutrients. This type, of soil is found mostly in Southern states, Western Ghats region of Maharashtra, Odisha, some, parts of West Bengal and North-east regions., 4.The soil supports deciduous and evergreen forests but humus poor., 5.This soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee., , Arid Soils, 1.Arid soils range from red to brown in colour.
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2.This soil is generally sandy in texture and saline in nature. In some areas, the salt content is, very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water., 3.Arid soil lacks humus and moisture., 4.The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing calcium, content downwards., 5.The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the infiltration of water., , Forest Soils, 1.These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas., 2.The soil texture is loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes., 3.In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic, with low humus content. The soil is fertile on the river terraces., Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation, 1)The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion., 2) The soil erosion is caused due to human activities like deforestation, overgrazing,, construction and mining etc., 3)Also, there are some natural forces like wind, glacier and water which lead to soil erosion., 4) Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming., 5)The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels as gullies. The, land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land., 6)When water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope and the topsoil is washed away, it, is known as sheet erosion. Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion., Different Ways for Soil Conservation, 1)Ploughing along the contour lines decelerates the flow of water down the slopes. This is called, Contour Ploughing., 2)Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. This type of agriculture practice is done in Western and, Central Himalayas., 3)When a large field is divided into strips, strips of grass are left to grow between the crops., Then, this breaks up the force of the wind. This method is known as Strip Cropping., 4)Planting lines of trees to create shelter helps in the stabilisation of sand dunes and in, stabilising the desert in western India. Rows of such trees are called Shelter Belts.
