Chapter 2 LAND, SOIL, WATER, NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES

Land

Land is a crucial natural resource, covering about 30% of the Earth's surface, though not all of it is habitable. Its uneven distribution, along with climate variations, influences population density, with plains and river valleys being densely populated due to their suitability for agriculture, while rugged terrain, deserts, and dense forests are sparsely populated.

Land Use

Land is utilized for various purposes, including agriculture, forestry, mining, construction of houses and roads, and industrial development, collectively termed as land use. Physical factors like topography, soil, climate, minerals, and water availability, along with human factors such as population and technology, determine land-use patterns. Land can be classified by ownership into private land (owned by individuals) and community land (common property resources for shared use). Increasing demands have led to the encroachment on common lands for commercial and housing purposes, contributing to land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, and desertification.

Conservation Of Land Resource

To combat land degradation caused by deforestation, overgrazing, and overuse of chemicals, conservation methods are essential. These include afforestation, land reclamation, regulated use of pesticides and fertilizers, and checks on overgrazing. Implementing techniques like mulching, contour barriers, rock dams, terrace farming, intercropping, contour ploughing, and shelter belts helps protect the soil cover and reduce erosion.

Soil

Soil, the thin layer of grainy matter on the Earth's surface, is closely linked to landforms. It comprises organic matter, minerals, and weathered rocks, formed through the process of weathering. The fertility of soil depends on the right mix of minerals and organic matter.

Landslides

Landslides involve the mass movement of rock, debris, or earth down a slope, often triggered by earthquakes, floods, or volcanic activity. Intense human activities like blasting can destabilize slopes, leading to landslides, as seen in the case of Pangi village in Himachal Pradesh. Mitigation techniques include hazard mapping, constructing retention walls, increasing vegetation cover, and implementing drainage control works.

Factors Of Soil Formation

The primary factors influencing soil formation are the nature of the parent rock and climatic conditions. Other contributing factors include topography (altitude and slope), the presence of organic matter (flora, fauna, and microorganisms), and the time taken for the process. These factors vary geographically, leading to differences in soil types, color, texture, chemical properties, and mineral content.

Degradation Of Soil And Conservation Measures

Soil erosion and depletion are significant threats to soil as a resource, caused by both human activities (deforestation, overgrazing, overuse of chemical pesticides and fertilizers) and natural factors (rain wash, landslides, floods). Conservation methods aim to prevent this degradation, including mulching, contour barriers, rock dams, terrace farming, intercropping, contour ploughing, and shelter belts.

Water

Water is a vital, renewable natural resource, covering about three-fourths of the Earth's surface. However, only about 2.7% of this is freshwater, with most of it locked in glaciers and ice sheets. Accessible freshwater is scarce, found in groundwater, rivers, lakes, and as atmospheric vapor. Its total volume remains constant, but its availability fluctuates due to the water cycle. Increasing population, rising demands for food and cash crops, urbanization, and higher living standards contribute to water scarcity through overuse and pollution.

Problems Of Water Availability

Water scarcity affects many regions globally due to variations in rainfall and over-exploitation and contamination of water sources. The discharge of untreated sewage, agricultural chemicals, and industrial effluents into water bodies pollutes water with harmful substances like nitrates, metals, and pesticides, making it unfit for human consumption and harming aquatic life.

Conservation Of Water Resources

Conserving water is crucial as access to clean and adequate water sources is a global challenge. While water is renewable, overuse and pollution render it unusable. Controlling water pollution involves treating industrial effluents before releasing them. Promoting forest cover and vegetation helps slow surface runoff and replenish groundwater. Water harvesting techniques, such as collecting rainwater from rooftops for storage, and efficient irrigation methods like properly lined canals, sprinklers, and drip irrigation, are essential for conserving this precious resource.

Natural Vegetation And Wildlife

Plants are valuable resources, providing timber, shelter for animals, oxygen, soil protection, latex, medicinal products, and paper. Wildlife, including animals, birds, and aquatic life, provides milk, meat, hides, wool, honey, and aids in pollination. They are all integral to maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.

Distribution Of Natural Vegetation

The growth of vegetation is primarily influenced by temperature and moisture. Areas with abundant water and moderate rainfall support lush forests and grasslands, respectively. In drier regions with low rainfall, plants adapt with deep roots and thorny, waxy leaves to minimize water loss through transpiration. Cold Polar Regions have tundra vegetation like mosses and lichens.

Conservation Of Natural Vegetation And Wildlife

Natural vegetation and wildlife exist in the biosphere, where living beings are interdependent. Deforestation, soil erosion, construction, forest fires, and human interference disrupt habitats and accelerate the extinction of species. Poaching for animal products further endangers wildlife. Conservation efforts include establishing national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves, raising public awareness, promoting social forestry, and enacting laws against the illegal trade and killing of endangered species. International agreements like CITES aim to protect endangered species from trade.

Exercises

The chapter concludes with exercises designed to reinforce understanding of resources and their development. These include answering questions on factors of soil formation, land degradation, the importance of land as a resource, government conservation measures, and water conservation techniques. Activities involve matching terms with their definitions, identifying correct statements, and discussing changes in land use patterns through interviews with elders. Practical exercises encourage observation of different soil types and data representation through bar diagrams, promoting a comprehensive understanding of natural resources and their management.