Class X, NCERT (CBSE) Geography

Chapter 1, Resources and Development

Textbook Exercise Questions-Answers
***IMPORTANT NOTE***: THESE ARE ONLY REFERENCE SOLUTIONS FOR THE
HELP.

Answer 1: (i) (d) Non-renewable

(ii) (a) Replenishable
(iii) (c) Over irrigation
(iv) (d) Uttarakhand
(v) (b) Gujarat

Answer 2) (i) The states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka have black soil. The crop which
is grown in this soil is cotton. This soil is called Regur regionally in this region.

(ii) The deltas made by east flowing rivers on Eastern Coastal plain have alluvial soil. Main
features of this soil are:
(a) It is a most fertile soil having chemicals like lime, potash and phosphoric acid.
(b) The region of this densely populated.
(c) This soil is ideal for growing sugarcane, paddy and other cereals.

(iii) In hilly areas, soil erosion can be controlled by ploughing across contour-lines, making use
of terrace farming techniques and using strips of grasses to check soil erosion by wind and water.

(iv)
Biotic Resources: The resources which are obtained from the biosphere and have life are called
Biotic Resources. For example, animals and plants including human beings.
Abiotic Resources: The resources which are composed of non-living things are called Abiotic
Resources. For example, water, minerals, metals, wind, solar energy etc.

Answer 3) (i)
(a) (i) Land resources in India are primarily divided into agricultural land, forest land, land meant
for pasture and grazing, and waste land.
(ii) Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas, and land used for other non-agricultural
purposes such as housing, roads and industry.
(iii) According to the recent data, about 54% of the total land area is cultivable or fallow, 22.5%
is covered by forests, and 3.45% is used for grazing.
(iv) The rest is waste land, with traces of miscellaneous cultivation.

(b) Land under forest has not increased much since 1960-61 due to:
(i) The improper use of forest land has degraded the available land area, and has made
conservation of forests difficult.
(ii) Human activities such as deforestation, mining and quarrying have contributed to the slow
growth rate of forests.
(iii) Thus, land under forest has increased by only about 4% since 1960-61.
Answer: (ii) Technical and economic development have led to more consumption of resources on
account of various factors.
(a)

In colonial times, imperial powers would use their technological and economic
superiority to establish control over other countries and thereby gain access to the
latters resources.

(b)

Now, one countrys resources became accessible to the citizens of its colonial ruler
too, leading to increased consumption.

(c)

Also, on account of technical and economic progress, populations are increasing due
to low mortality at all ages.

(d)

With the development of medicine and health care, fewer people die due to accidents,
diseases, in childbirth etc. This too has contributed to higher consumption of
resources.

Class X

Geography

Session: 2016-17

SA 1

Assignment 1(Chapter -1)

1.

Distinguish between khaddar and bangar soils.

2.

Mention the factors responsible for soil formation.

3.

How are potential resources different from stock resources.

4.

What are the different causes of soil erosion pertaining to the

following regions and suggest remedial measures for the same:
Mountains , Steep slopes and Plateaus, Coastal areas, Desert areas ,
River plains

5.

Why is it important to have a planned strategy for the development of

resources in India?

6.

Mention four characteristics of Black Soils.

7.

What are transported soils? Why is alluvial soil known as transported

soils?

8.

How does land get degraded due to human activities?

9.

Suggest measures to check soil erosion by rivers.

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10.

Why is resource planning necessary?

11.

Explain the relationship between resources ,institutions and technology.

Class X
SA 1

Geography

Session: 2016-17

Assignment 2 (Chapter-1)

Answers the following questions in one sentence:

1. Geotharmal energy in Puga valley and Parvati vally are which type of
resources?
2. When was the concept of sustainable development was discussed?
3. Which principle is followed through sustainable development?
4. Write one of the characteristic feature of Red soil in India?
5. What is the reason of soil erosion in Punjab?
6. Name any four examples of renewable resource?
7. What is the total land area of India ?
8. Laterite soils are found in which of the state? (Any two)
9. In which state the net sown area is 80% of the total area of the land ?
10. In which state deforestation due to mining has caused land
degradation?

(Short answers to be attempted on your own)

Assignment -1 Geography (Resources And Development)

Answer1 : Bhangar :
a. Largest part of the Northern Plain.
b.Made of old alluvium.
c. The soil in this region is not renewed frequently.
d. Not very fertile and contains calcareous deposits locally known as 'kankar'.
e. These are found away from the river especially along the foothill.
Khadar :
a. It is not the largest part of the Northern Plains
b. Made up new alluvium and fine gravel
c. The soil in this region renewed frequently due to frequent flooding.
d. Does not contain calcareous deposits of calcium.
e. These are found near the river in the flood plains and deltas.

Answer2: Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is the medium of plant growth
and supports different types of living organisms on the earth. The soil is a living system. It takes
millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth.
(a) Relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are
important factors in the formation of soil.
(b) Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions of running water, wind
and glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil.
(c) Chemical and organic changes which take place in the soil are equally important.
(d) Soil also consists of organic (humus) and inorganic materials.
Answer 3: Textbook Page No.2
Heading On the basis of the Status of Development.
Write from Potential Resource and Stock Resource

Answer 4: Mountains:
Cause: (i) Deforestation on the landscape causes soil to erode away as roots cannot hold the soil.
(ii) River water also erode away the top soil due to its swift movement.
Remedial Measure:
(i)
Steps can be cut on the slopes making terrace. Terrace farming can stop swift flow
of water and thus preventing soil erosion.
Steep slopes and Plateau:
Cause: (i) Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope and washes away the
top soil. This is called sheet erosion
Remedial Measure:
(i)
Contour ploughing and planting trees on the slopes.
(ii)
Large fields can be divided into strips of grasses are left to grow between the
crops.
Coastal Areas:
Causes: (i) High wind speed in the coastal areas.
Remedial Measure:
(i)
Planting shelter belts to reduce the wing speed and thus preventing soil erosion.
Desert areas:
Causes: (i) High speed wind causes sand to move swiftly and causes erosion.
Remedial Measures:
(i)
Planting thorny bushes that reduces the wind speed and preventing soil erosion
River Plains:
Causes: (i) Running water cuts through the clayey soils and forms gullies and is responsible for
eroding of top fertile soil
Remedial Measures: Growing green cover and not allowing soil to get exposed to sun. Planting
more number of trees can be helpful to reduce soil erosion.
Answer5: Page No.-3 Heading Resource Planning
1st Line Planning is widely accepted..national, state, regional and local
levels.
(Make points from this)
Answer 6:This type of soil is made up of lava flows and is black in colour. This soil is ideal for
cotton cultivation and known as black cotton soil. The features of black soil are as follows:
(a) The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material.
(b) They are well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.
(c) In addition, they are rich in soil nutrients, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash
and lime.
(d) These soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents.
(e) They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the
soil.

(f) These soils are sticky when wet and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after
the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.
Answer 7: Transported soil is such soil that is formed due to its transportation from one place
and then settlement on to the other place. Such soil is formed due to the denudation of the soil
cover and subsequent washing down.
Alluvial soil is called as a transported soil as it is formed due to its transportation from the hilly
regions and then the subsequent settling in the low lying areas. Due to its movement, the
particles varied in size and thus soil can be categorised in two different ways: Khadar and banger.
Answer 8: Some human activities such as deforestation, over grazing, mining and quarrying too
have contributed significantly in land degradation.
(a) Mining: Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep
scars and traces of over-burdening.
(b) Deforestation: In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa
deforestation due to mining have caused severe land degradation.
(c) Overgrazing: In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
(d) Over-irrigation: In the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation
is responsible for land degradation due to water logging leading to increase in salinity and
alkalinity in the soil.
(e) Mineral Processing: The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement
industry and calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust in
the atmosphere. It retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil after it settles
down on the land.
(f) Industrial Effluents: In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major
source of land and water pollution in many parts of the country.
Answer9: 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. Western and central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming.
Answer 10: Resources are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining the quality of life.
It was
believed that resources are free gifts of nature. As a result, human beings used them
indiscriminately. So their arise the necessity to use these resources wisely as it results in
following problems:
(a) Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals.
(b) Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into two
segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
(c) Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.

Answer11: 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.

The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an inter dependent relationship between nature, technology and institutions. Human beings interact with
nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic development.