Part B Question and Answers

1. “Resources are functions of human activities” Justify this statement. (CBSE

2012) (3)
 The process of transformation of things available in our environment
involves an interactive relationship between nature, technology and
institutions.
 Human beings interact with nature through technology and create
institutions to accelerate their economic development.
 Human beings themselves are essential components of resources.
They transform material available in our environment into resources
and use them.

2. How are resources divided on the basis of ownership? (3)

OR
Provide a suitable classification of resources on the basis of ownership.
Mention main features of any three types of such resources.
(CBSE 2014) (5)
On the basis of ownership resources are classified into 4.
Individual Resources: These are also owned privately by individuals.
Urban people own plots, houses and other property. Plantation, pasture
lands, ponds, water in wells etc. are some of the examples of resources
ownership by individuals. Make a list of resources owned by your household.
Community Owned Resources: There are resources which are accessible
to all the members of the community. Village commons (grazing grounds,
burial grounds, village, pond etc).public parks, picnic spots, playgrounds in
urban areas are de facto accessible to all the people living there.
National Resources: Technically, all the resources belong to the nation.
The country has legal powers to acquire even private property for public
good. Roads, canals, railways being constructed on fields owned by some
individuals. All the minerals, water resources, forests, wildlife, land within
the political boundaries and oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles (22.2 km)
 from the coast termed as territorial water and resources there in belong to
the nation.
International Resources: There are international institutions which
regulate some resources. The oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles
of the Exclusive Economic Zone belong to open ocean and no individual
country can utilise these without the concurrence of international
institutions.
3. Distinguish between Renewable and non- renewable resources. (CBSE
2012) (3)
Renewable Non- Renewable
 These resources are  These resources may
renewed or replenished by not be replenished by
nature in a short period of nature or take a very
time. long time to be formed
 Most of the time these again.
resources are  These resources are
inexhaustible and are exhausted after use
available in abundance. and are limited in
 Renewable resources can nature.
be divided into continues  Non-renewable
or flow. resources can be
 Eg. Solar energy, water divided into recyclable
or non-recyclable.
 Eg. Fossil fuels

4. What are the biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples. (3)
Biotic Resources: These are obtained from biosphere and have life such as
human beings, flora and fauna, fisheries, livestock etc.

Abiotic Resources: All those things which are composed of non-living

things are called abiotic resources. For example, rocks and metals
5. Explain the role of human in resources development. (CBSE 2010,2011).(3)
 Development of a country depends on the overall development of the human
resources.
 Humans enhance the development of economy of a country.
 They are responsible for the transformation of different substances into more
useful forms thus utilizing their full potential.
 Social backwardness is also eradicated.

6. Sustainability of development is a new area of knowledge.” Do you agree?

Justify your answer. (CBSE 2015 (3)

 Yes, sustainability of development is indeed a new area of knowledge.

 With the progress in technology, initially the trust was on using the
available natural resources for the benefit for mankind.
 However the population increased, rampant uses of such resources
started putting strain on their availability.

7. What is Agenda 21? List its two principles. (CBSE 2016) (1+2=3)

 Agenda 21 was adopted at first International Earth Summit held in 1992

at Rio de Janerio Brazil.
The two principles are as follows:
 To combat environmental damage, poverty disease through global
cooperation on common interests, mutual needs and shared
responsibilities.
 Every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.

8. “Indiscriminate use of resources had led to numerous problems “.

Justify the statement. (CBSE 2012) (3)
Human beings used resources indiscriminately and this has led to the
Following major problems
 Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.
 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.
 Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises
such as, global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and
land degradation.
9. What are the steps involved in resource planning? (3)

Resource planning is a complex process which involves:

 (i) Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country.

This involves surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation

and measurement of the resources.

(ii) Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill and
institutional set up for implementing resource development plans.

(iii) Matching the resource development plans with overall national development
plans.

10. Why is resource planning crucial for India? (3)

OR

Why is it essential to have resource planning? Explain any three reasons.

(CBSE 2017) (3)

Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources. It has
importance in a country like India, which has enormous diversity in the availability
of resources.

 There are regions which are rich in certain types of resources but are
deficient in some other resources.
 There are some regions which can be considered self-sufficient in terms of
the availability of resources and there are some regions which have acute
shortage of some vital resources.
 For example, the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are
rich in minerals and coal deposits. Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of
water resources but lacks in infrastructural development.

11. Explain the importance of conservation of resources. (3)

 Resources are vital for any developmental activity.

 But irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources may lead to
socio-economic and environmental problems.
 To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is
important.

12. How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of
resources? (3)

Technical and economic development has led to more consumption resources

because of the following reasons:
  Technology has led to the development of various types of industries which
led to increase in use of resources.
 Goods become outdated very fast and development of advanced goods with
the latest technology requires more resources.
 Increase in population and improvement in medical facilities has also
increased demands for more resources.
 Economic development provides favorable environment for the development
of latest technologies which helps to convert into resources.
 The economic development leads to the rise of the needs of people which
results into more consumption of resources.

13. Discuss anthropogenic factors of land degradation. (3)

 Deforestation – This leads to soil erosion and land degradation because

deforestation leaves the soil bare and prone to erosion by wind and water,
and the fertility of the soil is also lost due to human activities.
 Over Irrigation- Due to over irrigation is responsible for land degradation
due to water logging leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
 Over Mining – The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement
industry and calcite ad 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.
 Over Grazing – This leads to increase in trampling of soil by livestock, which
increases soil compaction and thus, decreases the permeability of soil which
increases the runoff and soil erosion.

14. Why does the net sown area vary from one state to another? (3)

The pattern of net sown area varies greatly from one state to another.

 Climatic condition
 Water availability
 Technology
 Soil fertility
 Relief (should explain with example)

15. Explain any three reasons for the land degradation. (3)

 Deforestation
 Over Irrigation
 Over Mining
 Over Grazing (Should explain)

16. Suggest any five measures to solve the problem of land degradation in India.
(CBSE 2017) (5)
  Afforestation and proper management of grazing can help to some extent.
 Planting of shelter belts of plants, control on over grazing, stabilization of
sand dunes by growing thorny bush are some of the methods to check land
degradation in arid areas.
 Proper management of waste lands, control of mining activities, proper
discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can
reduce land and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas.

17. Explain land use pattern in India and why the land has under forest not
increased much since 1960-61. (5)

 Land resources in India are primarily divided into agricultural land, forest
land, land meant for pasture and grazing, and waste land.
 (b) Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas, and land used for other
non-agricultural purposes such as housing, roads and industry.
 (c) According to the recent data, about 54% of the total land area is
cultivable or fallow, 22.78% is covered by forests, and 3.38% is used for
grazing. The rest is waste land, with traces of miscellaneous cultivation.
 (d) The land under forest has not increased since 1960–61 because in the
post-independence era demand for more land to expand agriculture, mainly
after Green Revolution, developmental works and infrastructural facilities, led
to clearance of forests areas.
 (e) Industrialisation and urbanisation also decreased the forest area. Thus,
land under forest has increased by only about 4% since 1960-61.

18. Describe the features of Red - Yellow soil and Laterite soils. Mention the
places where they are found in India. (3)

 Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in

the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
 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.
 Yellow 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.

19. Classify alluvial soils on the basis of their age. Write two characteristics of
each. (3)

 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.

20. What is regur soil? Write its two features. Mention any two regions where
regur soil is found. (1+1+1=3)

 Black Soil
 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
materials are the important factors for the formation of black soil.
 Plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh and extend in the south east direction along the Godavari
and the Krishna valleys.

21. What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three
main features of this type of soil? (4)

 Alluvial soil.
 It consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
 As we 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.

22. What is soil erosion? Write the main causes of soil erosion. (1+2=3)

 The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is

described as soil erosion.
 Deforestation – This leads to soil erosion and land degradation because
deforestation leaves the soil bare and prone to erosion by wind and
water, and the fertility of the soil is also lost due to human activities.
 Over Irrigation- Due to over irrigation is responsible for land
degradation due to water logging leading to increase in salinity and
alkalinity in the soil.
 Over Mining – The mineral processing like grinding of limestone for
cement industry and calcite ad 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.
  Over Grazing – This leads to increase in trampling of soil by livestock,
which increases soil compaction and thus, decreases the permeability of
soil which increases the runoff and soil erosion.

23. Write any three methods of soil conservation. (3)

 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.
 Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow
between the crops. This breaks up the force of the wind. This method is
known as strip cropping.
 Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way. Rows
of such trees are called shelter belts. These shelter belts have
contributed significantly to the stabilisation of sand dunes and in
stabilising the desert in western India.

24. Explain three types of soil erosion mostly observed in India. Mention
human activities that are responsible for soil erosion. (CBSE 2012) (3+2=5)

 The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels
as gullies.
 Sometimes water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. In such
cases the top soil is washed away. This is known as sheet erosion.
 Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion.
 Deforestation – This leads to soil erosion and land degradation because
deforestation leaves the soil bare and prone to erosion by wind and water,
and the fertility of the soil is also lost due to human activities.
 Over Grazing – This leads to increase in trampling of soil by livestock,
which increases soil compaction and thus, decreases the permeability of
soil which increases the runoff and soil erosion.

Textual Exercise

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) Name three states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it.

 Plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and

Chhattisgarh. Cotton, Wheat, Sugarcane Millets etc.
(ii) What type of soil is found in the river Deltas of the eastern coast? Give three
main features of this type of soil.

 Refer qn. No. 21 in part B

(iii) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?

 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.
 Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow
between the crops. This breaks up the force of the wind. This method is
known as strip cropping.
 Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way. Rows of
such trees are called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed
significantly to the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in
western India.

(iv) What are the biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples.

 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.

3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words

(i) Explain land use pattern in India ad why has the land under forest not increased
much since 1960-61.

 Refer qn no. 17 in part B

(ii) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of
resources?

 Refer qn no. 12 in part B