LAND RESOURCES

AND PREVENTION
OF SOIL EROSION
PRESENTED BY
BINCYRAJ B. V
Introduction
 Land is one of the most important natural
resources in India.
 Out of 510million sq. Km. of the world total area,
land accounts for nearly 29%.
 Based on height variations, labd surface is
classified into a no.of land forms like mountains,
hills, plateaus, plains and Valleys.
 Out of the total area of the world, 25%is in the
form of mountains, 45% as plains and 30% as
plateaus.
Factors Affecting Land
Resources
 The important Factors affecting land resources
were:

1).Landslides
2).Desertification and
3).Soil erosion
1).Landslides
 A landslide is the descent of a mass of earth and
rock down a mountain slope.
 Generally landslides occur due to continuous
heavy rain. Landslides occur mostly in rainy season.
 The activities of men also causes
landslides:constructing buildings on hill or mountain
slopes prevents free flow of rain water and laying a
number of roads by levelling mountain rocks lead
to landslide.
 By strengthening the hill slopes, landslides could be
avoided.
 By constructing draining canals to long distances, rain
and rivelet waters could be safetly carried away from
hill slopes.
2).Desertification
 Deserts are unused land areas of the world.
When a region remains without any rainfall
permanantly it is referred as a desert. (Eg:-
Sahara desert in North Africa, Thar desert in
India etc.)
 Deserts are mostly sandy, no vegetation is
possible :density of population is also very low.
 Man has become the most important factor for
the extension of desert areas.
 Desertification starts from a small fertile land area. Large
amount of dust particles are added to the atmosphere,
leading to drought conditions.
 The use of underground water near the desert region
should be properly regulated, so that moisture in the
sand will not be reduced to a greater extent.
 Awareness should be developed among the people
living in the desert areas on the necessity of preventing
the process of desertification.
3).Soli erosion
 Soil erosion is the drifting of the top layer of the
soil from one place to another. It is a natural
process.
 Generally water and wind are responsible for
soil erosion.
 Effects /Causes Of Soil
Erosion
 Major causes of soul erosion are:
1. Floods:-Because of heavy rainfall and flood,
the top layer of the soil is Carried away
along with the flow of water.
2. Wind or storm:- This is another cause of soil
erosion where the soil is replaced.
3. Deforestation :-Trees have the ability to hold
the water and soil particles.The areas where
trees are less will be proned to soil erosion.
4.Mining:-This is another important cause for soil
erosion.During the mining of the minerals from
earth crust, soil in the upper layer get loosened
which leads to soil erosion.
5.Developmental Activities :-soil erosion is
caused by various develipmental activities
like,Construction of dams,infrastructure Facilities ,
etc .
Prevention Of Soil
Erosion
 Soil erosion can be Prevented by growing trees
as many as posdible.
 Agronic methods may prevent soil erosion they
include:
*contour Planting:-To check the flow of water
down with the hills to avoid soil erosion, planting
should be in right angles to the slopes.
 *Contour furrowing :-To hold the runoff water and soil,
furrows should be made in right angles of the slopes.
*Strip cropping :-These are alternate densely growing crop
covers which prevent soil erosion.
 Crop gross rotation in agriculture is called lay
farming.The soil particles are hold by roots of grasses
and soil erosion is prevented.
 The division of slopy areas into segments of small flat
fields by means of ridges called terracing will prevent
soil erosion.
 Flood is the major reason of soil erosion.Heavy
erosion can be checked by constructing dams.
 Soil erosion can be checked and prevented by
controlled grazing of cattles.
Conclusion
 Land is one of the major natural resources.
 Land resources has major importance than other natural
resources.
 Soil erosion is one of the prominent factor of land resources.
 Soil erosion and its prevention is very important for the
conservation of land resources.
 National land resource conservation and Development
commission remarked that uncontrolled grazing, felling of
trees, shifting cultivation and faulty agricultural methods are
the main causes for fertiliy of land.