INDIAN SCHOOL, AL AIN

GEOGRAPHY NOTES

CHAPTER: RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

Resources
Everything in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs and is technologically
accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable is termed as ‘Resource’. Human beings
themselves are essential components of resources. They transform material available in the
environment into resources and use them.

Classification of Resources:
On the basis of Origin

-Biotic Resources: All living organisms in our environment are called biotic resources.
For example, trees, animals, insects, etc.

-Abiotic Resources: All non-living things present in our environment are termed as abiotic resources.
For example – earth, air, water, metals, rocks, etc.

On the basis of Exhaustibility

-Renewable Resources: Resources that can be replenished after a short period of time are called
Renewable Resources. For
example – agricultural crops, water, forest, wildlife, etc.

-Non-renewable Resources: Resources which takes million of years to replenish are called non-
renewable resources.
For example – fossil fuel.

On the Basis of ownership

-Individual: Resources owned by individuals are called Individual Resources.

For example – land owned by farmers, houses, etc.
 -Community: Resources owned by community or society are called Community Owned Resources.
For example – Graveyard, grazing land, ponds, burial grounds, park, etc.

-National Resources: Resources owned by Individual Nations are called National Resources.
For example – Government land, Roads, canals, railway, etc.

-International Resources: Resources regulated by international bodies are called International

Resources. For
example – Ocean and sea beyond 200 km of the Exclusive Economic Zone and is called open sea or
ocean. No individual country can utilize these resources without the permission of international bodies.

On the basis of Status of Development

-Potential Resources: Resources which are found in a particular region, but not yet used properly.
For example – Rajasthan and Gujarat receive plenty of solar energy and have plenty of wind energy, but
use of these resources so far has not been developed properly.

-Developed Resources: Resources which are developed and surveyed for utilization and are being
used in the present time are known as Developed Resources.

-Stock: Resources that are available, but we do not have proper technology to used them are called
Stock.
For example – water is made of oxygen and hydrogen, which can be used as fuel, but because of lack of
proper technology these are not being used.

-Reserves: Resources which are available and the know-how to use them is also present, but they
are yet to be used are called Reserves.
For example – river water which is not used to generate electricity.

Indiscriminate use of Resources

Resources are vital for human beings. But indiscriminate use of resources is creating many problems.

Examples:

 Accumulation of resources in only few hands leaves others unsatisfied.

 Indiscriminate use of resources is creating many problems around the world, such as global
warming, ecological crisis, disturbance in ozone layer, etc.
 Thus, equal distribution of resources becomes necessary for sustainable development.
Sustainable Development: Development which takes place without damaging the environment and
compromising with needs of future is called sustainable development.

Keeping the view of justified use of resources and sustainable development, the Earth Summit was
organized in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro in which more than 100 state heads agreed with Agenda 21 for the
sustainable development and proper use of resources.

Agenda 21 is an agenda to combat

 environmental damage,
 poverty,
 disease, etc. through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared
responsibilities.

Resource Planning
In India, 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. This calls for
balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional and local levels.

Resource Planning in India

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.

Resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate
technological development and institutional changes. India has made concerted efforts towards
achieving the goals of resource planning, right from the First Five Year Plan launched after
Independence.

To overcome irrational consumption and over-utilization of resources, resource conservation at various

levels is important.
Land Resources

Land is a natural resource of utmost importance. It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life,
economic activities, transport and communication systems. India has land under a variety of relief
features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains and islands as shown below:

Land Utilization

Land resources are used for the following purposes:

1. Forests
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

The use of land is determined by

-Physical factors: such as topography, climate, soil types.

-Human factors: such as population density, technological capability and culture and traditions etc.

The data below represents the land use pattern in India.

Waste land is the land put to other non-agricultural uses which include rocky, arid and desert areas,
roads, railways, industry etc. Continuous use of land over a long period of time without taking
appropriate measures to conserve and manage it, has resulted in land degradation.
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

Human activities such as

-deforestation,

-overgrazing,

-mining and quarrying have contributed significantly to land degradation.

Mining sites leave deep scars and traces of over-burdening the land.

In recent years, industrial effluents as waste have become a major source of land and water pollution in
many parts of the country.

Some of the ways through which we can solve the problems of land degradation are:

1. Afforestation and proper management of grazing.

2. Planting of shelter belts of plants.
3. Stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes.
4. Proper management of waste lands.
5. Control of mining activities.
6. Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment.

Soil as a Resource
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.

It takes millions of years to form soil up to a few cms in depth. 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.

Parent rock or bedrock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are important factors in
the formation of soil.

Chemical and organic changes which take place in the soil play an important role.

Soil also consists of organic (humus) and inorganic materials.

Classification of Soils
On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation, colour, thickness, texture, age, chemical and
physical properties, the soils of India are classified in different types as mentioned below.

Alluvial Soils

The entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil.

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.

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.

Based on age, Alluvial soils can be classified as:

-Old Alluvial (Bangar): The Bangar soil has a higher concentration of kanker nodules than the Khadar.

-New Alluvial (Khadar): It has more fine particles and is more fertile than the Bangar.

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.

Black Soil

This soil is black in colour and is also known as regur soil. Climatic conditions along with the parent
rock material are the important factors for the formation of black soil.

The soil is ideal for growing cotton and is also known as black cotton soil.

This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over northwest Deccan plateau
and is made up of lava flows.

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.

The black soils are made up of extremely fine i.e. clayey material and well-known for their capacity to
hold moisture.

Black soil is nutrients rich and contains calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.

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

This type of 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 color due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It
looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

Found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the
piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.

Laterite Soil

The laterite soil develops under tropical and subtropical climate with the alternate wet and dry
season.

This soil is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.

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.

The soil supports deciduous and evergreen forests but humus poor.

This soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.

Arid Soils

Arid soils range from red to brown in color.

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.

Arid soil lacks humus and moisture.

The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing calcium content
downwards. The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the infiltration of water.

Forest Soils

These soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas.

The soil texture is loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.

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 and alluvial fans.
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion. The soil
erosion is caused due to human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc.
Also, there are some natural forces like wind, glacier and water which lead to soil erosion. Soil erosion
is also caused due to defective methods of farming.

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. 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

Ploughing along the contour lines decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called
Contour Ploughing.

Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. This type of agriculture practice is done in Western and Central
Himalayas.

When a large field is divided into strips and 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.

Planting lines of trees to create shelter helps in the stabilization of sand dunes and in stabilizing the
desert in western India. Rows of such trees are called Shelter Belts.

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1. Multiple choice questions
1) Which one of the following types of resource is iron ore?
a) Renewable
b) Biotic
c) Flow
d) Non-renewable

Answer: Non-renewable

2) Under which of the following type of resource tidal energy cannot be put?
a. Replenishable
b. Human-made
c. Abiotic
d. Non-recyclable

Answer: Replenishable
3) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab?
(a) Intensive cultivation
(b) Deforestation
(c) Over irrigation
(d) Overgrazing

Answer: Over irrigation

4) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised?

(a) Punjab
(b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh
(c) Haryana
(d) Uttarakhand

Answer: Uttarakhand

5) In which of the following states is black soil predominantly found?

(a) Jammu and Kashmir
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Jharkhand

Answer: Maharashtra

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

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

Answer:

3 states are

1. Maharashtra

2. Gujarat

3. Madhya Pradesh

The crop grown is cotton.

2. What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main features of this
type of soil.

Answer:

The type of soil found in river deltas is Alluvial Soil.

1. Very fertile, and therefore good for the cultivation of crops

2. Consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay

3. It has a good quantity of potash, lime and phosphoric acid, which is good for the growth of
paddy and sugarcane.
3. What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?

Answer:

The main techniques that can be used are given below.

1. Contour ploughing

2. Terrace farming

3. Strips of grass are allowed to grow between the crops. This method is known as strip cropping.

4. What are biotic and abiotic resources? Give some examples.

Answer:

Biotic resource:

1. These are resources that are obtained from the biosphere

2. These resources have life

3. Examples are plants, animals, fish, human beings, livestock etc.

Abiotic resource:

1. These resources are composed of non-living things

2. Examples are water, minerals, metals, wind, solar energy etc.