Tyndale-Bi

Senior Department
Tutorial Unit-1 (Session 2021-2022)
CLASS X SUBJECT: S. Science
Geography
Topic: Resource and development

Resource concept:
A resource is a source or supply from which benefit is produced, typically resources are materials, energy,
services, knowledge or assets that are transformed to produce benefit and in the process may be consumed or made
available. Resources like air, water, sunlight, land, forests, wildlife etc. are useful to mankind.
Definition:
Anything in our environment that can be used to satisfy our needs is called as resource. A resource should be
technologically accessible, economically, feasible and culturally acceptable.
The use of a resource gives it worth or value. If the worth of a thing increases due to modification than the thing is
called a resource.
Changing concept of natural resource:
In past the natural resources were viewed primarily as sources of valuable and useful commodities. They were
mostly the raw materials present in the environment that man could use E.g. minerals, fossil fuel, forests and
grazing resource, wild life, fish and domestic animals. Now the concept of natural resources have been broadened
because the man have explored and discovered various things due to suitable technologies, knowledge and
experience. Now according to the modern concept all living and non – living things present in our environment are
considered as natural resources.
Types of resources

1. Natural Resources 2. Man – made Resources

1. Natural Resources: The resources which are available with nature are called as natural resources. E.g.
land, water, air, minerals, forests etc.
2. Man – made resource: The resources which are made by human beings by modifying natural resources
are called Human made resources. E.g. houses, machines, books, fans, computers, mobiles, pen, schools
etc.
NOTE: Various experts who provide their services to general public are called as human resources. E.g.
teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, drivers etc.
Classification of resources:
A. Classification on the basis of origin

1. Biotic (Living) 2. Abiotic (non – Living)

1. Biotic resources: All living things in the biosphere such as plants, animals, human beings etc. are called as
biotic resources. These are capable of reproduction and are generally renewable. The renewability of a living
resource varies with species and the area involved.
2. Abiotic resources. All non – living things in the biosphere such as land, water, air, minerals etc. are called as
abiotic resources. The usefulness of the abiotic resources depends upon their accessibility and concentration.
NOTE: Natural resources may be biotic or abiotic but all man made resources are abiotic.

B. Classification on the basis of exhaustibility

or

1. Renewable resources 2. Non – renewable resources

I) Continuous resources II) Biological resources I) Recyclable resources II) Non-recyclable resources

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1. Renewable resources:
The resources which have the capacity or ability to renew or reproduce through physical, chemical or mechanical
processes. These are also called as replenishable resource. E.g. forests, animals, solar energy, wind, water, air etc.
I) Continuous resource: Those resources which can be used and replenished at the same time. They do
not remain in one location and move about due to natural actions in the physical environment. E.g.
running water, solar radiation, wind etc.
II) Biological resource: Those resources which are required by an organism for normal growth,
maintenance and reproduction. E.g. plants, animals and human beings.
2. Non – renewable resources:
These resources cannot reproduce quickly and can be exhausted. These take millions of years in their
formation. These are exhaustible and non – renewable. E.g. minerals, metals, fossil fuels.
I) Recyclable Resource: The resources which can be recycled. E.g. metals
II) Non-recyclable resource: The resources which cannot be recycled. E.g. coal, petroleum, natural gas
and minerals.
C. Classification on the basis of ownership

1. Individual 2. Community 3. National 4. International

resources owned resources resources resources

1. Individual resources: These resources are privately owned by individuals. E.g. farm lands, orchards,
factories, houses, vehicles etc.
2. Community resources: These resources are owned by community or a group of individuals. E.g. public parks,
playgrounds, grazing lands in villages, cremation grounds, ponds in villages. Etc.
3. National resources: These resources are the property of a country and are under the control of its government.
E.g. forests, minerals, water resources, territorial sea water, wildlife etc. These resources help in the growth
and development of a country and its people.
4. International resources: These resources are owned by international institutions and can be used by
individual nations or community after getting permission from international institutions. E.g. Open sky for
flight movement, open sea for peaceful navigation etc.

D. Classification on the basis of state of development

1. Potential 2. Developed 3. Stock resources 4. Reserves

resources resources resources
1. Potential resources: The known resources in a region but have not properly developed as their quality and
quantity are not fully defined. E.g. Solar energy, wind energy, Geo – thermal energy etc.
2. Developed resources: The resources in a region which are available for use. E.g. coal, petroleum etc.
Availability of technology, feasibility and accessibility decides their exploration, development and utilization.
3. Stock resources: The resources which can possibly satisfy the human needs. But human beings do not have
required technical knowledge to reach them. E.g. hydrogen and oxygen in water can be used as a source of
energy but due to lack of technology it is not possible at present.
4. Reserve resources: The resources which are in reserve can be utilized with the available technical knowledge
but their exploration is not started yet. E.g. rivers and forests are reserves but still have limited exploration.
Development of resources:
Resources are important for human survival as well as maintaining the standard of living. The resources have been
used by human beings since ancient times and the indiscriminate use of the resources have caused the following
problems:
1. Depletion of resources at faster rate especially non – renewable resources.
2. Unequal resource distribution which created accumulation of resources in few hands which resulted in the
formation of rich and poor people.
3. Indiscriminate use of resources led to global warming, depletion of ozone layer and environmental and
land degradation.

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Sustainable development:
In simpler words this means “the development without damaging the environment and the present development
should benefit also the future generation”.
Rio de Janerio:
The first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janerio
(Brazil) in 1992. Its main aim was to solve the problem of environmental protection and socio – economic
development at the global level. In this conference more than 100 heads from different countries of the world
participated. The participating countries agreed on Global Forest Principles and developed Agenda 21” to
achieve sustainable development in the 21st century. The joint statement is known as the “declaration on global
climatic changes and biological diversity”. The aim of the agenda 21 was to achieve sustainable development in
21st century through local governments in order to combat environmental damage, poverty and diseases through
global cooperation.
Resource Planning:
India is very rich in resources but the resources are unevenly distributed. Some states are self – sufficient like
Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, M.P etc. Some states have acute shortage of resources like Punjab, Haryana,
Arunachal Pradesh etc.so the various limitations and differences in resource distribution demands proper resource
planning from national and local level for a fair and healthy development.
Resource Planning is a technique or skill of proper utilization of resources. It is necessary due to following
reasons:
1. Most of the resources are limited in quantity.
2. They are unevenly distributed.
3. It will reduce environmental and wastage of resources.
4. It will reduce the over utilization of resources.
The resource planning involves the following steps:
1. Identification and inventory of resources across the different regions of the country. This comprises of
surveying, mapping, measurement etc.
2. Planning for resource development using proper skill, technology and institutional setup.
3. Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.
In India the planning for the development of resources has started immediately after independence i.e. with the
beginning of first five year plan.
Resources and colonisation:
The Europeans came to India in search of resources and exploited them. They developed a suitable technology to
exploit the resources of India and were successful. India has learned from her past experience that development in
general does not involve only availability of resources but also the technology, quality of human resources and
historical experiences of the people.
Conservation of resources:
For the needs of human kind, resources are being over utilized worldwide that led to socio economic and
environmental problems. To overcome these problems conservation of resources is need of the day. Regarding
conservation of resources Gandhi Ji once said, “there is enough for everybody‟s need and not for anybody‟s
greed.” He blamed the greedy and selfish people and the modern technology for the reckless exploitation and
wastage of resources.
At the global level, the following steps have been taken for the conservation of resources.
1. The Club of Rome advocated the cause of resource conservation for the first time in a systematic way in
1968.
2. In 1974, Schumacher in his book Small is beautiful, asserted on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.
3. In 1987, the Brundtland Commission report, introduced the concept of “sustainable development” as a
main for the resource conservation. It was also added in the book Our Common Future.
4. In 1992, the Earth Summit in Rio de jenario in Brazil, made significant contribution towards the
conservation of the resources.
Conservation:
It can be defined as protection, preservation and efficient use of resources. It is necessary due to following reasons:
1. Resources are limited and unevenly distributed on earth.
2. Non – renewable resources take millions of years to form especially coal and petroleum. If they will finish
they cannot be remade.
3. While using the resources we should also think of future generation also.

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 Land resources
Importance:
Land is an important gift of nature. As all the economic and cultural activities of human beings are associated with
it. Land is used for living, it supports natural vegetation, wild life, agriculture, industries, transport etc. The share
of land on the earth‟s surface is only about 29%. The Indian geographical area 3.28 million square kilometres
which comprises of 43% plains for agriculture and industries, 27% plateaus which is source of minerals, fossil –
fuels and forests, 30% mountains which ensure perennial flow of some rivers and provide tourist centres.
Land Utilization / Land use pattern in India:
The proportion of land put to different uses in known as the “Land Use Pattern”. It is determined by the natural
and the human needs. The land is used for the following purposes.
1. Forests.
2. Land not available for cultivation.
a) Barren and Waste Land.
b) Area under non – agricultural uses. Such as buildings, roads, shops, houses, factories etc.
3. Other cultivated use.
a) Permanent pastures and grazing land.
b) Area under tree crops excluding net sown area.
c) Cultivable waste land (not cultivated for more than five years).
4. Fallow land
a) Current fallow (left uncultivated for one agriculture year).
b) Other than current fallow.
5. Net sown area: It is a part of the total land area which is actually cultivated in India. It is 46% of the total
land area.
Gross cropped area: Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is called gross
cropped area.
The use of land is determined by the following factors.
1. Physical factor: This includes climate, soil type, topography etc.
2. Human factor: This includes population density, cultural traditions, technical knowledge of the people
etc.
Net sown area in different states:
The net sown area varies widely in different states in India. It is over 80% in Punjab and Haryana due to
agricultural facilities especially irrigation facilities and presence of plain lands.
It is less than 10% in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Andaman and Nicobar islands. These areas are
hilly and have less plain lands.
Land Degradation:
Continuous use of land and old techniques of farming, lack of irrigation facilities etc. have led to problems of land
degradation and serious effect of environment.
Land degradation is a process in which the quality and quantity of land is affected by a combination of human and
natural factors like wind, water, mining, overgrazing, industries, unscientific farming, deforestation etc.
Currently India has 130 million hectares of waste land.
28% Forest degraded land
56% Water eroded land
10% wind eroded land
6% Saline land
Causes of land degradation:
1. Most of the industries in India do not have proper dumping sites and waste treatment plants, the industrial
wastes are released to nearby fields and in water bodies which leads to degradation of soil and water.
2. The crushing of various minerals by different industries leads to generation of heavy amount of dust which
makes the air polluted.
3. The cement dust released by the cement industries settle down to nearby fields which affect the infiltration
of water and crop cultivation.
Other causes: Besides the deforestation, surface mining, over grazing etc. are also responsible for land
degradation.
Conservation measures:
The land conservation can be done by following ways:
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 1. Afforestation i.e. planting more and more trees.
2. By growing thorny bushes in the sand dunes.
3. Control over mining activities.
4. Proper management of wastes from industries.
5. Management of water bodies.
6. Control on over grazing.
7. Waste land management.
Soil as a resource:
The word soil is derived from a latin word “solum” which means floor or ground. Soil is that part of land which is
fertile and is used for the cultivation of crops. Soil is renewable natural resource. The total thickness of soil on the
surface of earth is never more than one metre in depth. It takes millions of years to form a few centimetre
thickness of soil on the earths surface.
Soil is composed of:
1. Minerals.
2. Organic matter.
3. Water.
4. Air
The process of soil formation is called as pedogenesis.
The main factors responsible for the formation of soil are:
1. The parent rock material.
2. The relief of the earth‟s surface.
3. The climatic conditions.
4. The natural vegetation and other forms of living organisms.
5. Time.
Soil Profile
Top Soil
Sub Soil
Weathered rocks sand and silt
Weathered parent rock
Unweatheres
Parent rock

Classification of soils:
On the basis of colour, texture, thickness, age etc.
The soil in India can be classified into the following types:
1. Alluvial soils.
2. Black or regur soils.
3. Red and yellow soils.
4. Laterite soils.
5. Arid soils (desert).
6. Forest or mountain soils.
1. Alluvial soils: These are most fertile soils in India and cover 40% of the total area. Some features of the
alluvial soils are:
i) The alluvial soils are rich in potash, lime and phosphoric acid.
ii) These are most suitable for the cultivation of rice, wheat, pulses, oil seeds and sugarcane. These soils
are mostly found in the river valleys of northern plains and the delta regions of India and coastal strips.
These soils are generally of two types – Khadar and Bangar.
Khadar: The soils made of newer alluvium are called khaddar. Mostly they are located near the rivers.
Bangar: The soils which are made of older alluvium are called as Bangar. They are mostly located away for the
rivers.
2. Black soils: These are black in colour and also known as regur soils or black cotton soils. They occupy
16% of the total area. Some features of the black soils are:
i) They are made up of fine clay material.
ii) These soils are rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime.
iii) They develop deep cracks during dry season which help in aeration of the soils.
iv) They become sticky during rainy season and are difficult to till.

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 v) These soils have ability to retain moisture.
vi) They are mostly suitable for the cotton cultivation.
vii) They are mostly found in the Deccan traps, which include Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh.
3. Red and Yellow Soils:- These soils are red in colour and cover 10.6% of the total area of the country. The
red colour is due to the presence of iron particles. They have been formed due to the weathering of igneous
and metamorphic rocks. These soils turn yellow in their hydrated form. They are found in Tamil Nadu ,
Odisha, M.P , Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh , Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
4. Laterite Soils:- The word laterite has been derived from the Latin word “later” which means brick. These
soils cover 7.2% of the total area of the country. They are mostly found in hot and humid areas of Odisha,
West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Bihar. Heavy rainfall results in
intense leaching of the soil. These soils have less humus and are less fertile. These soils are mostly
composed of gravel of red sand stone and has little clay and are rich in potash. They are mostly used for the
cultivation of tea, coffee, rubber etc.
5. Arid Soils or Desert Soils: They are found in areas which receive less than 50cm of rain annually. They
cover 4% of the total area of the country. The soils are generally sandy in texture, red and brown in colour
and saline in nature. They have less humus but rich in phosphate. These soils are found in

North Western parts of Rajasthan, Gujrat and Haryana. They are used for the cultivation of Barely, Wheat,
Cotton, Maize, Millets and Pulses.
6. Forest or Mountain Soils:- They cover about 8% of India‟s total geographical areas. They are found in
hilly and mountains areas of India where rich forests are found. These soils are generally coarse grained in
upper slops while in the valleys they are loamy and are fertile. They are suitable for the production of
plantation crops.
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
The removal of top layer of soil by running water, wind glaciers etc is called as Soil Erosion. The formation
and erosion of the soil takes place simultaneously and generally there is a balance between the two systems.
Causes of Soil Erosion.
01. Natural Cause: - The running water and wind are two most important natural causes. The flowing water
has strength to cut the soil and make deep channels called gullies. Sometimes the top layer is removed by
the running water over a large area this is called „Sheet erosion‟. The gully erosion and sheet erosion make
the land unfit for cultivation and this land is known as Bad Land. This type of land is found mostly in
Chambal area of Madhya Pradesh where the gullies are known as ravines.
02. Wind erosion: - Sometimes strong winds blow away the loose particles of soil in the arid or semi – arid
areas which leads to infertility of the soil. This process is called as “deflation”. The deflation makes the
land unfit for cultivation.
03. Human Cause: - Among the human causes most important are deforestation, over – grazing, unscientific
methods of farming careless management of wastes from industries careless mining etc.
Soil conservation measures:
Some methods of soil conservation are as under:
1. Afforestation.
2. Terrace farming: This method checks the flow of water.
3. Control on over grazing.
4. Planting trees on barren hill slopes.
5. Planting bushes on sand dunes.
6. Constructing large dams to avoid large scale water flow.

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