Government of Tamilnadu
Department of Employment and Training
Course : TNPSC Group II Exam
Subject : Geography
Topic : Soil Resources
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Commissioner,
Department of Employment and Training
Geography
SOIL Resources
particles, humus, water and air. The actual
The bulk of our food and much of our
amount of each of these depends upon the
clothing is derived from land-based crops
type of soil. Some soils are deficient in one
that grow in the soil. The soil on which we
or more of these, while there are some
depend so much for our day-to-day needs
others that have varied combinations.
has evolved over thousands of years. The
various agents of weathering and gradation Soil Profile:
have acted upon the parent rock material If we dig a pit on land and look at the
to produce a thin layer of soil. soil, we find that it consists of three layers
Soil is the mixture of rock debris which are called horizons.
and organic materials which develop on This arrangement of layers is known as
the earth’s surface. The major factors the soil profile. Underneath these three
affecting the formation of soil are relief, horizons is the rock which is also known
parent material, climate, vegetation and as the parent rock or the bedrock.
other life-forms and time. Besides these, ‘Horizon A’ is the topmost zone, where
human activities also influence it to a large organic materials have got incorporated
extent. Components of the soil are mineral with the mineral matter, nutrients and
Geography
water, which are necessary for the growth (iii) Red and Yellow soils
of plants. (iv) Laterite soils
‘Horizon B’ is a transition zone (v) Arid soils
between the ‘horizon A’ and ‘horizon C’, (vi) Saline soils
and contains matter derived from below (vii) Peaty soils
as well as from above. It has some organic (viii) Forest soils
matter in it, although the mineral matter
Alluvial Soils:
is noticeably weathered.
Areas of Occurrence: Alluvial soils are
‘Horizon C’ is composed of the loose
widespread in the northern plains and the
parent material. This layer is the first
river valleys. These soils cover about 40
stage in the soil formation process and
per cent of the total area of the country.
eventually forms the above two layers.
Through a narrow corridor in Rajasthan,
Classification of Soils: they extend into the plains of Gujarat. In
On the basis of genesis, colour, the Peninsular region, they are found in
composition and location, the soils of India deltas of the east coast and in the river
have been classified into: valleys. The alluvial soils vary in nature
(i) Alluvial soils from sandy loam to clay.
(ii) Black soils
ICAR has classified the soils of India into
the following order as per the USDA soil
taxonomy
Sl. Order Area Percent-
No (in Thousand age
Hectares)
1. Inceptisols 130372.90 39.74
2. Entosils 92131.71 28.08
3. Alfosols 44448.68 13.55
4. Vertisols 27960.00 8.52
5. Aridisols 14069.00 4.28
Forest Soils 6. Ultisols 8250.00 2.51
Alluvial Soils
Red & Yellow Soils 7. Mollisols 1320.00 0.40
Block Soils
Laterite Soils 8. Others 9503.10 2.92
Arid Soils
Total 100
Sourse : Soils of India. National Bureau of Soil
Survey and Land Use Planning. Publication
Number 94
Geography
In the Upper and Middle Ganga plain, Characteristics: These soils are also
two different types of alluvial soils have known as the ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black
developed, viz. Khadar and Bhangar. Cotton Soil’. The black soils are generally
Khadar is the new alluvium and is clayey, deep and impermeable.
deposited by floods annually, which They swell and become sticky when
enriches the soil by depositing fine silts. wet and shrink when dried. So, during
Bhangar represents a system of older the dry season, these soil develop wide
alluvium, deposited away from the flood cracks. Thus, there occurs a kind of ‘self
plains. Both the Khadar and Bhangar soils ploughing’. Because of this character of
contain calcareous concretions (Kankars). slow absorption and loss of moisture,
the black soil retains the moisture for a
Characteristics:
very long time, which helps the crops,
They are depositional soils,
especially, the rain fed ones, to sustain
transported and deposited by rivers
even during the dry season.
and streams. They are generally rich in
Chemically, the black soils are
potash but poor in phosphorous.
rich in lime, iron, magnesia and
These soils are more loamy and clayey
alumina. They also contain pot-
in the lower and middle Ganga plain
ash. But they lack in phosphorous,
and the Brahamaputra valley. The sand
nitrogen and organic matter. The
content decreases from the west to east.
colour of the soil ranges from deep
The colour of the alluvial soils varies
black to grey.
from the light grey to ash grey. Its shades
depend on the depth of the deposition,
Red and Yellow Soil:
the texture of the materials, and the time
Areas of Occurrence:
taken for attaining maturity. Alluvial soils
RED SOIL YELLOW SOIL
are intensively cultivated.
Eastern and Yellow and red
Black Soil: Southern part soils are also
Areas of Occurrence: Black soil covers of the Deccan found in parts
most of the Deccan Plateau which includes Plateau. Along the of Orissa and
parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, piedmont zone of Chattisgarh and
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and some parts the Western Ghat, in the southern
of Tamil Nadu. In the upper reaches of the long stretch of area parts of the middle
Godavari and the Krishna, and the north is occupied by red Ganga plain.
western part of the Deccan Plateau, the loamy soil.
black soil is very deep.
Geography
Characteristics:
These soils are poor in organic matter,
RED SOIL YELLOW SOIL nitrogen, phosphate and calcium,
Red soil develops The soil develops while iron oxide and potash are in
on crystalline a reddish colour excess. Hence, laterites are not suitable
igneous rocks due to a wide for cultivation; however, application of
in areas of low diffusion of iron manures and fertilisers are required for
rainfall. in crystalline and making the soils fertile for cultivation.
metamorphic Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra
rocks. It looks Pradesh and Kerala are more suitable for
yellow when tree crops like cashewnut. Laterite soils
it occurs in a are widely cut as bricks for use in house
hydrated form. construction.
The fine-grained red and yellow soils are
normally fertile, whereas coarse-grained Arid Soils:
soils found in dry upland areas are poor Areas of Occurrence :
in fertility. They are generally poor in Arid soils are characteristically
nitrogen, phosphorous and humus. developed in western Rajasthan, which
exhibit characteristic arid topography.
Laterite Soil
Characteristics:
Laterite has been derived from the Latin
They occur in arid and semi-arid regions,
word ‘Later’ which means brick.
and in waterlogged and swampy areas.
Areas of Occurrence:
Sea water intrusions in the deltas
These soils have mainly developed in
promote the occurrence of saline soils.
the higher areas of the Peninsular plateau.
The laterite soils are commonly found in Arid soils range from red to brown
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya in colour. They are generally sandy in
Pradesh and the hilly areas of Orissa and structure and saline in nature. In some
Assam. areas, the salt content is so high that
Characteristics : common salt is obtained by evaporating the
The laterite soils develop in areas with saline water. Due to the dry climate, high
high temperatureerature and high rainfall. temperature and accelerated evaporation,
These are the result of intense leaching they lack moisture and humus. Nitrogen
due to tropical rains. With rain, lime and is insufficient and the phosphate content
silica are leached away, and soils rich in is normal. Lower horizons of the soil are
iron oxide and aluminium compound are occupied by ‘kankar’ layers because of the
left behind. Humus content of the soil is increasing calcium content downwards.
removed fast by bacteria that thrives well
The ‘Kankar’ layer formation in the
in high temperature.
Geography
bottom horizons restricts the infiltration Peaty Soils:
of water, and as such when irrigation Areas of Occurrence
is made available, the soilmoisture It occurs widely in the northern part of
is readily available for a sustainable Bihar, southern part of Uttaranchal and
plant growth. These soils are poor the coastal areas of West Bengal, Orissa
and contain little humus and organic and Tamil Nadu.
matter. Characteristics
They are found in the areas of heavy
Saline Soils:
rainfall and high humidity, where there
Areas of Occurrence :
is a good growth of vegetation. Thus,
Saline soils are more widespread in
large quantity of dead organic matter
western Gujarat, deltas of the eastern
accumulates in these areas, and this gives
coast and in Sunderban areas of West
a rich humus and organic content to the
Bengal. In the Rann of Kuchchh, the
soil. Organic matter in these soils may go
Southwest Monsoon brings salt particles
even up to 40-50 per cent. These soils are
and deposits there as a crust.
normally heavy and black in colour. At
Characteristics:
many places, they are alkaline also.
Saline soils contain a larger
Forest Soils
proportion of sodium, potassium
As the name suggests, forest soils are
and magnesium, and thus, they are
formed in the forest areas where sufficient
infertile, and do not support any
rainfall is available. The soils vary in
vegetative growth. They have more salts,
structure and texture depending on the
largely because of dry climate and poor
mountain environment where they are
drainage. Their structure ranges from
formed. They are loamy and silty on valley
sandy to loamy. They lack in nitrogen
sides and coarse-grained in the upper
and calcium.
slopes. In the snow-bound areas of the
In the areas of intensive cultivation
Himalayas, they experience denudation,
with excessive use of irrigation, especially
and are acidic with low humus content. The
in areas of green revolution, the fertile
soils found in the lower valleys are fertile.
alluvial soils are becoming saline. Excessive
It is evident from the foregoing discussions
irrigation with dry climatic conditions
that soils, their texture, quality and nature
promotes capillary action, which results
are vital for the germination and growth
in the deposition of salt on the top layer of
of plant and vegetation including crops.
the soil. In such areas, especially in Punjab
Soils are living systems. Like any other
and Haryana, farmers are advised to add
organism, they too develop and decay, get
gypsum to solve the problem of salinity in
the soil.
Geography
degraded, respond to proper treatment if TAMILNADU SYMBOLS
administered in time. These have serious Sl. CATEGORY NAME
repercussions on other components of No.
the system of which they themselves are 1. Government Srivilliputhur
important parts. Symbol Aandal Temple
National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 Tower
to provide for the establishment of 2. State Animal Nilgiri Tahr
a National Green Tribunal for the 3. State Bird Emerald dove
effective and expeditious disposal 4. State Flower Gloriosa lily
of cases relating to environmental 5. State Tree Palm Tree
protection and conservation of forests 6. State Fruit Jack Fruit
and other natural resources. 7. State Sport Kabadi
Public Liability Insurane Act 1991 8. State Dance Bharatanatyam
The Water (prevention and control of
pollution) Act was enacted in 1974.
The Act was amended in 1988.
The water (prevention and control of
pollution) cess Act was enacted in
1977. The Act was amended in 2003.
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