Resources and Development Quiz

Resource and Development

• Resources are categorized by origin (biotic/abiotic), ownership (individual, community, national, international), renewability (renewable/non-renewable), and development status (potential/developed).
• Availability of technology and willingness to use a resource are crucial for development.
• Indiscriminate resource use leads to depletion of resources and global ecological crises.
• Sustainable development is crucial, guided by the Rio Earth Summit (1992) and Agenda 21, emphasizing local government action.

Classification of Resources

• Resources can be categorized based on origin: biotic (plants, animals) and abiotic (air, water).
• They can also be categorized by ownership: individual, community, national, international.
• Renewability is another important factor: some resources are renewable (water), while others are non-renewable (coal).

Land Resources

• Land resources include plains (43%), mountains (30%), and plateaus (27%) in India.
• Land utilization includes forests, agricultural land, wastelands, pastures, and land put to other (non-agricultural) uses.
• Fallow land is categorized by duration (current, other).

Land Use Pattern in India (2008)

• Net sown area occupies 46.24%.
• Forests cover 22.78%.
• Barren and wastelands constitute 8.68%.
• Pastures and grazing lands make up 4.72%.
• Non-agricultural areas account for a significant portion.

Land Degradation and Conservation

• Land degradation is caused by deforestation, overgrazing, mining, over-irrigation, and mineral processing industries.
• Measures to conserve land include: afforestation, management of grazing land, regulating mining activities, employing drip irrigation, planting shelter belts, and using thorny bushes.

Soil as a Resource

• Soil is a renewable natural resource supporting plant growth and life in different areas.
• Soil's layers include top soil, subsoil, substratum, parent rock material, and bedrock.

Classification of Soils

• Alluvial soil is formed by river deltas (Himalayan rivers) and predominant in northern plains, coastal areas, Duars, Chos, and Terai.
• Black soil is prevalent on the Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh). It's clayey, holds water well, and is suitable for cotton and sugarcane cultivation.
• Red and yellow soil is found in south-eastern and eastern parts of India, formed from crystalline igneous rocks. It's suitable for tea, coffee, and rubber cultivation.
• Laterite soil is present in the Western Ghats and north eastern parts of India, with high temperature and heavy rainfall. This soil lacks humus and has specific crops like plantation crops.
• Arid soil is in the north-western part of India, with high temperatures and low rainfall. It has a sandy texture and is often saline.

Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

• Soil erosion involves the removal of topsoil due to various factors (overgrazing, construction, mining, faulty farming techniques, wind, glaciers, and water).
• Soil conservation methods include contour ploughing, terrace farming, strip farming, and planting shelter belts.

Questions and Answer Writing Discussion

• Various questions about resources, types of resources, problems of indiscriminate resource use, sustainable development, Agenda 21, steps in resource planning, Gandhi's statements, land utilization, causes of land degradation, conservation methods, soils (alluvial, khadar and bangar), and development status definitions are included.