Soil of India//ICSE class 10 geography//Most important questions
Most important question of soil of India
Very Short Questions
Question 1: Which subject deals with the study of Soil?
Answer:Pedology is the subject deals with the study of soil.
Question 2: What do you mean by‘Soil’?
Answer:‘Soil’means the upper most layer of the earth’s crust,which contains the organic as well as mineral matter necessary for the growth of plants.
Question 3: What all conditions can alter the characteristics of Soil?
Answer:The conditionsofclimate,topography,vegetationandunderlyingrockcanalter the characteristics ofSoil.
Question 4: Mention the types of Soils found in India.
Or
Name the four major Soil types found in India, leaving out desert and mountain Soils.
Or
NamefourmajorgroupsofSoilfoundintheIndianPlainsandPlateaus.
Answer: There are four main types of Soils found inIndia:
(i)AlluvialSoil, (ii) BlackSoil,
(iii) Red Soil, (iv) Laterite Soil.
Question5:WhichtwotypesofSoilsarethemostimportantSoils?
Answer:AlluvialSoilandBlackSoilarethemostimportantSoils.
Question 6: What is meant by ‘in Situ’?
Answer:‘Insitu’aretheSoilswhicharefoundwheretheyareformed.
Question7:MentiontwowaysbywhichSoilcangetnitrogen.
Answer: Fertilizers and mixed farming.
Question8:WhatdoyouunderstandbyHumus?
Answer:Humus:Thedecayingoforganicmaterials,e.g.,deadleaves,stems,roots,living bacteria,fungi,wormsetc.,producehumus,whichisimportantforSoilfertility.
Question 9: Where are Alluvial Soils found in India?
Answer:AlluvialSoilsoccupytheextensivetractsofPunjab,UttarPradesh,Bihar,Bengal, Orissa, and the coastal strips of Peninsular India. They also occupy parts of Gujrat and Rajasthan.
Question10:NametheSoilknownforitsself-ploughingqualityandthecapacitytohold moisture. Name any two cash crops for which it is speciallysuited.
Answer: Black cotton Soil; Cotton and Sugarcane.
Question 11: What is one disadvantage of Bhangar alluvium?
Answer: Sometimes it has high content of sodium salts which makes it unproductive.
Question 12: (i) Which minerals are found in Regur Soil?
(ii) Name the important crops grown on it.
Answer: (i) Iron, Calcium, Aluminium and Magnesium.
(ii) Cotton, Sugarcane, Groundnut, Jowar and Bajra.
Question13:NameoneimportantcropthatthrivesbestinRegurandRedSoil,anda sea-port from where it isexported.
Answer: The crop that thrives best in Regur Soil is Cotton. It is exported from Mumbai sea-port.ThecropthatthrivesbestinRedSoilisSugarcane.ItisexportedfromChennai.
Question 14: How is the Red Soil formed?
Answer:RedSoilisformedduetotheprolongedweatheringoftheoldcrystallinerocks. They have a mixture of clay andsand.
Question15:Namethesoilwhichisformedduetohightemperatureandheavyrainfall with alternating wet and dryperiods.
Answer: Name two states where this type of soil is found.
(i) Laterite soil (ii) Orissa and Karnataka.
Question16:WhichoftheSoilisaffectedbySoilerosionandwhichcropsgrowwellin LateriteSoil.
Answer:TheSoilaffectedbySoilerosionisLateriteSoil.TheimportantcropsofthisSoil is Tapioca andCashewnuts.
Question 17: In which areas is Soil erosion prominent in India.
Answer:SoilerosionisprominentintheNorth-easternhillyregionofArunachalPradesh, Assam, the Chambal Valley, West Bengal and TharDesert.
Question18:MentionthetypesofSoilerosion.
Answer:TypesofSoilerosionareasfollows:
(i) Erosion by water (ii) Erosion by wind.
Question 19: What is gully erosion?
Answer:Whenrainfallsheavily,therunoffscoursoutdeepgrooves.Thiscuttingupof the Soil gives rise to bad lands or ravine lands. This type of erosion is known as Gully erosion.
Question20:Howdoeserosionbywindtakeplace?
Answer:Sometimesindryareas,dustandsiltmaybeliftedandcarriedtoagreat distance by the wind. This is known as Winderosion.
Question 21: Mention causes of Soil erosion.
Answer: Causes of Soil erosion are:
- The agents of gradation like wind andwater
- Nature of theSoil
- Humanfactors
Question22:HowismanresponsibleforSoilerosion?
Answer:(i)Indiscriminatecuttingdownofforests.
(ii) Overgrazing bycattle.
(iii) Faulty methods of cultivation e.g.Jhooming.
Short Questions
Question 1: How is Soil formed?
Answer:SoilisformedbytheParentrockmaterialthroughaprocessofbreakuporwear and tear. The decomposition of plant remains, animal manures and dead animals add to the fertility of thesoil.
Question 2: How we define Soil from agricultural point of view?
Answer: Soil is the thin layer of loose mixture of small rock particles and rotting organic matterthatcoversmuchoftheworld’slandsurface.Itsupportsallforests,grasslandsand crops from which all living creatures on earth derive theirfood.
Question3:WhatarethedifferenttypesofSoilaccordingtotheirZones?
Answer: ZonalSoils: Laterite Soil, Black Soil Desert Soil Red Soil
Question 4: Alluvial Soils are also called ‘Riverine Soils’. Why?
Answer:ThechiefregionofAlluvialSoilsinIndiaistheIndo-Gangeticplain,where Alluvial Soils have been deposited mostly by rivers.The coastal belts are the areas of alluvium.The deltaic alluvium on the eastern coast has also been deposited by river- channels. Therefore, Alluvial Soils are rightly called RiverineSoils.
Question5:How is the Alluvial Soil found in the Ganga plain different from that found in the Godavari valley?
Answer:TheAlluvialSoiloftheGangaplainisformedduetothedepositionofalluvium whichisbroughtfromtheHimalayanregion.Thesearelightincolour.TheAlluvialSoilof theGodavarivalleyisformedduetothedepositionofalluviumbroughtmainlyfromthe Deccan trap region which is volcanic in origin. It is dark incolour.
Question 6: How is Alluvial soil formed? Why is this soil agriculturally important?
Answer:Alluvialsoilsareformedbythesedimentsbroughtbytherivers.Therivers depositveryfinesiltcalled‘alluvium’intheirplainsduringthecourseoftheirjourney starting from its source in the mountains and ending till itsmouth.
This soil is agriculturally very important because it is a mixture of sand, clay and silt (loamy)whichmakesitveryfertile.Itisrichinpotashandlime.Itislightandporous thereforeeasilytillable.ItissuitableforgrowinglargevarietyofRabiandKharifcrops.
Question 7: (i) What is Black Soil?
(ii)GiveanytwocharacteristicsorfeaturesoftheSoilfoundmostsuitableforgrowing cotton and sugarcane inMaharashtra.
Answer:(i)ItisBlackincolourthereforeitiscalledBlackSoil.TheseSoilsarealsocalled Regur Soil. These are formed in situ, i.e., formed where they are found. These Soils have originatedfromsolidificationofbasiclavaspreadoverlargeareasofDeccanPlateauduring volcanicactivity.
(ii)TwocharacteristicsorfeaturesoftheBlackSoilwhichismostsuitableforgrowing cotton and sugarcane in Maharashtraare:
It is fine grained, rich in iron, lime andcalcium.
It retains moisture and becomes exceedinglysticky.
Question 8: How is Black Soil formed?
Answer: Black Soil is formed as a result of denudation of lava-flow rocks. They contain largequantitiesoflime,potash,aluminium,magnesium.Theyaredeficientinphosphorus, nitrogenandorganicmatter.BlackSoilishighlyretentiveofmoisture,andbecomesticky whenwet.
Question 9: What are the other names of Black Soil? Where are they found?
Answer:BlackSoilisalsoknownas‘RegurSoil’or‘BlackCottonSoil’.BlackSoilisfound inGujrat,Maharashtra,partsofMadhyaPradesh,SouthUttarPradesh,North-westOrissa and the western parts of AndhraPradesh.
Question10:(i)ExplaintheoriginoftheBlackSoil.NametwoStatesinIndia,whichhave BlackSoil.
(ii) Mention any two advantages of the Black Soil.
Answer: (i) Black Soil is formed by weathering of volcanic rocks. It is found in MaharashtraandM.P.(ii)Itretainsmoistureforalongtime,isrichinlime,potashand calcium.
Question 11: Where is Red Soil found?
Answer:RedSoilisfoundinTamilNadu,Karnataka,South-easternMaharashtra,partsof AndhraPradeshandOrissa.TheyarealsofoundinthesoutherndistrictsofUttarPradesh, Madhya Pradesh and easternRajasthan.
Question 12: What are mineral deficiencies of Red Soil? How can they be corrected?
Answer:TheRedSoilsaregenerallypoorinnitrogen,phosphoricacidandhumus.They become reasonably fertile when fertilizers are added toit.
Question13:HowisRedSoilformed?StatetworeasonsforthelowproductivityofRed Soil or .disadvantages.
Answer:RedSoilisformedbyweatheringofcrystallineandmetamorphicrocks. Reasons for lowproductivity:
(i) Deficient in nitrogen, humus. (ii) Porous, friable.
Question 14: How is Laterite Soil formed?
Answer:ItisformedbytheweatheringofSoilorduetointenseleachingduringthe periodsofheavyrainfall.Allthesolublematerialsareremovedandahardstonylayer remains.
Question 15: Where is Laterite Soil found?
Answer:ItisfoundmAndhraPradesh,TamilNadu,Karnataka,Assam,Bengal,Orissaand along the Western and EasternGhats.
Question16:StatetwodisadvantagesofLateriteSoil. Answer: Disadvantages of Laterite Soilsare:
They contain high percentage ofacidity.
It is generally coarse in texture and cannot retainmoisture.
Question17:(i)WhyisLateriteSoilunsuitableforcultivation?Nameanareawherethis Soil isfound.
(ii)NamethetypeofSoilfoundonthesummitoftheEasternGhats.Explainthecausesof itsformation.
Answer: (i) Laterites are intensively leached Soils of the monsoon climate. They lack in elementsoffertilityandthusarenormallyoflowvalueforcropproduction.LateriteSoilis foundinIndiainhillsummitsotEasternandWesternGhatsandAssamHills.
(ii)LateriteSoilsarefoundonthesummitsoftheEasternGhats.Theseareformedinthe areas
whichexperiencehightemperatureandheavyrainfall.Theyareformedbytheprocessof leaching.
Question 18: What is the meaning of ‘Soil Erosion’?
Answer: The washing away or the removal of the Soil is known as Soil erosion. Soil erosion,thus,maybetermedasthedetachmentandtransportationofSoilparticlesby agentsofdenudationsuchasweathering,runningwaterandwind,etc.
Question 19: Mention the types of Soil erosion by water. Answer:Soilerosioivbywatercanbeofthefollowingsub-types:
(i) Sheet erosion (ii) Rill erosion (iii) Gully erosion
(iv) Stream Bank erosion. (v) Sea-shore erosion. (vi) Slip erosion.
Question20:StatethefactorsuponwhichtherateofSoilerosiondepends. Answer: The rate of Soil erosion dependsupon:
(i) Character of the slope of land. (ii) The density of vegetation.
(iii) Rainfall—Heavy or Light.
Question21:Define‘Leaching’?InwhichregionSouthoftheTropicofCancer,canone find Soil formed by‘Leaching’?
Answer: Leaching Soil is the process by which soluble substances such as organic basic mineralsandmineralsaltsarewashedoutoftheupperlayerofaSoilintoalowerlayerby percolating rain water, e.g., LateriteSoil.
FoundinKarnatakawhichissouthofTropicofCancer. Question 22: What is sheeterosion?
Answer:Whenthevegetationcoverofanareaisremoved,therainwaterinsteadof sinkingintotheground,washestheSoildowntheslope.Eachsucceedingrain-stream washesawayathinlayerofabsorbenttopSoii.ThisisknownasSheetErosion.
Question 23: What is rill erosion?
Answer:Inrillerosionsmallfinger-likerillsbegintoappearonthelandscape.Theserills are usually smoothened out by working of the farm implements. But, slowly the rills increasenotonlyinnumberbutalsointheirshapeandsize.Theygetwideranddeeper. Thisreducestheactualareaundercropandresultsindecliningcropyields.
Question 24: What is stream bank erosion?
Answer: The banks of the streams or rivers get eroded every year by the flowing water. Incertainareas,thestreamsandriversoftenchangetheircoursebitbybiteveryyearand their beds getwidened.
Question 25: (i) How does sea or shore erosion occur?
(ii) How is slip erosion caused?
Answer: (i) The tidal waters of sea cause considerable Soil erosion along the coast, particularlyduringtherainyseasonwhentheseagetsrough.Theroaringwavesrushand dash on the coast, swallowing every time bits of coastallands.
(ii)Sliperosioniscausedbyhydraulicpressureexertedbymoisturepenetratingintothe Soil
duringheavy,raips.Sometimestheentirefieldonhillsidemayslidedownbecauseofslip erosion.
Question 26: How does wind erose Soil?
Answer:Whenwindblowsoverbarrenland,therewillbedamagetothetopSoil.Inthe areasofscantyrainfallwinderosionispredominant.Whendeaf-forestationduetoover- grazing of cultivation makes the top Soil bare, wind erosionoccurs.
Question 27: Mention some measures to check Soil erosion.
Answer:SomemeasurestocheckSoilerosionare:Contourmethodofploughing,terraced farming, plugging of gullies and ravine method, constructing dams across the streams, check on unrestricted grazing over the pastures, afforestation and legal binding on primitive method of Jhooming cultivation should beexercised.
Question28:ExplaintheneedforSoilconservationinIndia.StatetwomethodsofSoil conservation.
Answer:Arichsoilinplantfoodisthechiefrequirementofasuccessfulagriculture.Itis an essential as a support forplants.
Soil is a very important natural resource of India because agricultural production is basicallydependentonthefertilityofSoil.Foodproductslikecereals,pulses,fruitsand vegetables are obtained indirectly from theSoil.Two methods:
Contour ploughing. (ii)Afforestation.
Question 29: How does the nature of the Soil affect Soil erosion?
Answer: Sandy and porous Soils are subjected to least erosion by water action because theyabsorbagoodamountofwateratthetimeofrainfall.ImperviousSoilsaresubjected togradualerosionbywaterbecausetheyareincapableofabsorbingrainwater.
Question30:Stateanytwomethodsofcontrollingsoilerosion. Answer: (i) Terracefarming.
Planting shelter belts to check the speed ofwind.
Question31:Whatissoilconservation?Howdoesreafforestationhelpinsoil conservation?
Answer:Soilconservationreferstothemethodsofprotectingthesoilfromerosion.Roots of the trees protect the soil by holding it in place against wind and water erosion. Re- afforestationmeansreplantingtreeswhichhavebeencutdown.Foreverytreethatiscut, two trees are grown. In this way forest cover isincreased.
Question32:Mentiontwowaysbywhichsoilcangetnitrogen. Answer: (i) Use offertilizer.
Croprotation:Rotationofxrppsisasysteminwhichfarmersgrowpulsesorleguminous
cropsaftertheharvestofasoilexhaustingcrop.Throughthismethodthesoilretainsits fertility or gets back thenitrogen.
Long Questions
Question1:NamethefactorsresponsiblefortheformationofSoil. Answer:
Climate:TheclimateinwhichSoildevelopsisthemostimportantfactor.Itis responsible for thefollowing:
Weathering:Extremesoftemperature,freezingandthawingoficebreakdown rocks and favour Soilformation.
Vegetation:Thegrowthanddecayofvegetationdeterminesthehumuscontent oftheSoil.RootsofplantspenetratetheSoilandmakeitporous.
Bio-chemical processes taking place in Soil: Bacteria and fungi cause the decayofplantsandanimalremains.Sometransformtheatmosphericnitrogeninto Soilnitrogen.
TheParentrock:Thephysicalandchemicalcompositionoftheparentrock determinestherelativeproportionofdifferentmineralsintheSoillayers.
TheTopography:Theslopeofthelandsurfaceisanimportantfactorinthe formation of Soillayer.
Hillsandslopes:SteepslopesusuallyhaveathinSoillayerbecauseweathered particles are easily carried downslope by running water andwind.
PlainsandValleys:Onflatplainsandinvalleys,thickfertileSoilsare developed.
Give Reasons
Give Geographical Reasons for the following:
Question 1: Why are Alluvial Soil agriculturally important?
Answer:AlluvialSoilsareagriculturallyimportant,astheyareformedbythedepositionof sedimentsbroughtbytheriverswhichgetsreplenishedbythedepositionoffreshsediment every year, and are rich in chemicalnutrients.
Question 2: Why is deltaic alluvium more fertile than coastalalluvium?
Answer:Deltaicalluvium(Khadar)ismorefertilethancoastalalluvium(Bhangar)asnew layers are deposited year after year during monsoonalfloods.
Question 3: Why is Alluvial Soil fertile?
Answer:AlluvialSoilisveryfertilesincealluviumisrichinmineralnutrientslikepotash andlime.
Question 4: Why Black Soils are also called ‘Black Cotton Soil’?
Answer:BlackSoilisparticularlysuitableforcottoncultivation.Thereforeitisalsocalled ‘Black cottonsoil’.
Question 5: Why Black Soil needs to be tilled after the first rains?
Answer:Whenwet,theSoilbecomesstickyanddifficulttoworkwith.So,theSoilneeds to be tilled after the firstrains.
Question 6: Why Black soil is Black in colour?
Answer:ItisBlackincolourduetohighpercentageofironcontent. Question 7: Why is the Red Soil red incolour?
Answer:RedSoilisredincolourbecauseitcontainsagreatproportionofiron-oxides.At severalplaces,theircolourhasslightlychangedandappearsbrownorgrey.
Question8:NameonestateinIndiawhichmostlyhasRedSoil. Answer: Tamil Nadu has RedSoil.
Question 9: Why is Red Soil ideal for dry farming?
Answer:RedSoilisidealfordryfarmingasitdoesnotrequiremoisture. Question 10: Laterite soil is not suitable forcultivation.
Answer:Lateritesoilsareacidicinnatureandhaslowwaterretainingcapacity.Itispoor in nitrogen andlime.
Question 11: Why is Laterite Soil not suitable for agriculture?
Answer:LateriteSoilisnotsuitableforagriculturebecauseofitshighcontentofacidity and it cannot retain moisturealso.
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