Natural Resource: Land, Soil, Water

 

Natural Resource : Land, Soil, Water

The following are the major topics and subtopics of Chapter 2 that students will cover while studying this chapter:

• Land

1. Land Use

2. Conservation of land resource

• Soil

1. Factors of soil formation

2. Degradation of soil

3. Conservation of soil

• Water

1. Water availability problems

2. Conservation of water resources

It is a known fact that 90% of the world population inhabits only 30% of the available land area. The remaining 70% of the land is either uninhabited or sparsely populated. Land, soil, and water are the abiotic resources of the earth. They also comprise the most important resources. Biotic resources are composed of natural vegetation and wildlife resources. Both Biotic and abiotic resources are exhaustible in nature. Hence, humans should practise judicious use of these resources to enhance their longevity and sustainability. 

 

Land is considered the most important natural resource. It covers about 30% of the total area of the earth’s surface. The world population occupied land in an uneven manner. This pattern of inhabiting land is due to various factors, such as land and climate, water fertility of the soil, etc. Sparsely populated or uninhabited areas resist more population because of the rugged topsoil present there. This chapter also discusses in-depth the various uses of land, conservation of land resources, soil, soil formation, factors affecting soil formation, degradation and conservation of soil, water, the problem of water availability and conservation of water, natural vegetation and wildlife, its distribution and conservation.

Land

The land is one of our greatest natural resources. It covers only about thirty percent of the total surface of the earth and not all parts of that small percentage are habitable. Rugged topography, steep mountain slopes, lowlands sensitive to logging, desert areas, and densely wooded areas are usually sparsely populated or uninhabited.

 

Uses of Land

The land is used for a variety of purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, home building, roads, and industry creation. This is commonly termed Land use. Land use is related to physical factors such as topography, soil, climate, minerals, and water availability. Human factors such as population and technology are equally important determinants of the land-use model.

 

Types of Land

Land may also be classified according to its ownership:

1. Private land - which is owned by an individual

2. Communal land - owned by the community for common purposes such as gathering forage, fruit, nuts, or medicinal herbs. This communal land is also called common resources (park, temple, school, graveyard, grazing land).

Conservation of Land Resource

Cause:

Population growth and their ever-increasing demand have led to large-scale destruction of forest cover and arable land and created a fear of the loss of this natural resource. Humans are converting the forest and agricultural lands as building, roadways, industries. once its converted , the land looses its quality of growing any plant. humans forget that they also require food for their sustenance.

Consequently, the current rate of land degradation has to be verified.

The more we develop the more we detoriate our environment.

How to conserve:

some of the methods commonly used to conserve land resources.

1. Afforestation - Planting more trees (mostly in urban area and industrial region) 

2. Land rehabilitation - Improving poor quality of land and bringing it back to its original state so that it will be suitable for animals and plant life, even for humans.

3. The regulated use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers - Instead of it we should use organic manures.

4. The control of overgrazing - Grazing lands must be changed within one year so that the la will regain its fertility.

SOIL:

The thin layer of granular substance covering the earth's surface is known as soil. It has close ties to the land. The landscape determines the type of soil. The soil consists of organic matter, minerals, and altered rocks found on the ground. It occurs by the process of alteration. The appropriate combination of minerals and organic matter makes the soil fertile.

Landslides

Landslides are simply defined as the massive displacement of rock, debris, or ground along a slope. They often occur in the context of earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. Prolonged rainfall can cause heavy landslides which can block the flow of the river for a period of time. The formation of stream blocks can cause damage to colonies downstream of its rupture. On hilly terrain, landslides have been a major and widespread natural catastrophe that often affects life and property and occupies a position of major concern.

Mitigation Mechanism of Landslide Control

The advancement of science has enabled us to understand the factors that cause landslides and how to manage them. Here are a few general landslide mitigation techniques:

• Hazard mapping to identify areas prone to landslides. Consequently, such areas can be avoided to construct colonies.

• Build a retaining wall to prevent the earth from slipping.

• Increased vegetation cover to prevent landslides.

• Surface drainage control is used to control the motion of landslides, as well as rainwater and spring flows.

 

Factors of Soil Formation

The most important factors in soil formation are the nature of the original rock and climatic factors. Other factors include topography, the role of organic matter, and the length of time of soil composition.

• Climatic Factors: Temperature and rainfall influence the rate of impairment and the formation of humus.

• Relief: Altitude and gradient determine ground accumulation. 

• Parent Rock Nature: Determines colour, texture, mineral chemistry, strength, and permeability.

• Time-taken for Soil Formation: Determines the width of the soil profile.

• Flora, Fauna, and Micro-Organism: Affects the rate of humus development.

 

Degradation of Soil and Conservation Measures

Soil erosion and depletion are the most important threats to soils as a resource. Soil degradation can result from human and natural factors. The factors leading to land degradation include the following:

• Deforestation

• Overuse of chemical fertilisers or pesticides

• Rain wash

• Landslides and floods

• Overgrazing
  
  

Methods to Conserve Soil

• Mulching: The bare soil between plants is covered by a layer of organic material like straw. It helps to hold moisture from the ground.

• Contour Barriers: Stones, grass, and soil are used to construct fences along the contours. Trenches are dug in front of the barriers for water collection.

• Rock Dam: The rocks are stacked in order to slow down the water flow which prevents gullies and ground loss.

• Terrace Farming: Wide flat treads or terraces are made on steep slopes so that flat surfaces are available for growing crops. These minimise surface runoff and soil erosion.

• Intercropping: Different crops are grown in alternating rows and are planted at different times to protect the soil against rain.

• Contour Ploughing: Plow parallel to the contours of a hillside slope to form a natural barrier allowing water to descend the slope.

• Shelter Belts: In coastal, dry areas, rows of trees are planted to control wind movement to protect the vegetation cover.
  
  

Water

Water is a natural, renewable resource of life. Three times the world's surface is covered in water. It is therefore rightly referred to as the "planet of water". It is in the early oceans that life began about 3.5 billion years ago. The oceans still cover two-thirds of the Earth's land surface and are home to a rich variety of plants and animals. But ocean water is salty and unfit for human consumption. Freshwater is just about 2.7%. Nearly 70% of these glaciers occur in Antarctica, Greenland, and mountain regions. Because of where they are located, they are inaccessible. Only one percent of fresh water is available and suitable for human use. It exists as groundwater, surface water in rivers and lakes, and water vapour in the atmosphere.

Problems of Water Availability

In many places around the world, water is scarce. Most of Africa, West Asia, South Asia, parts of the western U.S.A., northwest Mexico, parts of South America, and Australia as a whole are facing freshwater shortages. Countries in the most drought-sensitive climate zones face significant water scarcity problems. For example, water scarcity can be a consequence of variations in seasonal or annual precipitation, or scarcity is caused by overfishing and contamination of water sources.

Conservation of Water Resources

In order to access clean and adequate water supplies, measures have been taken to preserve this resource:

• This means that the precious water resource can be preserved by using these irrigation methods.

• In dry areas where evaporation rates are high, drip-to-drip watering is very helpful.

• The sprinklers efficiently irrigate the area by checking for water losses via infiltration and evaporation.

• The channels used to irrigate the field should be correctly doubled to minimise water infiltration losses.