Page 114 - SST Class 08

A India Himalayan region, these soils also found in the
ANISHTN Major Soil Type Western and Eastern Ghats and some parts of the
GH
AF peninsular plateaus. These soils are less fertile and
are suitable for plantation of tea, coffee, spices
PAKISTAN
and tropical fruits.
CHINA
TIBET
Sandy Desert Soil
L
NEPA
BHUTAN
This soil is found in the dry and semi dry areas of
DESH Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat. These areas are
GLA arid and have a thick layer of sand. This soil varies
BAN
from sandy to gravelly with low organic content
MYANMAR
and low nutrients. It is suitable for cultivation of
dates, coconut, cashew nut, groundnut etc. If
ARABIAN BAY OF BENGAL
SEA water is made available through irrigation, the
desert soil can produce a variety of crops.

Soil Degradation
REFERENCES
Mountain Soil Black Soil And
Alluvial Soil Laterite Soil am
Erosion and depletion of the soil are two major
L
Red Soil Sandy Soil
ak
( sh an and Nico
problems associated with
(INDIA)
INDIA)
soil resource. Soil is
adweep
bar Island
SRI s constantly eroded by wind
LANKA
and running water. These
India : Soil
are natural processes of
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Stunted
forests are found on this type of soil. It is less soil erosion and are
fertile and found where the rainfall is relatively known as physical factors Cows grazing
of soil erosion.
less. The red soil can be made fertile by adding
manures or chemical fertilizers. Oilseeds and Human factors like deforestation, overgrazing,
millets are widely grown in this type of soil. construction, mining, excessive use of fertilisers
and pesticides have contributed to the degradation
Laterite Soil
of the soil on a large scale. In India, 36% of the
Weathering plays a major role in the formation of total irrigated area has been damaged by
laterite soil. It is also reddish in colour but it varies salination. Due to these factors, soils loose
from red soil in its mineral composition. It lies in nutrients, organic matter and water retention
patches on flat tops of uplands along the plateau capacity and it is a lose of their productivity.
edges of Western Ghats, in some parts of Chota
Soil Conservation
Nagpur Plateau and on flat uplands with heavy
rainfall. This soil is found in the hot rainy climate Soil is a precious resource and an important part
of the hilly regions where heavy rainfall washes of the ecosystem. We need to protect the soil from
away the soft fertile topsoil. It is suitable for extensive erosion as the formation of soil is a slow
cultivation of coffee, rubber, cashew tapioca etc. process. Soil conservation includes all those
This lumpy soil can be broken easily when it measures which can protect the soil from erosion
damps, but when it is dry it turns hard as a rock. and exhaustion. Some of these measures are:

Mountain Soil Afforestation
This type of soil is found on the Himalayan It is the best way to conserve soil and increase the
mountains and vary from deep alluvium in valleys area under forests. Rows of trees should be
to highly gravelly soil, based on altitude and planted at short distances in the fields to provide
vegetation. They are rich in humus. Apart from the shelter belts.
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