Social material Geography L-8&9

Give reasons.
(i) The Prairies are known as the Granaries of the world. (ii) Rise of wool industry in the Velds. (i) Scientific methods of cultivation and the use of tractors, harvesters and combines have made North America a surplus food producer. The Prairies are called the Granaries of the world due to the huge production of wheat in this region. (ii) Sheep rearing is the most-important occupation in the Velds. Sheep is bred mainly for wool, and has given rise to the wool industry in the Velds. Give reasons. (i) The rainforests are depleting. (ii) Paddy is grown in the GangaBrahmaputra plains. (i) There was a time when the green belt of rainforests covered about 1214% of Earths land surface. Large-scale developmental activities have led to the clearing of large tracts of land in the rainforests (for example, clearing of land for agriculture, cattle pasture, wood, mining and road building). Today, the rainforests cover only about 26% of the Earths land surface. Due to constant deforestation, the top soilwhich is held together by the trees gets washed away as the rains fall. As a result, the once lush green forests change into barren landscapes. (ii) The GangaBrahmaputra plains provide flat, fertile land for the cultivation of crops. The amount of rainfall in this region is also quite high, which makes it a suitable place for the growth of paddya crop that requires sufficient water.