Land Resources

Land is a finite and valuable resource upon which

we depend for our food, fibre and fuel wood.

About 200-1000 years are needed for the formation

of one inch or 2.5 cm soil, depending on the
climate and soil type.
 Soil formation
1) Weathering
Weathering is the breakdown of bigger rock into smaller minerals
particles.

2) Pedogenesis/ Soil development

Pedogenesis is a biological phenomenon in which certain living

organisms like lichens, molluscs, bacteria, fungi etc. Carry out
biochemical, geochemical and biophysical processes by secreting
certain enzymes and organic acids which ultimately increase the
organic matter in the soil.
 Land Degradation

Causes of Land degradation

• Soil erosion, Water-logging, salinization and

contamination of the soil with industrial wastes
like fly ash, heavy metals etc., Uses of fertilizers,
insecticides and pesticides.
 Soil erosion
A) Types of erosion
1) Normal erosion
2) Accelerated erosion

B) Agents of soil erosion

1) Climatic agents
i) Water
ii) Wind
2) Biological agents
• Excessive grazing, mining and deforestation
• Water induced soil erosion
i) Sheet erosion: uniform removal of a thin layer of soil.
ii) Rill erosion: When there is rainfall and rapidly running water
produces finger- shaped grooves or rills over the area, it is called
rill erosion.

iii) Gully erosion: When rainfall is very heavy deeper cavities or

gullies are formed which may be U or V shaped.

iv) Slip erosion: Occur due to heavy rainfall on slopes of hills and
mountains.
v) Stream bank erosion: when fast running streams take a turn in
some other direction they cut the soil and make caves in the bank.
• Wind induced erosion

i) Saltation: soil particles of 1-1.5mm diameter move up in

vertical direction due to the direct influence of stormy
wind.
ii) Suspension: fine soil particles (less than 1mm dia.)
which are suspended in the air are kicked up and taken
away to distant places.
iii) Surface creep: Here large particles(5-10 mm diameter)
creep over soil surface along with wind.
 Measures to control soil erosion
• Conservation till farming:
conservation till farming, popularly known as no till farming causes
minimum disturbance to the top soil.

• Contour farming:
on gentle slopes crops are grown in rows across, rather than up and
down, a practice is known as contour farming.
• Terracing
used on still steeper slopes, converted into a series of broad terraces
which run across contour.

• Strip cropping
Strip of crops are alternated with strips of soil saving cover crops like
grasses or grass legume mixture.
• Alley cropping
In this crops are planted between rows of tree and shrubs.

• Windbreaks or shelterbelts
The trees are planted in long rows along the cultivated land boundary
so that wind is blocked.
Landslides

Rapid down slope movement of rocks or soil as a more or less

coherent mass or the down slope movement of earth materials.
Factors responsible for landslides include:
1) Slope stability: stability of slope depends upon the driving
forces(which tend to move earth materials down a slope) and
resisting forces (which tend to oppose driving forces).Driving force
is weight of slope and resisting force is the strength of the slope
material.
2) Type of earth material: soil slips are more common
on weak pyroclastic materials than on well
cemented sand stone, limestone or granite.

3) Slope angle: Greater the angle of slope greater is

the chances of landslides.

4) Climate and vegetation: Climate controls the nature

and extent of rainfall and thus the moisture content
of slope materials.
Causes of landslides:

Deforestation of mountains areas for mining or

construction of dams, roads and railway lines etc.

Prevention/ control of landslides:

1) Proper surface and sub surface drainage
2) Slope supports like stone filled wire baskets
3) Plantation
 Desertification
Desertification is a process whereby the productive potential of arid or
semi arid lands falls by ten percent or more.

Causes of Desertification:
a) Deforestation: The process of denuding and degradation a forested
land initiates a desert producing cycle that feeds on itself.
b) Overgrazing: The regions most seriously affected by desertification
are cattle producing areas of the world. This is because the increasing
cattle production heavily graze in grasslands or forests and as a result
denude the land area.
c) Mining: It causes the removal of vegetation cover from the land .