Tag: geography

Human activities like deforestation, overgrazing, construction and mining etc. lead to soil erosion. 

A terrace in agriculture is a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming. This method is called terracing. It is very useful in soil conservation in hilly or mountain areas.

Soil conservation is a method of protecting soil from getting eroded either by wind or by water.

• Few soil conservation methods include:
  
• Graduated terrace steps which are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease both erosion and surface runoff.
  
• Wind breaks: Row of trees or a fence, wall, or screen that provides shelter or protection of soil from the wind.
  
• Conservation tillage is a method of preparing soil from getting eroded. This technique involves leaving the previous year crop residues until the next crop is planted.

Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau. Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats. These soils develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

Reforestation is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands that have been depleted, usually through deforestation. Reforestation activities promote the gradual depletion of CO2 from the atmosphere through absorption during photosynthesis.

Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing. Contours act like bunds. Terraces are levelled into step-like small fields with even slope.

Dustbowl catastrophe is nothing but the dust storm that greatly damaged the ecology of US and Canadian prairies. The main reason for this storm was the wind erosion. Hence to prevent such catastrophes people should be taught well to prevent soil erosion. 

In the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to waterlogging leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil. 

The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels known as gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land. In the Chambal basin, such lands are called ravines. Chambal is in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Natural vegetation reflects the combined effects of relief and climate. The formation and development of soil is very much influenced by the growth of vegetation. The decayed leaf material adds much needed humus to soil thereby increasing its fertility.