Land,Soil,Water,Natural

vegetation and Wildlife

Resources
-By Yaksh Motwani
Class 8th H
Adm number 1715
 Land
Land is an important natural resource. It covers around 30% of the Earth's surface, but all
the parts of this land are not habitable.
There is uneven population distribution in different parts of the world, mainly due to
differences in characteristics of land and climate.
Land with rugged mountains, steep slopes, low-lying flood-prone areas, deserts and dense
forests is usually sparsely populated or uninhabited. On the other hand, plains and river
valleys are suitable for agriculture and are densely populated.
KNOWLEDGE PLUS Ninety per cent of the world population occupiest per cent of land area.
The remaining seventy per cent of the land is either sparsely populated or uninhabited.
Land Use and its Conservation
Land is used for various purposes like agriculture, forestry, mining, housing, roads and
setting up industries.
Land use depends on physical factors like terrain, soil, climate, minerals, and water, as
well as human factors like population and technology.
Land can be categorised on the basis of ownership as follows
• Private Land It is owned by individuals.
* Community Land It is owned by community for common uses like collection of fodder,
fruits, nuts or
 KNOWLEDGE PLUS
Ninety per cent of the
world population

Land use occupies only thirty

per cent of land area.
The remaining
seventy per cent of
Land Use and its Conservation the land is either
sparsely populated or
Land is used for various purposes like agriculture, forestry,
uninhabited.

mining, housing, roads and setting up industries.

Land use depends on physical factors like terrain, soil, climate,
minerals, and water, as well as human factors like population and
technology.
Land can be categorised on the basis of ownership as follows
• Private Land It is owned by individuals.
* Community Land It is owned by community for common uses
like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medicinal herbs. The
community lands are also called common property resources
Land degradation, landslides, soil erosion and
desertification are major environmental threats that
occur due to expansion of agriculture and construction
activities.
Afforestation, land reclamation, regulated use of
chemical pesticide and fertilisers and checks on
overgrazing are some of the common methods used to
conserve land resources.
 Soil and it’s formation
Soil is the thin upper layer of
the Earth's surface. It is
composed of organic matter,
minerals, and weathered rocks
formed through the process of
weathering
Fertility of soil depends on the
right mixture of minerals and
organic material.
 Factors of soil formation

KNOWLEDGE PLUS It
takes hundreds of years
to make just one
centimetre of soil.

Factors affecting soil formation include nature of the parent rock, climate,
topography, organic matter and time.
All these factors differ from place to place.
 Soil degradation and conservation methods

Soil erosion and depletion are major threats to soil. Both

human and natural factors led to degradation of soil.

These are:-

•Deforestation •
Overgrazing

•Overuse of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. • Rain

wash

• Floods. •
Landslides
Some methods of soil conservation are:-
•Mulching In this method, the clear ground between plants is covered
with a layer of organic matter like straw to retain soil moisture.
•contour barriers In this method, stones, grass, soil are used to build
barriers along contours. Trenches are made in front of the barriers to
collect water.
•Rock dams In this method, rocks are piled up to slow down the flow
of water, to prevent gullies and further soil loss.
•Terrace farming In this method, broad flat steps or terraces are made
on the steep slopes for growing crops, reducing surface runoff and soil
erosion.
•Intercropping In this method, different crops are grown in alternate
rows and are sown at different times to protect the soil from rain wash.
•contour ploughing In this method, ploughing is done parallel to the
contours of a hill slope to form a natural barrier for water to flow down
the slope
• Shelterbelts In this method, rows of trees are planted to check the
wind movement and to protect soil cover, in coastal and dry regions.
 Water
Earth is called the water planet because three-fourth part of the
Earth's surface is covered with water.

Oceans cover two-third part of the Earth's surface, however

ocean water is saline and not suitable for drinking.

Only 2.7% of water is fresh water out of which only 1% is fit for
human use. It is found as groundwater, in rivers and lakes, and
as water vapour in the atmosphere.

The total water volume of the Earth remains constant. It

remains in continuous motion, cycling through oceans, air, land,
and back again, through the processes like evaporation,
precipitation and run-off. This is referred to as water cycle.
 Problems and Conservation of Water Resources

Growing population, rising demand for food and cash crops,

urbanisation, and rising standard of living are the major causes of
shortages in the supply of fresh water.

There is water scarcity in many regions of the world like Africa, West
Asia, South Asia, parts of the USA, Mexico, South America, Australia
and countries located in drought-prone areas.

Discharge of sewage, agricultural, chemicals and industrial waste are

major contaminants of water.

Afforestation, adopting effective techniques for irrigation like lining

canals, using sprinklers or drip irrigation and promoting rainwater
harvesting can be done for conservation of water resources.
 Natural vegetation and wildlife
Natural vegetation and wildlife exist in the
biosphere which is a narrow zone of contact
between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and
atmosphere.

In biosphere, living beings are inter-related and

interdependent on each other for their survival. Larva
This lite supporting system is known as the
ecosystem.
Natural vegetation and wildlife are valuable A blue
[Link] provide various things and animals kingfisher
are important formaintaining balance in the
ecosystem.
 Distribution of natural
vegetation
The growth of vegetation depends primarily on temperature
and moisture. The major vegetation of the world are
categorised as forests, grasslands, scrubs and tundra'.

Large trees grow in areas of heavy rainfall. As the amount of

moisture decreases, their size and density reduces.

Short trees and grasses grow in areas of moderate rainfall

forming the grasslands of the world and thorny bushes and
scrubs grow in areas of low rainfall.
 CITES
It is an international
agreement between

Conservation of Natural governments. It lists several

species of animals and birds in
which trade is prohibited.

vegetation and wildlife It aims to ensure that

international trade in
specimens of wild animals and
plants does not threaten their
Changes of climate and human interferences can
survival.

cause the loss of natural habitats for plants and

animals. Deforestation, soil erosion, tsunami, landslide,
etc are major causes for extinction of natural
vegetation and wildlife.

Poaching is a major concern leading to a decline in

animal species, including tigers, lions and elephants.
These animals are poached for collection and illegal
trade of hides, skins, nails, horns, etc.
 Methods of conserving natural
vegetation and wildlife
National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves
are made to protect natural vegetation and wildlife.
Awareness programmes like social forestry and
Vanamohatasava should be encouraged at the regional and
community level.
Many countries have passed laws against the trade as well
as killing of birds and animals.
An international convention CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora) has been established.