CLASS 8 GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER 2

Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

Resources
In a small village in Tanzania, Africa, Mamba gets up very early in the morning to fetch
water. She must walk a long way and returns after a few hours. She then helps her mother in
the house and joins her brothers in taking care of their goats. All her family owns is a piece
of rocky land around their small hut. Mamba’s father can barely grow some maize and beans
on it after toiling hard. This is not enough to feed their family for the whole year. Peter lives
in the heart of the sheep rearing region in New Zealand where his family runs a wool
processing factory. Every day when he returns from school, Peter watches his uncle taking
care of their sheep. Their sheep yard is situated on a wide grassy plain with hills in the far
distance. It is managed in a scientific way using the latest technology. Peter’s family also
grows vegetables through organic farming. Mamba and Peter stay in two different parts of
the world and lead very different lives. This difference is because of the differences in the
quality of land, soil, water, natural vegetation, animals, and the usage of technology. The
availability of such resources is the main reason places differ from each other.

Land
Land is among the most important natural resources. It covers only about thirty per cent of
the total area of the earth’s surface and all parts of this small percentage are not habitable.
The uneven distribution of population in different parts of the world is mainly due to varied
characteristics of land and climate. The rugged topography, steep slopes of the mountains,
low-lying areas susceptible to water logging, desert areas, thick forested areas are normally
sparsely populated or uninhabited. Plains and river valleys offer suitable land for agriculture.
Hence, these are the densely populated areas of the world.

Land use
Land is used for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses,
roads and setting up of industries. This is commonly termed as Land use. Can you list out the
different ways in which Mamba’s and Peter’s family use their land? The use of land is
determined by physical factors such as topography, soil, climate, minerals, and availability
of water. Human factors such as population and technology are also important determinants
of land use pattern. Land can also be classified based on ownership as – private land and
community land. Private land is owned by individuals whereas, community land is owned by
the community for common uses like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts, or medicinal herbs.
These community lands are also called common property resources.
People and their demands are ever growing but the availability of land is limited. The quality
of land also differs from place to place. People started encroaching the common lands to
build up commercial areas, housing complexes in the urban areas and to expand the
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agricultural land in the rural areas. Today the vast changes in the land use pattern also reflect
the cultural changes in our society. Land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, desertification
are the major threats to the environment because of the expansion of agriculture and
construction activities.

Let’s Do
Let’s do Talk to some elderly person in your family or neighbourhood and collect
information about changes in the land use over the years, in the place where you live.
Display your findings on a bulletin board in your classroom.

Glossary
Glossary Weathering The breaking up and decay of exposed rocks, by temperature changes,
frost action, plants, animals and human activity.

Conservation of Land Resource

Growing population and their ever-growing demand has led to a large-scale destruction of
forest cover and arable land and has created a fear of losing this natural resource. Therefore,
the present rate of degradation of land must be checked. 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
The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is called soil. It is closely
linked to land. Landforms determine the type of soil. Soil is made up of organic matter,
minerals and weathered rocks found on the earth. This happens through the process of
weathering. The right mix of minerals and organic matter make the soil fertile.

Land Slides
Landslides are simply defined as the mass movement of rock, debris or earth down a slope.
They often take place in conjunction with earthquakes, floods and volcanoes. A prolonged
spell of rainfall can cause heavy landslide that can block the flow of river for quite some
time. The formation of river blocks can cause havoc to the settlements downstream on its
bursting. In the hilly terrain landslides have been a major and widely spread natural disaster
that often strike life and property and occupy a position of major concern.

A Case Study
A massive landslide hit Pangi village near Reckon Poe in Kinnaur district of Himachal
Pradesh and damaged a 200-meter stretch of old Hindustan-Tibet Road, National Highway -
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22. This landslide was triggered by intense blasting at Pangi village. Due to the blasting this
weak zone of slope collapsed and caused intense damage to the road and nearby villages.
The Pangi village was completely vacated to avoid any possible loss of life.

Mitigation Mechanism
Advancement in scientific techniques has empowered us to understand what factors cause
landslides and how to manage them. Some broad mitigation techniques of landslide are as
follows:; •
 Hazard mapping to locate areas prone to landslides. Hence, such areas can be avoided
for building settlements. •
 Construction of retention wall to stop land from slipping. •
 Increase in the vegetation cover to arrest landslide. •
 The surface drainage control works to control.
 the movement of landslide along with rainwater and spring flows.

Factors of soil Formation

The major factors of soil formation are the nature of the parent rock and climatic factors.
Other factors are the topography, role of organic material and time taken for the composition
of soil formation. All these differ from place to place.

Degradation of soil and Conservation Measures

Soil erosion and depletion are the major threats to soil as a resource. Both human and natural
factors can lead to degradation of soils. Factors which lead to soil degradation are
deforestation, overgrazing, overuse of chemical fertilisers or pesticides, rain wash,
landslides, and floods. Some methods of soil conservation are listed below:
 Mulching: The bare ground between plants is covered with a layer of organic matter
like straw. It helps to retain soil moisture.
 Contour barriers: Stones, grass, soil is used to build barriers along contours. Trenches
are made in front of the barriers to collect water.
 Rock dam: Rocks are piled up to slow down the flow of water. This prevents gullies
and further soil loss.
 Terrace farming: Broad flat steps or terraces are made on the steep slopes so that flat
surfaces are available to grow crops. They reduce surface runoff and soil erosion (].5).
 Intercropping: Different crops are grown in alternate rows and are sown at different
times to protect the soil from rain wash.
 Contour ploughing: Ploughing parallel to the contours of a hill slope to form a natural
barrier for water to flow down the slope (

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 Shelter belts: In the coastal and dry regions, rows of trees are planted to check the
wind movement to protect soil cover (

Water
Water is a vital renewable natural resource. Three fourths of the earth’s surface is covered
with water. It is therefore appropriately called the ‘water planet’. It was in the primitive
oceans that life began almost 3.5 billion years back. Even today, the oceans cover two-thirds
of the earth’s surface and support a rich variety of plant and animal life. The ocean water is
however saline and not fit for human consumption. Fresh water accounts for only about 2.7
per cent. Nearly 70 per cent of this occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland,
and mountain regions. Due to their location, they are inaccessible. Only 1 per cent of
freshwater is available and fit for human use. It is found as ground water, as surface water in
rivers and lakes and as water vapour in the atmosphere. Fresh water is therefore, the most
precious substance on earth. Water can neither be added nor subtracted from the earth. Its
total volume remains constant. Its abundance only seems to vary because it is in constant
motion, cycling through the oceans, the air, the land and back again, through the processes of
evaporation, precipitation, and run-off. This as you already know is referred to as the ‘water
cycle Humans use huge amounts of water not only for drinking and washing but also in the
process of production. Water for agriculture, industries, generating electricity through
reservoirs of dams are the other usages. Increasing population, rising demands for food and
cash crops, increasing urbanisation, and rising standards of living are the major factors
leading to shortages in supply of fresh water either due to drying up of water sources or
water pollution.’. 7

Problems of Water Availability

There is scarcity of water in many regions of the world. Most of Africa, West Asia, South
Asia, parts of western USA, north-west Mexico, parts of South America and entire Australia
are facing shortages in fresh water supply. Countries located in climatic zones most
susceptible to droughts face great problems of water scarcity. Thus, water shortage may be a
consequence of variation in seasonal or annual precipitation, or the scarcity is caused by
over-exploitation and contamination of water sources.

Conservation of Water Resources

Access to clean and adequate water sources is a major problem facing the world today. Steps
must be taken to conserve this dwindling resource. Even though water is a renewable
resource, its overuse and pollution make it unfit for use. Discharge of untreated or partially
treated sewage, agricultural chemicals and industrial effluents in water bodies are major
contaminants. They pollute water with nitrates, metals, and pesticides. Do you know? Have
you ever heard about a water market? Amreli city in Saurastra region with a population of

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1.25 lakhs is completely dependent on purchasing water from the nearby talukas. Activity
An average urban Indian uses about 150 litres of water every day. Use Litres per person per
day Drinking 3 Cooking 4 Bathing 20 Flushing 40 Washing clothes 40 Washing utensils 20
Gardening 23 Total 150 Can you suggest some ways to bring down this amount? Fig 2.8:
River Yamuna is getting polluted due to sewage, industrial effluents and garbage 2022-23
Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources 15 Most of these chemicals
are non-biodegradable and reach human bodies through water. Water pollution can be
controlled by treating these effluents suitably before releasing them in water bodies. Forest
and other vegetation cover slow the surface runoff and replenish underground water. Water
harvesting is another method to save surface runoff. The canals used for irrigating field
should be properly lined to minimise losses by water seepage. Sprinklers effectively irrigate
the area by checking water losses through seepage and evaporation. In dry regions with high
rates of evaporation, drip or trickle irrigation is very useful. The valuable water resource can
therefore be conserved by adopting these means of irrigation.

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

Some school children were visiting an exhibition on handicrafts. The articles in the
exhibition were collected from different parts of the country. Mona picked up a bag and
exclaimed, “This is a beautiful handbag!” “Yes, it is made from Jute,” the teacher said. “Do
you see those baskets, lamp shades and chairs? Those are made of canes and bamboos. In the
eastern and north-eastern humid regions of India, bamboo grows in plenty.” Jassy was
excited to see a silk scarf. “See this beautiful scarf”. The teacher explained that silk is
obtained from silkworms that are bred on Mulberry trees. The children understood that
plants provide us with many different products that we use in our day-to-day life. Natural
vegetation and wildlife exist only in the narrow zone of contact between the lithosphere,
hydrosphere, and atmosphere that we call biosphere. In the biosphere living beings are inter-
related and interdependent on each other for survival. This life supporting system is known
as the ecosystem. Vegetation and wildlife are valuable resources. Plants provide us with
timber, give shelter to animals, produce oxygen we breathe, protects soils so Do you know?
Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting rain water from roof tops and directing it to
an appropriate location where it is stored for future use. On an average, one spell of rain for
two hours is enough to save litres of water. Resources and Development essential for
growing crops, act as shelter belts, help in storage of underground water, give us fruits, nuts,
latex, turpentine oil, gum, medicinal plants and the paper that is so essential for your studies.
There are innumerable uses of plants, and you can add some more. Wildlife includes
animals, birds, insects as well as the aquatic life forms. They provide us milk, meat, hides
and wool. Insects like bees provide us honey, help in pollination of flowers, and have an
important role to play as decomposers in the ecosystem. The birds feed on insects and act as
decomposers as well. Vulture due to its ability to feed on dead livestock is a scavenger and

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considered a vital cleanser of the environment. So, animals big or small, all are integral to
maintaining balance in the ecosystem

Distribution of Natural Vegetation

The growth of vegetation depends primarily on temperature and moisture. The major
vegetation types of the world are grouped as forests, grasslands, scrubs and tundra. In areas
of heavy rainfall, huge trees may thrive. The forests are thus associated with areas having
abundant water supply. As the amount of moisture decreases the size of trees and their
density reduces. Short, stunted trees and grasses grow in the regions of moderate rainfall
forming the grasslands of the world. Thorny shrubs and do you know? Vultures in the Indian
subcontinent were dying of kidney failure shortly after scavenging livestock treated with
diclofenac, a painkiller that is like aspirin or ibuprofen. Efforts are on to ban the drug for
livestock use and breed vultures in captivity. Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and
Wildlife Resources 17 scrubs grow in dry areas of low rainfall. In such areas plants have
deep roots and leaves with thorny and waxy surface reduce loss of moisture through
transpiration. Tundra vegetation of cold Polar Regions comprise of mosses and lichens.
Today there are many more people in the world than there were two centuries back. To feed
the growing numbers, large areas of forests have been cleared to grow crops. Forest cover all
over the world is vanishing rapidly. There is an urgent need to conserve this valuable
resource.

Conservation of Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

Forests are our wealth. Plants give shelter to the animals and together they maintain the
ecosystem. Changes of climate and human interferences can cause the loss of natural habitats
for the plants and animals. Many species have become vulnerable or endangered and some
are on the verge of extinction. Deforestation, soil erosion, constructional activities, forest
fires, tsunami and landslides are some of the human and natural factors which accelerate the
process of extinction of these resources. One of the major concerns is the poaching which
result in a sharp decline in the number of species. The animals are poached for collection and
illegal trade of hides, skins, nails, teeth, horns as well as feathers. Some of these animals are
tiger, lion, elephant, deer, black buck, crocodile, rhinoceros, snow Resources and
Development leopard, ostrich and peacock. These can be conserved by increasing awareness.
National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves are made to protect our natural
vegetation and wildlife. Conservation of creeks, lakes, and wetlands is necessary to save the
precious resource from depletion There is a balance in the environment if the relative number
of species is not disturbed. Human activities in several parts of the world have disturbed the
natural