Soil as a resource

Top soil
the upper soil
What is soil? layer
Top most layer of earth crust
consisting of organic and Subsoil
inorganic matters is called soil. weathered
Soil is a renewable resource. rocks sand
and
Soil is a living system.
It is the medium of plant
growth and
supports different types of
living organisms on the earth. Substratum
weathered
parent
rock material

Unweather
ed
parent bed
Factors of Soil
formations
A. Relief,
B. Parent rock or bed rock,
C. Climate,
D. Vegetation and other forms
of life and
E. Time are important factors
in the formation of soil.
F. Change in temperature,
G. Actions of running water,
wind and glaciers,
H. Activities of decomposers
etc.
I. Chemical and organic
changes.
Classification Soils
Major types of Soils found in
India.

•Alluvial Soil

•Black Soil

•Red and Yellow Soils

•Laterite Soils

•Arid Soils

•Forest Soils.
Alluvial Soils
a. Most widely spread: The
entire northern plains are
made of alluvial soil.
b. Deposited by Himalayan river
systems– the Indus, the
Ganga and the Brahmaputra.
c. Piedmont plains in the upper
reaches of the river valley,
the soils are coarse are
Duars, Chos and Terai.
d. According to their age alluvial
soils can be classified as old
alluvial (Bangar) and new
alluvial (Khadar).
i. The bangar soil has higher
concentration of kanker
nodules than the Khadar.
ii. Khadar has more fine
particles and is more fertile
than the bangar.
e. Alluvial soils as a whole are
very fertile having potash,
phosphoric acid and lime.
f. Due to its high fertility,
regions of alluvial soils are
intensively cultivated and
Black Soils
a. These soils are also known as
regur soils or black cotton
soil.
b. Climatic condition along with
the parent rock material are
the important factors for the
formation of black soil.
c. This type of soil is found in
the Deccan trap (Basalt)
region.
d. The black soils are made up
of extremely fine i.e. clayey
material.
e. They are well-known for their
capacity to hold moisture. In
addition, they are rich in soil
nutrients.
f. These soils are generally poor
in phosphoric contents.
g. They develop deep cracks
during hot weather, which
helps in the proper aeration
of the soil.
h. These soils are sticky when
wet and difficult to work on
Red and Yellow
Soils
a. Red soil develops on
crystalline igneous rocks in
areas of low rainfall in the
eastern and southern parts
of the Deccan plateau.
b. Yelllow and red soils are
also found in parts of
Orissa, Chhattisgarh middle
Ganga plain.
c. These soils develop a
reddish colour due to
diffusion of iron in
crystalline and
metamorphic rocks.
d. It looks yellow when it
occurs in a hydrated form.
Laterite Soils
a. Laterite has been derived
from the Latin word ‘later’
which means brick.
b. The laterite soil develops in
areas with high temperature
and heavy rainfall.
c. This is the result of intense
leaching due to heavy rain.
Humus content of the soil is
low because most of the
micro organisms, particularly
the decomposers, like
bacteria, get destroyed due
to high temperature.
d. Laterite soils are suitable for
cultivation with adequate
doses of manures and
fertilizers.
e. These soils are mainly found
in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and
the hilly areas of Orissa and
Assam.
f. After adopting appropriate
soil conservation techniques
particularly in the hilly areas
of Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil Nadu, this soil is very
useful for growing tea and
Arid Soils
a. Arid soils range from red to
brown in colour.
b. They are generally sandy in
texture and saline in
nature.
c. In some areas the salt
content is very high and
common salt is obtained by
evaporating the water.
d. Due to the dry climate,
high temperature,
evaporation is faster and
the soil lacks humus and
moisture.
e. The lower horizons of the
soil are occupied by Kankar
because of the increasing
calcium content
downwards.
f. The Kankar layer
formations in the bottom
horizons restrict the
infiltration of water.
g. After proper irrigation
Forest Soils
a. These soils are found in the
hilly and mountainous
areas where sufficient rain
forests are available.
b. The soils texture varies
according to the mountain
environment where they
are formed. They are loamy
and silty in valley sides and
coarse grained in the upper
slopes.
c. In the snow covered areas
of Himalayas, these soils
experience denudation and
are acidic with low humus
content.
d. The soils found in the lower
parts of the valleys
particularly on the river
terraces and alluvial fans
are fertile.