SPI Geography · Indian Geography — Economy, Resources and Transport
Resources, Conservation and Soils
Resources are sorted by where they come from, whether they run out and how far they are developed; using them without waste is conservation; soil is the resource that every crop grows in.
Why this matters
Five questions in the bank, four EASY and one MODERATE: the name for resources taken straight from nature, the meaning of sustainable development, the best way to conserve, the state with the most black soil and the nutrient that laterite soil holds.
Concept 1 of 3: Kinds of resources
A resource is anything in our surroundings that we can use and that has value to us. The same resource can be described in several ways at once, so every label below answers a different question about it.
Definition
- Natural resources are drawn from nature and used without much change: air, water, soil, minerals. Human made resources are things people build, such as roads and machines. Human resources are people themselves.
- Biotic resources come from living things (plants, animals, fish); abiotic resources from non-living things (rocks, metals).
- Renewable resources can be renewed or replenished (water, forests, wind); non renewable ones take millions of years to form and run out (coal, petroleum, minerals).
- By development: potential (found but not yet used, such as the wind and sun of Rajasthan and Gujarat), developed (surveyed and in use), stock (needs a technology we do not yet have, such as hydrogen from water) and reserves (usable with today's know how but kept for the future, such as water in dams).
| Basis | Kinds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Biotic, abiotic | Fish is biotic; iron is abiotic |
| Running out | Renewable, non renewable | Forests are renewable; coal is not |
| Ownership | Individual, community, national, international | Village grazing ground is a community resource |
| Development | Potential, developed, stock, reserves | Water in a dam is a reserve |
| Who made it | Natural, human made | Soil is natural; a bridge is human made |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 1 · Indian Geography — Economy, Resources and Transport · Resources, Conservation and Soils
Resources that are drawn from Nature and used without much modification are called ____.
Mixing up stock and reserves
Stock needs a technology we do not have yet (hydrogen from water). Reserves can be used with the technology we already have but are kept for later (water in dams, forests).
Concept 2 of 3: Conservation and sustainable development
If we use resources greedily, they run out and the land is spoilt for those who come after us. Conservation means using them carefully, so that there is enough now and later.
Definition
- Conservation is the careful, optimal use of resources without waste: reduce, reuse and recycle.
- Sustainable development is development that does not damage the environment, and does not take away what future generations will need.
- The idea of sustainable development was brought in by the Brundtland Commission Report (1987), called Our Common Future.
- The Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 adopted Agenda 21, a plan for sustainable development.
- Gandhiji said: "There is enough for everybody's need and not for anybody's greed."
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Sustainable development | Meeting today's needs without harming the environment or the needs of the future |
| Brundtland Commission Report, 1987 | Brought in the idea of sustainable development |
| Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 | Adopted Agenda 21 |
| Agenda 21 | A world plan for sustainable development |
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 2 · Indian Geography — Economy, Resources and Transport · Resources, Conservation and Soils
Name the term that can refer to balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future.
Thinking conservation means not using resources
Conservation is optimal use, not no use. Resources still serve today's needs; they are only used without waste so that they last.
Concept 3 of 3: Soils of India
Soil forms from the rock beneath it, shaped by the rain and heat of the place. So each kind of soil sits in a region you can name, and each has a mix of nutrients that suits certain crops.
Definition
- Alluvial soil is the most widespread. Rivers laid it down across the Northern Plains. It is rich in potash, phosphoric acid and lime.
- Black soil (regur) formed from the basalt of the Deccan trap. It covers the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra has the most. It holds moisture well, cracks deeply in hot weather, and is ideal for cotton. It is poor in phosphorus.
- Red and yellow soil forms on old crystalline rocks in the drier east and south of the Deccan. Iron gives it the red colour; it turns yellow when hydrated.
- Laterite soil forms under heavy rain and high heat, which wash away lime and silica. It is poor in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphate and calcium but holds iron oxide and potash. Its name comes from the Latin later, meaning brick.
- Arid soil of the dry west is sandy and salty.
| Soil | Where | Mark of it |
|---|---|---|
| Alluvial | Northern Plains | Most widespread; rich in potash, phosphoric acid, lime |
| Black (regur) | Deccan trap: Maharashtra most, also Malwa, Saurashtra | Holds moisture; cracks; best for cotton |
| Red and yellow | Eastern and southern Deccan | Red from iron |
| Laterite | Areas of heavy rain and high heat | Has iron oxide and potash; poor in nitrogen, phosphate, calcium Heavy rain washes the other nutrients out. |
| Arid | Dry west, Rajasthan | Sandy and salty |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 3 · Indian Geography — Economy, Resources and Transport · Resources, Conservation and Soils
Black soil is mostly found in ____ :-
Thinking laterite is rich in nitrogen
Heavy rain washes nitrogen, phosphate and calcium out of laterite. What stays behind in good amount is iron oxide and potash.
Looking for black soil in the plains
Uttar Pradesh is mainly alluvial soil. Black soil belongs to the Deccan trap, and Maharashtra has the largest area of it.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Kinds of resources5 rows
| Basis | Kinds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Biotic, abiotic | Fish is biotic; iron is abiotic |
| Running out | Renewable, non renewable | Forests are renewable; coal is not |
| Ownership | Individual, community, national, international | Village grazing ground is a community resource |
| Development | Potential, developed, stock, reserves | Water in a dam is a reserve |
| Who made it | Natural, human made | Soil is natural; a bridge is human made |
Conservation and sustainable development4 rows
| Name | What it is |
|---|---|
| Sustainable development | Meeting today's needs without harming the environment or the needs of the future |
| Brundtland Commission Report, 1987 | Brought in the idea of sustainable development |
| Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 | Adopted Agenda 21 |
| Agenda 21 | A world plan for sustainable development |
Soils of India5 rows
| Soil | Where | Mark of it |
|---|---|---|
| Alluvial | Northern Plains | Most widespread; rich in potash, phosphoric acid, lime |
| Black (regur) | Deccan trap: Maharashtra most, also Malwa, Saurashtra | Holds moisture; cracks; best for cotton |
| Red and yellow | Eastern and southern Deccan | Red from iron |
| Laterite | Areas of heavy rain and high heat | Has iron oxide and potash; poor in nitrogen, phosphate, calcium Heavy rain washes the other nutrients out. |
| Arid | Dry west, Rajasthan | Sandy and salty |
Watch out for (4)
- Mixing up stock and reserves→ Kinds of resources
- Thinking conservation means not using resources→ Conservation and sustainable development
- Thinking laterite is rich in nitrogen→ Soils of India
- Looking for black soil in the plains→ Soils of India
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