NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6 Soils

Detailed, Step-by-Step NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6 Soils Questions and Answers were solved by Expert Teachers as per NCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines covering each topic in chapter to ensure complete preparation.

Soils NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6

Soils Questions and Answers Class 11 Geography Chapter 6

Question 1.
Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below :
(i) Which one of the following is the most widespread and most productive category of soil?
(a) Alluvial Soil
(b) Laterite Soil
(c) Black Soil
(d) Forest Soil
Answer:
(a) Alluvial Soil

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6 Soils

(ii) ‘Regur Soil’ is another name for the ……….
(a) Saline Soil
(b) Arid Soil
(c) Black Soil
(d) Laterite Soil
Answer:
(c) Black Soil

(iii) Which one of the following is the main reason for the loss of the top soil in India?
(a) Wind erosion
(b) Water erosion
(c) Excessive leaching
(d) None of these
Answer:
(b) Water erosion

(iv) Arable land in the irrigated zones of India is turning saline due to which of the following reasons?
(a) Addition of gypsum
(b) Overgrazing
(c) Over irrigation
(d) Use of fertilisers
Answer:
(c) Over irrigation

Question 2.
Answer the following questions in about 30 words :
(i) What is soil?
Answer:
Soil is the mixture of rock debris and organic materials which develop on the earth’s surface.

(ii) What are the main factors responsible for the formation of soil?
Answer:
The major factors affecting the formation of soil are relief, parent material, climate, vegetation and other life-forms and time. Besides these, human activities also influence it to a large extent.

(iii) Mention the three horizons of a soil profile.
Answer:
(1) ‘Horizon A’ is the topmost zone, where organic materials have got incorporated with the mineral matter, nutrients and water, which are necessary for the growth of plants.

(2) ‘Horizon B’ is a transition zone between the ‘horizon A’ and ‘horizon r C’, and contains matter derived from below as well as from above.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6 Soils

(3)‘Horizo C’ is composed of loose parent material. This layer is the first stage in the soil foundation process and eventually forms the above two layers.

(iv) What is soil degradation?
Answer:
In a broad sense, soil degradation can be defined as the decline in soil fertility, when the nutritional status declines and depth of the soil goes down due to erosion and misuse.

(v) What is the difference between Khadar and Bhangarl
Answer:
Khadar is the new alluvium soil and is deposited by floods annually, which enriches the soil by depositing fine silts.
Bhangar represents a system of older alluvium soil, deposited away from the flood plains.

Question 3.
Answer the following questions in not more than 125 words :
(i) What are black soils? Describe their formation and characteristics.
Answer:
The black soil is very deep. These soils are also known as the? ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black Cotton Soil’. The black soils are generally I clayey, deep and impermeable. They swell and become sticky when wet and shrink when dried. So, during the dry season, these soils develop wide cracks.

Thus, there occurs a kind of self ploughing’. Because of this character of slow absorption and loss of moisture, the black soil retains the moisture for a very long time, which helps the crops, especially the rainfed ones, to sustain even during the dry season, Chemically, the black soils are rich in lime, iron, magnesia and alumina. They also contain potash. But they lack in phosphorous, nitrogen and organic matter. The colour ofthe soil ranges from deep black to grey.

(ii) What is soil conservation? Suggest some measures to conserve soil.
Answer:
Soil conservation is a methodology to maintain soil fertility, prevent soil erosion and exhaustion, and improve the degraded condition of the soil

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6 Soils

Soil conservation is necessary. The important measures to conserve soil are as follows :

  • Scientific land use
  • Scientific crop rotation
  • Contour ploughing and bunding
  • Afforestation
  • Construction of barriers against water gullies
  • Increased use of organic manures
  • Replacing flood irrigation

(iii) How do you know that a particular type of soil is fertile or not? Differentiate between naturally determined fertility and culturally induced fertility.
Answer:
Soil Survey of India, established in 1956, made comprehensivestudies of soils in selected areas like in the Damodar Valley. The National Bureau of soil survey and the Land Use Planning, an Institute under the control of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), did a lot of studies of Indian soils.

In their effort to study soil and to make it comparable at the international level, the ICAR has classified the Indian soils on the basis of their nature and character as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil taxonomy.

On the basis of genesis, colour, composition and location, the soils of India have been classified into :

  • Alluvial soils
  • Black soils
  • Red and Yellow soils
  • Laterite soils
  • Arid soils
  • Saline soils
  • Peaty soils
  • Forest soils.

Soils were classified on the basis of their inherent characteristics and external features such as texture, colour, slope of land and moisture 1-1 content in the soil. Based on texture, main soil types were identified as sandy, clayey, silty and loam, etc. On the basis of colour, they were red,yellow, black, etc.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 6 Soils

 

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