Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Notes
The Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Notes Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Resources. In Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Resources Class 8 geography ch 2 Revision Notes we will discuss Land its use and the conservation of land resources like Soil, and Water. We also discuss Natural Vegetation and Wildlife. Class 8 geography ch 2 notes is a part of NCERT Notes which are provided by our well-experienced teachers. You can download Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Notes pdf.
The two different parts of the world 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 30% of the total area of the earth’s surface However all parts are not habitable.
- The uneven distribution of population in different parts of the world is mainly due to varied characteristics of land and climate.
- Areas which are normally sparsely populated or uninhabited:- The rugged topography, steep slopes of the mountains, low-lying areas susceptible to water logging, desert areas, and thick forest.
- Areas which are densely populated:- Plains and river valleys because they offer suitable land for agriculture.
Land Use
The land is used for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads and setting up industries.
- Factors affecting land use are
- Physical factors: topography, soil, climate, minerals and availability of water.
- Human factors: population and technology are also important determinants of land use patterns.
- On the basis of ownership, the land is classified as – private land and community land
- Private land:- owned by individuals
- Community land:- owned by the community for common uses like the collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medicinal herbs.
- These community lands are also called common property resources.
- Land is a limited resource.
- The quality of land also differs from place to place.
- Land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, and desertification are the major threats to the environment because of the expansion of agriculture and construction activities.
Conservation of Land Resource
The growing population and their ever-growing demand have led to the large-scale destruction of forest cover and arable land and have created a fear of losing these natural resources.
Steps to be taken to check the degradation of land:
- Afforestation,
- Land reclamation,
- Regulated use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and
- Checks on overgrazing.
Soil
The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is called soil. It is closely linked to the land.
- Landforms determine the type of soil.
- Soil is made up of organic matter, minerals and weathered rocks found on the earth through the process of weathering.
- The right mix of minerals and organic matter makes the soil fertile.
What is Weathering?
The breaking up and decay of exposed rocks, by temperature changes, frost action, plants, animals and human activity.
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
Soil erosion and depletion are the major threats to the soil as a resource. Both human and natural factors can lead to the degradation of soils. Factors which lead to soil degradation are:
- Deforestation
- Overgrazing
- Overuse of chemical fertilisers or pesticides
- Rain wash
- Landslides and floods.
Soil Conservation
Soil conservation means protecting the soil from degradation. Some methods of soil conservation are:
- 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, and soil are 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 steep slopes so that flat surfaces are available to grow crops. They reduce surface run-off and soil erosion.
- 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.
- 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. Earth is called a ‘water planet’ because Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water. 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. Only 1 per cent of freshwater is available and fit for human use. It is found in groundwater, as surface water in rivers and lakes and as water vapour in the atmosphere.
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 which is the water cycle.
Water Cycle: The constant motion of water, cycling through the oceans, the air, the land and back again, through the processes of evaporation, precipitation and run-off. This is referred to as the ‘water cycle’.
Water is used for drinking, washing, agriculture, industries, and generating electricity through reservoirs of dams.
The major factor of water shortage are:
- Increasing population
- Rising demands for food and cash crops
- Increasing urbanization
- Rising standards of living
The Problem of Water Availability
There is a shortage of water in many regions of the world due to the drying up of water sources or water pollution due to over-exploitation and contamination of water sources. Countries located in climatic zones most susceptible to droughts face great problems of water scarcity.
Conservation of Water Resources
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. Most of these chemicals are non-biodegradable and reach human bodies through water.
Various steps can be taken to conserve water and prevent it from getting polluted.
- Treating effluents suitably before releasing them into water bodies.
- Forest and other vegetation cover slow the surface runoff and replenish underground water.
- Water harvesting to save surface runoff.
- The canals used for irrigating fields should be properly lined to minimise losses by water seepage.
- Sprinklers effectively irrigate the area by checking water losses through seepage and evaporation.
- Drip or trickle irrigation is very useful in dry regions with high rates of evaporation.
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
Biosphere: A narrow zone of contact between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere that we call the biosphere.
Ecosystem: In the biosphere living beings are interrelated and interdependent on each other for survival. This life-supporting system is known as the ecosystem.
Plants provide timber, fruits, nuts, latex, turpentine oil, gum, medicinal plants, and paper and give shelter to animals, produce oxygen, and protect soils so essential for growing crops.
Wildlife includes animals, birds, insects as well as aquatic life forms. Birds and Animals are integral to maintaining balance in the ecosystem.
- They provide us with milk, meat, hides and wool.
- Insects like bees provide us with honey, help in the pollination of flowers and have an important
- Play a role as decomposers in the ecosystem.
- The birds feed on insects and act as decomposers as well.
- Vultures due to their ability to feed on dead livestock is a scavenger and considered a refreshing cleanser of the environment.
- Silk is obtained from silk worms that are bred on Mulberry trees.
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.
- Forests
- In the area of heavy rainfall huge trees are grown
- Forests are associated with areas having abundant water supply.
- Grasslands
- Grasslands are areas having short stunted trees and grasses
- They grow in regions of moderate rainfall
- Trees’ size and density decrease as the number of moisture decreases.
- Thorny shrubs
- They grow in dry areas of low rainfall
- have deep roots and leaves with a thorny and waxy surface that helps reduce loss of moisture through transpiration
- Tundra vegetation
- They found in cold Polar Regions
- comprise of mosses and lichens
Conservation of Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
Forests are our wealth and give shelter to the animals and together they maintain the ecosystem.
- Changes in climate and human interference can cause the loss of natural habitats for plants and animals.
- Many species have become vulnerable or endangered and some are on the verge of extinction.
What is a National Park?
A natural area designated to protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for the present and the future generations
What is a Biosphere reserves?
Series of protected areas linked through a global network, intended to demonstrate the relationship between conservation and development.
Class 8 Geography Ch 2 Notes – Do you know?
- Ninety per cent of the world’s population occupies only thirty per cent of land area. The remaining seventy per cent of the land is either sparsely populated or uninhabited.
- It takes hundreds of years to make just one centimetre of soil.
- In 1975, the consumption of water for human use was 3850cu km/year. It soared to more than 6000 cu km/year in the year 2000.
- A dripping tap wastes1200 litres of water in a year.
- Have you ever heard about a water market? Amreli city in the Saurashtra region with a population of 1.25 lakhs is completely dependent on purchasing water from the nearby talukas.
- Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting rainwater from rooftops and directing it to an appropriate location where it is stored for future use. On average, one spell of rain for two hours is enough to save 8,000 litres of water.
- Vultures in the Indian subcontinent were dying of kidney failure shortly after scavenging livestock treated with diclofenac, a painkiller that is similar to aspirin or ibuprofen. Efforts are on to ban the drug for livestock use and breed vultures in captivity.
- CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
- of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Roughly 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are protected. Bears, dolphins, cacti, corals, orchids and aloes are some examples.
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