GEOGRAPHY
Chapter- Resources & Development
Topic- Types of soil
Class -X
SOIL COMPOSITION REGIONS COVERED CHARACTERISTICS
TYPE
Alluvial soil • These soils consist of varying They are found in Great Northern These soils are formed by the deposition of sediments brought
proportion of sand, silt and plain, lower valleys of Narmada and by rivers.
clay. Tapti and Northern Gujarat.
• In the upper course of the river, They are rich in humus and very fertile.
the soil is coarse. Alluvial soils are also found in the
• In the middle course, it is eastern coastal plains and deltas of These soils are renewed every year.
medium. the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the
• And fine grained in the lower Krishna and the Kaveri. The fertile alluvial soils are rich in potash, phosphoric acid and
course. lime and are ideal for growing sugarcane, wheat, rice, pulses
and cereal crops.
Due to its fertility, regions are intensively cultivated & thus
supporting dense population.
In drier areas it is more alkaline & so needs proper treatment &
irrigation
Black soil /• Black soils are made up of extremely Black soil (also called regur) is These soils are made up of volcanic rocks and lava-flow.
Regur/ fine; clayey material. found in the Deccan plateau spread
Black over Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Black soil is rich in calcium carbonate, potash, magnesium, lime
Cotton Soil Malwa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya and good water retention properties. It is ideally suited for the
Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh cultivation of cotton. But poor in phosphoric content.
and Tamil Nadu.
• They are well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.
.
• They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in
the proper aeration of the soil.
•
• These soils are sticky when wet & difficult to work unless tilled
1
GEOGRAPHY
Chapter- Resources & Development
Topic- Types of soil
Class -X
immediately after the first shower or during the pre monsoon
period.
Red & • Due to diffusion of iron They cover the parts of Tamil Nadu, These are formed on crystalline igneous in areas of low rainfall
Yellow composition in crystalline & Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and by weathering of ancient metamorphic rocks of eastern &
soils metamorphic rocks these soils Karnataka, Maharashtra and Orissa. southern Deccan Plateau.
are red in color.
• When iron content is lower Soils are deficient in phosphoric acid, organic matter and
mainly in hydrated form, it is nitrogenous materials but are fairly rich in potash. But crops are
yellow or brown. cultivated with the use of fertilizers.
• They consists of loose gravel
and highly coarse materials.
Laterite soil • Derived from latin word It develops in areas with high These soils are formed due to intense leaching.
‘LATER’ this means brick. temperature and heavy rainfall.
• The soils are acidic in nature, (ii) Due to lack of nitrogen, potassium and organic elements, the
coarser and crumbly in texture. The laterite soil is a result of intense laterite soils lack fertility, and are not suitable for cultivation.
leaching owing to heavy tropical But when the soils are manured and irrigated, some crops can be
rains. cultivated.
These soils are well developed on (iii) As the soils are indefinitely durable, so they provide
the summits of hills and uplands. valuable building materials.
They are found in Kerala, Tamil Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro
Nadu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh organisms, particularly the decomposers, like bacteria, get
and hilly areas of Orissa and Assam. destroyed due to high temperature.
After adopting appropriate soil conservation techniques
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GEOGRAPHY
Chapter- Resources & Development
Topic- Types of soil
Class -X
particularly in the hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil
Nadu, this soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee.
Red laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are
more suitable for crops like cashew nut.
Arid soil They are generally sandy in texture and After proper irrigation these soils Arid soils range from red to brown in colour.
saline in nature. become cultivable as has been in the Due to the dry climate, high temperature, evaporation is faster
In some areas the salt content is very case of western Rajasthan. and the soil lacks humus and moisture.
high and common salt is obtained by The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because
evaporating the water. of the increasing calcium content downwards.
The Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the
infiltration of water.
Forest soil The soils texture varies according to These soils are found in the hilly and In the snow covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience
the mountain environment where they mountainous areas where sufficient denudation and are acidic with low humus content.
are formed. rain forests are available.
They are loamy and silty in valley The soils found in the lower parts of
sides and coarse grained in the upper the valleys particularly on the river
slopes. terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.
Distinguish between Khadar and Bhangar
3
GEOGRAPHY
Chapter- Resources & Development
Topic- Types of soil
Class -X
Khadar (new alluvium)
1. The Khadar soils are found in the low areas of the valley, bottom of a valley which is flooded every year.
2. These soils are finer in texture.
3. The Khadar soils are more fertile as these are found in the low areas of the bottom of a valley which are flooded almost every year.
Bhangar (old alluvium)
1. The Bhangar soils are found in the higher reaches, about 30m above the flood level.
2. These are coarser in texture.
3. These soils are less fertile as these are found on the higher reaches, about 30m above the flood level.
Distinguish between Red soil & Alluvial soil
Alluvial Soil
1. Alluvial soil is very fertile as it is rich in mineral nutrients like potash and lime.
2. Most of the alluvial soil is derived from the sediments deposited by the rivers.
Red Soil
1. It is less fertile as it is deficient in phosphorus, nitrogen lime and humus.
2. Most of the red soil has been formed due to weathering of ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
