Geography [4 Mark Question Answer]

Soils of India: Six Different Types of Soils Found in India are as follows:
Soil is our prime natural and economic resource. Soils in India differ in composition and structure.

1. Alluvial Soils: These are formed by the deposition of sediments by rivers. They are rich in humus and very fertile. They are found in Great Northern plain, lower valleys of Narmada and Tapti, and Northern Gujarat. These soils are renewed every year.
2. Black Soils: These soils are made up of volcanic rocks and lava-flow. It is concentrated over Deccan Lava Tract which includes parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. It consists of Lime, Iron, Magnesium, and also Potash but lacks in Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Organic matter.
3. Red Soils: These are derived from weathering of ancient metamorphic rocks of Deccan Plateau. Its redness is due to iron composition. When iron content is lower it is yellow or brown. They cover almost the whole of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and parts of Orissa.
4. Laterite Soils: These soils are formed due to in-tense leaching and are well developed on the summits of hills and uplands.
   They are commonly found in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and hilly areas of Orissa and Assam.
5. Mountain Soils: These soils are formed as a result of the accumulation of organic matter derived from forest growth. They are found in the Himalayan region and vary in different regions according to altitude. Tea is grown in those areas which receive sufficient rainfall.
6. Desert Soils: In the desert regions of Rajasthan, soils are not well developed. As evaporation is in excess of rainfall, the soil has a high salt content and the saline layer forms a hard crust. These soils are generally sandy and deficient in organic matter.

Soil erosion refers to washing away or removal of the layer of soil by various agents like running water and wind.
Sheet erosion and gully erosion are the two most common ways by which soil gets eroded. When there is heavy rainfall, the top layer of soil over large areas gets washed away. This is known as sheet erosion. When rainwater in region flows down the slopes making deep and narrow furrows, it is called gully erosion. Soil erosion also refers to the loss of fertility of soil, which makes the soil infertile and exhausted.
Cutting down the trees and forests, overgrazing by animals, floods, and improper farming practices are some of the main causes of soil erosion.
Soil conservation is the protecting of soil against erosion and exhaustion by planting trees, shrubs and grass on hill slopes.
Soil can be conserved by controlling grazing of cattle and use of proper farming methods such as the levelling of fields, terracing of hill slopes, construction of mud walls or bunds and ploughing fields in circles.