CLASS-VIII
SUBJECT-GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER-I RESOURCES
TERM - 1
Q1. Define resource ? Give
examples.
A1. Resource :Anything
which satisfies human needs is a resource .ex-water,
textbook, air, land,
vegetable etc.
Q2. Explain two features
of a resource ?
A2. Utility :- Utility or
usability is what makes an object or substance a resource.
Value :-All resources have
a value. Value means worth. Some resources have
economic value, some do
not. For example, metals may have an - economic
value, a beautiful
landscape may not.
Q3. What are the two
important factors that change substances into a resource ?
A3. 1)Time and 2)
technology are two important factors that can change
substances into resources.
Both are related to the
needs of the people. People themselves are the most
important resource. It is
their ideas, knowledge, inventions and discoveries
that lead to the creation
of more resource.
Q4. What is the natural
resource ?
A4. Resources that are
drawn from Nature and used without much modification
are called natural
resources. ex- the air we breathe, the water in our rivers
and lakes, the soils,
minerals are all natural resources.
Q5. What is Human made
resource ?
A5. People use natural
resources to make buildings, bridges, roads, machinery
and vehicles, which are
known as human made resources. Technology is also
a human made resource.
Q6. Why is human resource
important ?
A6. 1) People can make the
best use of nature to create more resources when
they have the knowledge,
skill and the technology to do so.
2) People are human
resources.
3) Education and health
help in making people a valuable resource.
Q7. Define Sustainable
development ?
A7. Carefully utilizing
resources so that besides meeting the requirements of the
present, also takes care of
future generation.
Q8. List the principles of
sustainable development.
A8. The principles of
sustainable development are as follows:-
1) Respect and care for
all forms of life
2) Improve the quality of
human life
3) Conserve the earth’s
vitality and diversity
4) Minimise the depletion
of natural resources
5) Change personal
attitude and practices toward the environment
6) Enable communities to
care for their own environment.
Q9. Distinguish between
the following:-
1) Actual and potential
resource.
2) Abiotic and Biotic
resource.
3) Renewable resource and
Non renewablel resource.
4) Ubiquitious and
Localized resource.
A9.
Actual resource
1) Actual resourcesare
those
resources whose quantity
is
known and being used in
the
present.
2) Example- The rich
deposits of
coal in Ruhr region of
Germany.
Potential resource
1)Potential resourcesare
those
whose entire quantity may
not be
known and not being used
at
Presently due to low level
of
technology.
2)Example-Uranium found in
Ladakh.
II-Abiotic resource
1) Abiotic resources are
non-living
resource.
2) Example- soils
,minerals and
rocks.
Biotic resource
1)Biotic resources are
living
resource.
2)Example- Plants and
animals.
III-Renewable resource
1) Renewable resources are
those
which get renewed or
replenished quickly.
.
2) Example- Water, solar
and
wind.
Non renewable resource
1)
Non-renewable resourcesare
those which have a limited
stock
2)Example-Coal, petroleum
and
natural gas.
IV-Ubquitious resource
1) Resources that are
found
everywhere.
2)
Example-Air and water.
Localised resource
1)
Resources which are found only
in
certain places.
2)Example-Copper and iron- ore.
CHAPTER-2 LAND, SOIL, WATER, NATURAL VEGETATION AND
WILDLIFE
TERM - 1
Q1. Why life is different
in different parts of the world?
A1.
The life is different in different parts of the world because of
the differences in
the quality of land, soil,
water, natural vegetation, animals and the usage of
technology.
Q2. How land can be
conserved ?
A2. Land can be conserved
by the following way:-
1) Afforestation.
2) Land reclamation
3) Regulated use of
chemical pesticide and fertilizers.
4) Checks on overgrazing.
Q3. What is soil?
A3. The thin layer of
grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is called
soil. Soil is made up of
organic matter, minerals and weathered rocks found
on the earth. This happens
through the process of weathering. The right mix
of minerals and organic
matter make the soil fertile.
Q4. Name the factors that
leads to soil degradation?
A4. Factors which lead to
soil degradation are:-
1) Deforestation
2) Overgrazing
3) Overuse of chemical
feritilisers or pesticides.
4) Rain wash.
5) Landslides.
6) Floods.
Q5. Define –1) National
park 2) Biosphere reserve.
A5. 1) National park - A
natural area designated to protect the ecological integrity
of one or more ecosystems
for present and future generations.
2) Biosphere reserve -
Series of protected areas linked through a global
network, intended to
demonstrate the relationship between conservation and
development.
Q6. What are the natural
and human factors that are leading to forest and wildlife
depletion?
A6. The natural and human
factors that are leading to forest and wildlife resources
are:-
1) Deforestation
2) Soil erosion
3) Constructional
activities.
4) Forest fires.
5) Tsunami.
6) Landslides.
Q7. Why animals are
poached?
A7. The animals are
poached for collection and illegal trade of hides, skins, nails,
teeth, horns as well as
feathers.
Q8. How do we get water
back through water recycle?
A8. Water can neither be
added nor subtracted from the earth. Its total volume
remains constant. Its
abundance only seems to vary because it is inconstant
motion, cycling through
the oceans, the air, the land and back again, through
the processes of
evaporation, precipitation and run-off. This is how we get
water back through water
recycle.
Q9. Name the physical and
human factors that determine land use?
A9. The use of land is
determined by:-
1) Physical factors such
as topography, soil, climate, minerals and availability
of water.
2) Human factors such as
population and technology are also important
determinants of land use
pattern.
Q10. Why land use pattern
is changing?
A10. Land use pattern is
changing because of following reasons:-
1) People started
encroaching the common lands to build up commercial
areas, housing complexes
in the urban areas and to expand the agricultural
land in the rural areas.
2) Cultural changes which
are taking place in our society.
Q11. Name the regions of
the world which are facing water scarcity?
A11. The regions of the
water scarcity are Africa, West Asia, South Asia, parts of
western USA, north-west
Mexico, parts of South America and entire Australia
are facing shortages in
fresh water supply.
Q12. What are the reasons
for the water scarcity/?
A12. Water shortage may be
a consequence of variation in seasonal or annual
precipitation or the
scarcity is caused by over exploitation and contamination
of water sources.
Q13. How is vegetation
useful to us?
A13. Vegetation is useful
to us in the following way:-
1) Plants provide us with
timber
2) Give shelter to
animals,
3) Produce oxygen we
breathe,
4) Protects soils so
essential for growing crops,
5) Act as shelter belts,
6) Help in storage of
underground water,
7) Give us fruits, nuts,
latex, turpentine oil, gum, medicinal plants
8) Provide the paper that
is so essential for your studies.
Q14. Give the soil
profile?
A14. The soil is made up
of different layers as follows:-
1)
Top soil with humus and vegetation.
2) Sub soil with sand,
silt and clay.
3) Weathered rock
material.
4) Parent rock.
Q15. Why there is uneven
distribution of population?
A15. The uneven
distribution of population in different parts of the world is mainly
due to varied
characteristics of land and climate.
1) Sparsely populated
regions:- The rugged topography, steep slopes of the
mountains, low lying areas
suspectible to water logging, desert areas thick
forested areas are
normally sparsely populated or uninhabited.
2) Densely populated
regions:- Plains and river valleys offer suitable land for
agriculture. Hence, these
are the densely populated areas of the world.
Q16. Define the following
:
1) Land Use
2) Common property
resource.
3) Biosphere.
4) Ecosystem.
A16. 1) Land use - Land is
used for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry,
mining, building houses,
roads and setting up of industries. This is commonly
termed as Land use.
2) Common property
resource - Privateland is owned by individuals whereas,
community land is owned by
the community for common uses like collection
of fodder, fruits, nuts or
medicinal herbs. These community lands are also
called common property
resources.
3) Biosphere - Natural
vegetation and wildlife exist only in the narrow zone of
contact between the
lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere that we call
biosphere.
4) Ecosystem - In the
biosphere living beings are inter-related and
interdependent on each
other for survival. This life supporting system is
known as the ecosystem.
Q17. Explain the factors
that help in soil formation?
A17. The major factors
that help in the soil formation are as follows:-
1) Parent Rock -
Determines colour, texture, chemical properties,mineral,
content, permeability.
2) Climate -Temperature
,Rainfall influence rate of weathering and humus.
3) Relief - Altitude and
slope, determine accumulation of soil
4) Flora, Fauna and
Micro-organism - Affect the rate of humus formation
5) Time - Determines
thickness of soil profile.
Q18. Explain the methods
that help in the conservation of soil?
A18. Some methods of soil
conservation are:-
1) Mulching: The bare
ground between plants is covered with a layer of
organic matter like straw.
It helps to retain soil moisture.
2) Contour barriers:
Stones, grass, soil are used to build barriers along
contours. Trenches are
made in front of the barriers to collect water.
3) Rock dam: Rocks are
piled up to slow down the flow of water. This
prevents gullies and
further soil loss.
4) Terrace farming: These
are made on the steep slopes so that flat surfaces
are available to grow
crops. They can reduce surface run-off and soil erosion
5) Intercropping:
Different crops are grown in alternate rows and are sown at
different times to protect
the soil from rain wash.
6) Contour
ploughing:-Ploughing parallel to the contours of a hill slope to form
a natural barrier for
water to flow down the slope
7) Shelter belts: In the
coastal and dry regions, rows of trees are planted to
check the wind movement to
protect soil cover.
Q19. Give the distribution
of water?
A19. The oceans covers
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. Due to their location they are inaccessible.
Only 1 per cent of Fresh
water is available and fit for human use. It is found
as ground water, as
surface water in rivers and lakes and as water vapour in
the atmosphere.
Q20. Explain the factors
leading to water scarcity?
A20. The factors leading
to water scarcity are:-
1) Increasing population-
The population is increasing therefore there is rising
demands for food and cash
crops ,increasing urbanisation and rising
standards of living causes
water scarcity.
2) Decreasing water
resource - Drying up of water sources, over usage of
water, lowering of water
table and water pollution due to untreated chemical
and industrial waste
causes water shortage.
Q21. How we can conserve
water resource?
A21. We can conserve water
resource by the following way:-
1) Water pollution can be
controlled by treating these effluents suitably before
releasing them in water
bodies.
2) Forest and other
vegetation cover slow the surface runoff and replenish
under groundwater.
3) Water harvesting is
another method to save surface runoff.
4) The canals should be
properly lined to minimise losses by water seepage.
5) Sprinklers effectively
irrigate the area by checking water losses through
seepage and evaporation.
6) In dry regions with
high rates of evaporation, drip or trickle irrigation is very
useful.
7) Treatment of
effluents-Discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage,
agricultural chemicals and
industrial effluents in water bodies are major
contaminants which should
be treated before discharging it in the river.
Q22. Animals big or small, all are
integral in maintaining balance in the ecosystem’
Eleborate the statement with the help
of examples.
A22. Wildlife includes animals ,
birds, insects as well as the aquatic life forms. 1)
Animals provide us milk, meat, hides
and wool.
2) Insects like bees provide us honey,
help in pollination of flowers and have
an important role to play as
decomposers in the ecosystem.
3) The birds feed on insects and act
as decomposers as well.
4) Vulture due to its ability to feed
on dead livestock is a scavenger and
considered a vital cleanser of the
environment. So animals big or small, all are
integral in maintaining balance in the
ecosystem.
Q23. What are the features of
vegetation found in the regions of heavy, moderate
and low rainfall regions of the world
?
A23. 1) In areas of heavy rainfall,
huge trees may thrive.
2) In the regions of moderate rainfall
short stunted trees and grasses grow
forming the grasslands of the world.
3) In dry areas of low rainfall,
thorny shrubs and scrubs grow. In such areas
plants have deep roots and leaves have
thorny and waxy surface to reduce
loss of moisture by transpiration.
Tundra vegetation of cold Polar Regions
comprise of mosses and lichens.
Q24. Differentiate between Evergreen
and Deciduous forest?
A24.
Evergreen
forest
1) They do not shed their leaves
simultaneously in any season of
the year.
2) Mahogony, ebony, rosewood,
cidar, cinchona trees are found
here.
3) It has tropical climate throughout
the year with an average annual
rainfall of more than 200 cm.
4) They are little importance as their
wood is hard and unusable in
economic activities.
Deciduous
forest
1) They shed their leaves in a
particular season to conserve loss
of moisture through transpiration.
2)
Sal, teak and sesum trees are
found here.
3)
It has spread over the areas where
two distinct seasons – rainy and dry
are found, with an average annual
rainfall of 75-200 cm.
4)
The wood is soft and durable.
Hence they are economically
important. The wood is used as
timber.
Q25. List the steps that can be
adopted to conserve the forest and wildlife resource.
A25. The steps that can be adopted to
conserve forest and wildlife resource are-
1)National parks, wildlife
sanctuaries, biosphere reserves are made to protect
our natural vegetation and wildlife.
2) Conservation of creeks, lakes, and
wetlands is necessary to save the
precious resource from depletion.
3) Awareness programmes- like social
forestry and Vanamohatasavashould
be encouraged at the regional and
community level. School children should
be encouraged for bird watching and
visiting nature camps so that they
appreciate thehabitat of varied
species.
4) Laws- Many countries have passed
laws declaring that the trades as well
as killing of birds and animals are
illegal. In India, killing of lions, tigers, deers,
great Indian bustards and peacocks
have been banned.
5) CITES- An international convention
CITES has been established that lists
several species of animals and birds in which
trade is prohibited.
No comments:
Post a Comment