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Correct option is A) soil profile

i – b,
ii – c,
iii – a,
iv – e,
v – d

Soil is made up of distinct horizontal layers. These layers are called horizons. They range from rich, organic upper layers (humus and topsoil) to underlying rocky layers (subsoil, regolith and bedrock). 

1. O Horizon – The top, organic layer of soil, made up mostly of leaf litter and humus (decomposed organic matter). 

2. A horizon – The layer called top soil. It is found below the O horizon and above the E horizon. Seeds germinate and plant roots grow in this dark-colored layer. It is made up of humus (decomposed organic matter) mixed with mineral particles. 

3. E Horizon – This eluviation (leaching) layer is light in colour. This layer is beneath the A horizon and above the B Horizon. It is made up mostly of sand and silt, having lost most of its minerals and clay as water drips through the soil (in the process of eluviation). 

4. B Horizon – Also called the subsoil – this layer is beneath the E Horizon and above the C Horizon. It contains clay and mineral deposits (like iron, aluminum oxides and calcium carbonate) that it receives from layers above it when mineralized water drips from the soil above. 

5. C Horizon – Also called regolith. The layer beneath the B Horizon and above the R Horizon. It consists of slightly broken-up bedrock. Plant roots do not penetrate into this layer. Very little organic material is found in this layer. 

6. R Horizon – The unweathered rock (bedrock) layer that is beneath all the other layers. These different layers of soil are called soil profiles.

1. The Soil layers are reffered as horizons. 

2. Below the C-horizon the layer is bed rock which is hard and difficult to dig with a spade. 

3. The mixture of rock particles and humus is called the Soil.

Soil is formed through the process of weathering. Weathering is a process of physical break-down and chemical decomposition of rocks and minerals near or at the surface of the earth. This physical and chemical decomposition is primarily done by wind, water and climate as a result of these processes, large rock pieces are converted into smaller pieces and eventually to soil.

• Hot & humid climate, heavy rainfall & fertile alluvial soil are favourable for rice cultivation.
• This soil has good water holding capacity. Since these conditions are found in the konkan region, rice is grown on a large scale here.
• So rice is the staple diet of the people from Konkan.

Following are the properties of clayey soil: 

1. It has very good water holding capacity. 

2. It is rich in organic matter. For growing crops such as wheat gram and paddy, the soil that is good at retaining water and rich in organic matter is suitable. Therefore, clayey soil having these characteristics are useful for such kind of crops.

(i) Hot & humid climate, heavy rainfall & fertile alluvial soil are favourable for rice cultivation.

(ii) This soil has good water holding capacity. Since these conditions are found in the konkan region, rice is grown on a large scale here.

(iii) So rice is the staple diet of the people from Konkan.

(i) A layer of soil gets removed due to wind or water.

(ii) Running water, climate and diversity in physiography are the reasons of soil erosion.

1. Clayey soil mainly contains clay.

 2. Only small percentage of sand and slit are present in the clayey soil. 

3. Humus is also present in this soil. 

4. The components having good percolation capacity are not present in the clayey soil in the desired proportion. 

5. So clayey soil has low percolation rate as compared to sandy soil.

Correct option is B) A Horizon

(i) Use of organic manures, vermicompost, compost helps maintain the pH balance.

(ii) It also increases the proportion of humus thus retaining the fertility of soil.

(iii) Hence, it is advisable to use organic manures, vermicompost & compost regularly.

(i) To obtain a higher agricultural yield, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, weedicides, etc. are used.

(ii) The excessive spraying of chemicals and use of chemical fertilizers leads to soil degradation.

Correct option is A) B Horizon

(i) Construction of continuous contour trenches (CCTs) at different heights checks the velocity of water running along the slopes.

(ii) This reduces soil erosion.

Correct option is B) A Horizon

Correct option is C) Sandy soil

Correct option is A) A-horizon

(i) A layer of soil gets removed due to wind or water which leads to soil erosion.

(ii) Planting trees controls the velocity of the wind, thus reducing the erosion of soil by wind.

(iii) The roots of the plants hold the soil which also prevents soil erosion.

The correct answer is Soil.

(i) Leaching is a process is which the salts & other soluble material are washed out of the rock through percolation of water.

(ii) This process is dominant in the areas of high rainfall & humid climate.

Correct option is A) sandy soil

Soil is formed by:

• Weathering of the parent rock material.
• Climatic conditions of the region.
• The decomposition of plant remains.
• Animal manures and dead animals.
• Very long period of time.

Correct option is D) all of these

• Laterite soils are formed in regions of heavy rainfall.
• The climate of western Sahyadris is hot & humid.
• This leads to leaching of basalt rocks due to which there is formation of laterite soils.

i. Soil

ii. regur

iii. staple

iv. coarse

v. velocity

vi. red

vii. lateritic

viii. soil degradation

Answer is: Humus

iii. minerals, organic matter, air and water

Answer is: Black soil

Answer is: Lateritic soil

i. Parent

ii. climate

iii. basalt

iv. Fertile

v. biotic1

(ii) clayey soil.

(iii) minerals, organic matter, air and water.

The soil surface has loose top soil which is easier to dig. At deeper layers, partially weathered rocks or bedrocks are present, which are hard making digging difficult.

(a) For enabling easy root growth;
(b) For easier percolation of water;
(c) For aerating the soil/enabling air to get into deeper layers of soil;
(d) For removing the weeds

Prevention of soil Pollution 

1. Use manures instead of chemical fertilizers. 

2. Industrial Waste should be treated before release. 

3. Avoid use of polythene and plastic or they should not get mixed in soil. 

Prevention of soil erosion 

1. Afforestation large scale planting in place of cut down forests. 

2. Avoiding over – grazing of grass lands. 

3. Use of step – farming in hill regions.

Prevention of Soil Pollution:
1. Use manures instead of chemical fertilizers.
2. Industrial waste should be treated before release.
3. Avoid use of polythene and plastic or they should not get mixed in soil.
Prevention of Soil Erosion:
1. Afforestation: large scale planting in place of cut down forests.
2. Avoiding over-grazing of grass lands.
3. Use of step-farming in hill regions.

makes the soil saline and then unproductive

Prevention of soil pollution:

• There should be a ban on polythene bags and plastics.
• Waste products and chemicals should be treated before they are released into the soil.
• The use of pesticides should be minimised.

Prevention of soil erosion:

• By growing trees.
• By avoiding deforestation.
• By maintaining porous structure of soil.
• Control and reclamation of ravines and shifting of cultivation.

he started using soil as a resource

a)

1. This soil is found to contain minerals like salts of sodium, calcium and magnesium. 

2. Traces of potassium chlorides, sulphates and carbonates are also observed.

b) I found moisture in the soil.

c)

1. As the boiling tube is covered, on the bottom of the cover, water drops condensed are found. 

2. Due, to heat the moisture in the soil got evaporated and the vapours were condensed on the bottom of the cover.

Seeds germinated and we could see some small twigs branching out.

Seeds in the empty pot and the pot filled with water did not germinate and did not show any sign of growth.

Answer is (b) Forest

I would suggest that they should check whether organic manures, are used evenly on all the parts of the field. Also, they should check whether that part of the field is getting adequate supply of water or not.