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Our subject experts have prepared concise notes of NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources. It is always good to have well-prepared notes with you so that it becomes easier to memorise the chapter. These notes have been prepared in a points-wise manner to facilitate quick revision the night before the exam. A PDF of the notes is also available for you to download and keep for future reference. Now, let’s explore them!!
Download the NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Notes PDF Here!
Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction to NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources Notes
- 2 What is Land?
- 3 Soil
- 4 Water
- 5 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
- 6 Wildlife
- 7 Distribution of Natural Vegetation
- 8 How can we Conserve Natural Vegetation and Wildlife?
- 9 Important Definitions in NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2: Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources
- 10 FAQs
Explore Notes of all the Chapters of Class 8 Geography:
Introduction to NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources Notes
In NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2, we will learn about various resources such as land, water, and soil along with their conservation. Then, we will study natural vegetation and wildlife resources and their conservation as well. Let us begin.
What is Land?
Let us now understand what land is as a resource.
Land is one of the most important natural resources and covers almost 30% area of the total Earth’s surface. Due to different climates and other characteristics, the land has different topographies such as:
- The rugged topography, steep slopes of the mountains, and low-lying areas are susceptible to water logging.
- Desert areas and densely forested areas are normally sparsely populated or uninhabited.
- Plains and river valleys offer suitable land for agriculture.
What are the Uses of Land?
The various uses of land are:
- Agriculture
- Forestry
- Mining
- Building houses
- Building Roads
- Setting up industries
Many physical factors determine the use of land. Some of those factors are:
- Topography
- Soil
- Climate
- Minerals
- Availability of Water
Human factors such as population and technology are also important determinants of land use patterns.
Based on ownership, land can also be classified as:
- Private Land: It is owned by individuals.
- Community Land: It is 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.
Note: The quality of land differs from place to place.
Common land is used for building commercial areas, and houses and for expanding agriculture. However, due to these, land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, and desertification have become major threats to the environment because of the expansion of agriculture and construction activities.
How can we Conserve Land Resources?
The present rate of degradation of land is concerning, hence, the use of land must be checked.
We can conserve the land by doing the following things:
- Afforestation
- Land reclamation
- Regulated use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers and
- Checks on overgrazing
Also Read:
| Major Landforms of the Earth |
| Types of Waste Management Disposal Methods in India |
| Speech on Pollution |
| Branches of Geology: Definition & Examples |
Soil
The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is called soil. Landforms determine the type of soil.
What is the composition of soil?
Soil is made up of:
- Organic matter
- Minerals
- Weathered Rocks
This happens through the process of weathering.
The right mix of minerals and organic matter makes the soil fertile.
What are the Factors of Soil Formation?
The major factors of soil formation are:
- The nature of the parent rock
- Climatic factors
- Topography
- Role of organic material
- Time taken for the composition of soil formation
What causes Soil Degradation?
Soil erosion and depletion are the major threats to soil as a resource. Both human and natural factors can lead to degradation of soils.
Factors that lead to soil degradation are:
- Deforestation
- Overgrazing
- Overuse of chemical fertilizers or pesticides
- Rain wash
- Landslides
- Floods
How can we Conserve Soil?
Some methods of soil conservation are listed below:
- 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 runoff 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.
Also Read:
| Branches of Soil Science: Definition & Examples |
| Soil Pollution: Meaning, Types, Effects, Causes & More |
| Know all about the Father of Soil Science |
| Pedology: Courses, Skills, & Career Prospects |
Water
Some of the facts about water are mentioned below:
- Water is a vital renewable natural resource.
- Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water. It is therefore appropriately called the ‘water planet’.
- The oceans cover two-thirds of the earth’s surface and support a rich variety of plant and animal life.
- Fresh water accounts for only about 2.7 per cent of the total water.
- 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 and is found as groundwater, as surface water in rivers and lakes and as water vapour in the atmosphere.
- Fresh water is the most precious substance on earth.
- 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, 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’.
What are the uses of Water?
Some of the uses of water are mentioned below:
- Humans use huge amounts of water for drinking and washing
- Water is used for agriculture
- Water is used in industries
- It is used for generating electricity through reservoirs of dams
What are the problems of Water Availability?
Water is scarce in many regions of the world.
Some of the regions facing scarcity of fresh water are mentioned below:
- Africa
- West Asia
- South Asia
- Parts of Western USA
- North-West Mexico
- Parts of South America
- Entire Australia
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.
How can we Conserve 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.
Some of the ways of water conservation are mentioned below:
- Water pollution can be controlled by treating these effluents suitably before releasing them into water bodies.
- Forest and other vegetation cover slow the surface runoff and replenish underground water.
- Water harvesting is another method 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.
- In dry regions with high rates of evaporation, drip or trickle irrigation is very useful.
Also Read:
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
Let us now learn about the natural vegetation and wildlife.
Natural vegetation and wildlife exist only in the narrow zone of contact between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere that we call biosphere.
The life-supporting system in the biosphere where living beings are interlinked and interdependent for survival is called an ecosystem.
What are the uses of Plants?
There are many uses of plants. Some of them are mentioned below:
- They provide us with timber
- They give shelter to animals
- They produce the oxygen we breathe
- Plants protect soils which is essential for growing crops
- Plants act as shelter belts
- They help in the storage of underground water
- They give us fruits, nuts, latex, turpentine oil, gum, medicinal plants
- The paper that is so essential for studies is also derived from plants
Also Read:
| Largest Forests in the World |
| Essay on Biodiversity in 500 Words for Students |
| Biodiversity Definition, Types, Importance |
| Essay on Save Environment |
Wildlife
Wildlife includes animals, birds, insects as well as aquatic life forms. Animals big or small, are integral to maintaining balance in the ecosystem.
What are the uses of Wildlife?
There are many uses of wildlife. Some of the uses of wildlife are mentioned below:
- 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 role to play 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 vital cleanser of the environment
Also Read: Preservation of Wildlife Speech
Distribution of Natural Vegetation
The major vegetation types of the world are grouped as:
- Forests
- Grasslands
- Scrubs
- Tundra
The growth of vegetation depends primarily on temperature and moisture.
In areas of heavy rainfall, huge trees may thrive. The forests are thus associated with areas having abundant water supply. As the amount of moisture decreases the size of trees and their density reduces. Short stunted trees and grasses grow in regions of moderate rainfall forming the grasslands of the world.
In dry areas of low rainfall, thorny shrubs and scrubs grow. In such areas, plants have deep roots and leaves with thorny and waxy surfaces that reduce loss of moisture through transpiration.
Tundra vegetation of cold Polar Regions comprises mosses and lichens.
How can we Conserve Natural Vegetation and Wildlife?
Forest cover all over the world is vanishing rapidly. There is an urgent need to conserve this valuable resource.
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.
Some of the factors that accelerate the process of extinction are mentioned below:
- Deforestation
- Soil erosion
- Constructional activities
- Forest fires
- Tsunami
- Landslides
One of the major concerns for wildlife is poaching which results in a sharp decline in the number of particular species. The animals are poached for collection and illegal trade of hides, skins, nails, teeth, horns as well as feathers. Some of these animals are tiger, lion, elephant, deer, black buck, crocodile, rhinoceros, snow leopard, ostrich and peacock. These can be conserved by increasing awareness.
National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves are made to protect our natural vegetation and wildlife. Conservation of creeks, lakes, and wetlands is necessary to save the precious resource from depletion.
Awareness programmes like social forestry and Vanamohatasava should be encouraged at the regional and community level.
School children should be encouraged to bird watch and visit nature camps so that they appreciate the habitat of varied species.
Many countries have passed laws against the trade as well as the killing of birds and animals. In India, killing lions, tigers, deer, great Indian bustards and peacocks is illegal.
An international convention CITES has been established that lists several species of animals and birds in which trade is prohibited. Conservation of plants and animals is an ethical duty of every citizen.
Download the NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Notes PDF Here!
Explore Notes of all the Chapters of Class 8 Geography:
Important Definitions in NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2: Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources
Some important definitions covered in the NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 notes are mentioned below:
- Weathering: The breaking up and decay of exposed rocks, by temperature changes, frost action, plants, animals and human activity.
- Landslides: Landslides are simply defined as the mass movement of rock, debris or earth down a slope.
- National Park: A natural area designated to protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for the present and future generations.
- Biosphere Reserves: A series of protected areas linked through a global network, intended to demonstrate the relationship between conservation and development.
Related Reads:
Explore Notes of All subjects of CBSE Class 8:
| CBSE Notes Class 8 English | CBSE Notes Class 8 History | CBSE Notes Class 8 Geography |
| CBSE Notes Class 8 Civics | CBSE Notes Class 8 Mathematics | CBSE Notes Class 8 Science |
FAQs
Ans: Land is one of the most important natural resources and covers almost 30% area of the total Earth’s surface.
Ans: Water is a vital renewable natural resource. Three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water. It is therefore appropriately called the ‘water planet’. The oceans cover two-thirds of the earth’s surface and support a rich variety of plant and animal life. Fresh water accounts for only about 2.7 per cent of the total water. 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 and is found as groundwater, as surface water in rivers and lakes and as water vapour in the atmosphere. Fresh water is the most precious substance on earth. 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, 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’.
Ans: Some of the uses of water are mentioned below:
(i) Humans use huge amounts of water for drinking and washing
(ii) Water is used for agriculture
(iii) Water is used in industries
(iv) It is used for generating electricity through reservoirs of dams
Ans: You can download Class 8 Geography chapters from the official website of NCERT.
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