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Question
What are black soils? Describe their formation and characteristics.
Solution
Black soils are formed by volcanoes. These soils are also known as the ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black Cotton Soil’.
Features: The black soils are generally clayey, deep, and impermeable. They swell and become sticky when wet and shrink when dried. So, during the dry season, this soil develops wide cracks.
Thus, there occurs a kind of ‘self ploughing’. Because of this character of slow absorption and loss of moisture, the black soil retains the moisture for a very long time, which helps the crops, especially; the rain-fed ones, to sustain even during the dry season.
Chemical Composition: Chemically, the black soils are rich in lime, iron, magnesia, and alumina. They also contain potash. But they lack phosphorous, nitrogen, and organic matter. The colour of the soil ranges from deep black to grey.
Areas: Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which includes parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and some parts of Tamil Nadu. In the upper reaches of the Godavari and the Krishna, and the northwestern part of the Deccan Plateau, the black soil is very deep.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Match the items in Column I with those in Column II:
| Column I | Column II |
| A home for living organisms | Large particles |
| Upper layer of the soil | All kinds of soil |
| Sandy soil | Dark in colour |
| Middle layer of the soil | Small particles and packed tight |
| Clayey soil | Lesser amount of humus |
List the differences between clayey soil and sandy soil.
With reference to black soil answer the following:
Give one chemical property of this soil.
Give one geographical reason for each of the following:
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Mention two similarities between red soil and laterite soil.
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Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
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An important transported soil of India.
Mention the types of Soils found in India.
Or
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Or
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What is Black Soil?
What are the other names of Black Soil? Where are they found?
Where is Red Soil found?
Define ‘Leaching’? In which region South of the Tropic of Cancer, can one find Soil formed by ‘Leaching’?
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Alluvial soil and red soil.
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is sticky when wet and cracks when dry.
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Maharashtra -Types and Overall Distribution of Soil
Observe the map given above and answer the following questions:
- Which soil occupies most of the area in Maharashtra?
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- Which soil is found in parts of the Sahyadri ranges?
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Which of the following methods does not help in soil conservation?
Soil has particles of different sizes. Arrange the words given below in increasing order of their particle size.
Rock, Clay, Sand, Gravel, Silt
