Throughout human history, soil has been repeatedly ruined and destroyed. This is highly dangerous to a civilization, because soil is an essential resource that is useful in many ways. Some societies have even collapsed due to mistreatment of their soil resources, so modern people must be cautious to avoid a similar fate.
Soil is composed of both inorganic materials and living organisms. It provides the basis for life, giving nutrients to plants, which allow animal life to exist.
Several Types of Soil in the Western US
Several Types of Soil in the Western US. Photo Credit: ClickArt Image Pak.
Soil is also used extensively in human production. It contains natural fibers, and produces lumber and crops that people consume.
Crops are usually grown on mollisols, grassland soils. Soils found in other places, such as tropical rain forests, usually lack the nutrients necessary to support the growing of crops.
When bedrock breaks down, it is converted into soil. Some soil also comes from sediments that are left by the wind, a volcano, glaciers, or other sources.
Soil resources can be lost through erosion. Wind and rain can uplift soil that is made easy to transport by various human processes and take it somewhere else.
Soil conservation is being practiced in various forms in many places around the world. Conservation efforts aim to prevent erosion and maintain life-giving nutrients that are found in the soil. In the future, soil will have to be preserved if food is to be continued to be grown.
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water.
97% of water on the Earth is salt water, leaving only 3% as fresh water of which slightly over two thirds is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.[1] The remaining unfrozen freshwater is mainly found as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air.[2]
Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world's supply of clean, fresh water is steadily decreasing. Water demand already exceeds supply in many parts of the world and as the world population continues to rise, so too does the water demand. Awareness of the global importance of preserving water for ecosystem services has only recently emerged as, during the 20th century, more than half the world’s wetlands have been lost along with their valuable environmental services. Biodiversity-rich freshwater ecosystems are currently declining faster than marine or land ecosystems.[3] The framework for allocating water resources to water users (where such a framework exists) is known as water rights.
Amongst various mineral resources, the most important mineral resources in India are coal, manganese ore, ilmenite, monazite, mica, iron ore and salt. There are also others, which are not found in sufficient amount, like petroleum, chromite, gypsum, tin, mercury, copper, nickel, lead and zinc.
India is predominantly rich in iron resources. Iron, along with coal, forms the foundation of the machine age. According to an estimate, India possesses virtually world`s 1/4th of iron ore resources. Its capital is rich not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. A further important mineral required for ferrous industries is manganese, and India is pretty lucky even in this field. It is used to manufacture steel alloys. The country`s coal reserves are substantial. But regrettably the quality coal required for raising coke as an indispensable input in steel industry is somewhat insufficient. However, the proximity of coal and iron deposits has recompensed this shortcoming to some extent. Limestone, another input in steel industry, is also abundant and prevalent.
India is affluent in bauxite- the ore for aluminium, and mica- used for electrical industries. India, on the other hand, is poor in non-ferric minerals such as zinc, lead, copper and gold. It is also deficient in sulphur, which forms the foundation of modern chemical industry.
At one point of time, India was meagre in the production of mineral oil and natural gas. However, persistent efforts, supported by modern technology, have helped everybody to trace considerable reserves that may last for at least another thirty to forty years. The water power resources and atomic minerals, however, can be depended upon. Solar energy, bounteous in nature, conferred generously upon humankind, will be everybody`s eventual rescuer, when appropriate technology can be developed to harness the same. Iron, Manganese, Bauxite, Mica, Copper and Gold are some of the important mineral resources in India.
Mineral resources in India can be categorised into two groups, namely Metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals. Metallic mineral resources are those, which have the properties of lustre, hardness and heaviness. These metals can be melted, drawn into wires and rolled into sheets. Usually metals exist as compounds in chemical combination with other minerals. Only few of these minerals occur in a pure state. Gold, silver and copper are examples of such minerals. Metallic minerals are extracted from the earth in raw state, called as mineral ore. The major metallic minerals are iron, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver and gold. There are some minerals that do not have any metal in them and are used for the extraction of non-metals like sulphur, phosperous, carbonate and so on. Limestone, gypsum salts, antimony, mica are some important non metallic minerals found in the Indian subcontinent. Amongst various mineral resources, the most important mineral resources in India are coal, manganese ore, ilmenite, monazite, mica, iron ore and salt. There are also others, which are not found in sufficient amount, like petroleum, chromite, gypsum, tin, mercury, copper, nickel, lead and zinc.
India is predominantly rich in iron resources. Iron, along with coal, forms the foundation of the machine age. According to an estimate, India possesses virtually world`s 1/4th of iron ore resources. Its capital is rich not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. A further important mineral required for ferrous industries is manganese, and India is pretty lucky even in this field. It is used to manufacture steel alloys. The country`s coal reserves are substantial. But regrettably the quality coal required for raising coke as an indispensable input in steel industry is somewhat insufficient. However, the proximity of coal and iron deposits has recompensed this shortcoming to some extent. Limestone, another input in steel industry, is also abundant and prevalent.
India is affluent in bauxite- the ore for aluminium, and mica- used for electrical industries. India, on the other hand, is poor in non-ferric minerals such as zinc, lead, copper and gold. It is also deficient in sulphur, which forms the foundation of modern chemical industry.
At one point of time, India was meagre in the production of mineral oil and natural gas. However, persistent efforts, supported by modern technology, have helped everybody to trace considerable reserves that may last for at least another thirty to forty years. The water power resources and atomic minerals, however, can be depended upon. Solar energy, bounteous in nature, conferred generously upon humankind, will be everybody`s eventual rescuer, when appropriate technology can be developed to harness the same. Iron, Manganese, Bauxite, Mica, Copper and Gold are some of the important mineral resources in India.
Mineral resources in India can be categorised into two groups, namely Metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals. Metallic mineral resources are those, which have the properties of lustre, hardness and heaviness. These metals can be melted, drawn into wires and rolled into sheets. Usually metals exist as compounds in chemical combination with other minerals. Only few of these minerals occur in a pure state. Gold, silver and copper are examples of such minerals. Metallic minerals are extracted from the earth in raw state, called as mineral ore. The major metallic minerals are iron, copper, lead, zinc, tin, silver and gold. There are some minerals that do not have any metal in them and are used for the extraction of non-metals like sulphur, phosperous, carbonate and so on. Limestone, gypsum salts, antimony, mica are some important non metallic minerals found in the Indian subcontinent.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment