Tag: study of rocks and soil formation

Desert soils range from red to brown in color. They are generally saline in nature. Desert soils lack humus due to lack of vegetation in desert areas. Humus is a dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.  If there will be a lack of vegetation, then no humus will form in desert soils.

There are multiple reasons behind Rajasthan receiving scanty rainfall. Firstly the Arabian Sea Branch of South West Monsoon that causes rains in Western and South-Western India runs parallel to the Aravalli range and thus hardly causes any rainfall as the winds do not get interrupted.

Rajsthan Canal Project is also known as Indira Gandhi Canal Project. It was renamed Indira Gandhi Canal on November 2, 1984 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It starts from Harike Barraj at Sultanpur, a few Kilometers below the coinfluence of river Satluj and Beas in Punjab state. It is the longest man made canal of not only India but also Asia. It cover three Indian states : Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

To check the expansion of Thar desert Afforestation methods is expected to yield the best results. It reduces the pollution level. It minimizes the effect of drought and Global Warming. It helps the factories to have a proper use of plant items without leaving a bad effect in the society and environment. It minimizes the effect of soil erosion.

B. Camels

The Raika are a subgroup of the Rebari, the largest pastoral group of Western India that is concentrated in Rajasthan and Gujarat and estimated to number about 500,000-800,000 people .  The Raika consist of two groups that do not intermarry, the Maru and Godwar Raika. The Maru Raika are most densely distributed around Jodhpur and in Pali district of Rajasthan, whereas the Godwar Raika can be found in southern Pali district and in Sirohi district. According to their myth of origin, the first Raika was specifically created by Lord Shiva (an Indian God) to take care of the one-humped camel.

Although Raika identity remains closely associated with the camel, they have diversified into sheep, goat, cattle, and even buffalo keeping. This caste provides an important service to farmers and rural poor by providing drought animals (camels and bullocks), as well as cows with good milk yields. As large-scale producers of sheep, many of which are exported to the Middle East, they also generate substantial amounts of foreign currency for India.

B. Lack of vegetation

The main cause of soil erosion is the removal of vegetation. Vegetation removal takes place due to removal of forest covers and exposes the topsoil to water and wind. Unscientific farming has also led to barren lands.

The crystalline granites produce laterite type of soils in moist parts. Laterite is a rock type soil rich in iron and aluminium, and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. 

The largest area in Rajasthan is occupied by desert soil, which covers the area west of the Aravallis up to the Pakistan border. The entire area is ill watered and unproductive and characterized with sand dunes, hillocks and rock outcrops. The soils contain about 90 to 95 per cent sand and about 5 to 7 per cent clay. Among the given options both the statements are true which says that the percentage of calcium carbonate is high and has very low organic content.