Land

The land is among the most important natural resources. The land covers about 30% of the total area of the earth’s surface. Ninety percent of the world population occupies only 30% of the land area. The remaining 70% of the land is either sparsely populated or uninhabited. The land is unevenly inhabited due to various factors of land and climate, water fertility of the soil, etc. Normally the sparsely populated or uninhabited areas are because of rugged topography, steep slopes of the mountains, low -lying areas susceptible to waterlogging, deserted areas and thickly forested areas. The densely populated areas of the world have plains, river valleys that have suitable land for agriculture. The availability of rich and fertile land makes it suitable for living and a huge population resides on it. Mineral richness, water resources, the fertility of the soil and good topographical conditions are important.

Land use:

1. Land use refers to the use of land for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries.

2. Factors affecting land use are of two kinds- Physical factors and Human factors. Physical factors include topography, soil, climate, and availability of water. Human factors include population and technology.

3. On the basis of ownership, land can be classified as private and community land.

4. Private land is owned by an individual or family member and is used for personal purposes like a house are private land.

5. Community land is owned by the community for common uses and can be used by anyone in the society like a collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medicinal herbs.

6. These community lands are also called common property resources.

7. The demand for land by the people is growing but the availability of land is limited. The vast changes in the land use pattern show the cultural changes in our society.

8. Land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, desertification are the major threats to the environment because of the expansion of agriculture and construction activities.

9. Fertile land is exploited more and leads to the barrenness if not utilized judicially.

10. The overexploitation of mineral resources also makes the soil vulnerable to be degraded.

Conservation of Land Resources:

Growing population and their ever-growing demand has led to large scale destruction of forest cover and arable land and has created a fear of losing these natural resources. The present rate of degradation of land must be checked. The common methods used to conserve land resources are afforestation, land reclamation, regulated use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and checks on overgrazing. By making rules related to soil and land conservation and by making the farmers educated regarding the negative aspects of overgrazing and overutilization of fertilizers, the government can play an active role to preserve the soil and land.