Geography
Soils and Natural Vegetation
Soils and Natural Vegetation — Quick Revision
One-page CGPSC quick revision for Soils and Natural Vegetation: ICAR soil groups, erosion and conservation, forest types and ISFR 2023 figures in tables.
Soils, erosion and forests of India on one page, with the Chhattisgarh links. For explanations, go back to the chapter.
How to use this sheet
Scan it top to bottom in the week before Prelims. Bold entries are the facts examiners return to most often. Quote the report year with every ISFR or ISRO number.
Soil Types (ICAR, 1953: eight groups)
| Soil | Formation / where | Rich in | Poor in | Crops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alluvial | Rivers; northern plains, deltas; about 40% of India; khadar (new) and bangar (old, kankar) | Potash | Phosphorus | Rice, wheat, sugarcane, jute |
| Black (regur) | Deccan trap basalt; Maharashtra core; Kanhar in western Chhattisgarh | Lime, iron, magnesia, alumina, potash | N, P, organic matter | Cotton, soybean, gram |
| Red and yellow | Crystalline rocks, low–moderate rain; Odisha, Chhattisgarh (most extensive), Jharkhand, TN | Iron (red); hydrated iron (yellow) | N, P, humus | Rice, millets, pulses (with fertiliser) |
| Laterite | Heavy rain + heat; leaching of lime and silica; Latin later = brick | Iron oxide, potash | Organic matter, N, P, calcium | Cashew, tea, coffee, rubber |
| Arid | Western Rajasthan; kankar layer blocks infiltration | Salts; phosphate normal | Humus, nitrogen | Bajra; wheat with canal water |
| Saline / alkaline | Reh, kallar, thur, usar; Gujarat, deltas, over-irrigated Punjab–Haryana | Sodium, potassium, magnesium salts | N, calcium | Reclaim with gypsum |
| Peaty / organic | Wet, humid areas; Bihar, coastal WB, Odisha, Kerala | Organic matter | — | Rice, jute when drained |
| Forest / mountain | Hill slopes; acidic in snowy heights | Humus (lower valleys) | — | Tea, coffee, spices |
Chhattisgarh Soils
| Local name | USDA order | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Bhata (भाटा) | Entisols | Upland, gravelly, laterite-like; least fertile |
| Matasi (मटासी) | Inceptisols | Yellow sandy loam |
| Dorsa (डोरसा) | Alfisols | Clay loam, intermediate |
| Kanhar (कन्हार) | Vertisols | Dark, clayey, moisture-retentive; most fertile; rabi on residual moisture |
Erosion and Conservation
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Water erosion sequence | Splash → sheet (least visible) → rill → gully → ravine (Chambal) |
| Chos | Seasonal torrents in the Shiwalik foothills of Punjab |
| Wind erosion | Arid west (Rajasthan); remedy shelter belts, dune stabilisation |
| Land degradation 2018–19 | 97.85 Mha, about 29.7% of India (ISRO SAC Atlas, June 2021); water erosion the largest process |
| Desertification | 83.69 Mha (2018–19), drylands only |
| Remedies | Contour ploughing and bunding, terracing, strip cropping, mulching, check dams, afforestation, watershed management |
| Problem soils | Gypsum (alkaline) · lime (acidic) · drainage (saline, waterlogged) |
| Soil Health Card | 19 Feb 2015, Suratgarh (Rajasthan); 12 parameters; under RKVY since 2022–23 |
| UNCCD | 1994; India hosted COP14 (Sept 2019); restore 26 Mha by 2030 |
| Institutes | NBSS&LUP Nagpur · IISS Bhopal · IISWC Dehradun · CAZRI Jodhpur · CSSRI Karnal |
| Days | World Soil Day 5 Dec · Desertification and Drought Day 17 June · International Year of Soils 2015 |
Forest Types
| Type | Rainfall / zone | Where | Trees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen | Above about 200 cm | Western Ghats (west slopes), NE, A&N | Ebony, mahogany, rosewood; white cedar, hollock |
| Tropical moist deciduous | 100–200 cm | Himalayan foothills, NE, eastern Ghats slopes, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh | Sal, teak, mahua, kusum |
| Tropical dry deciduous | 70–100 cm | Peninsular plateau, UP–Bihar plains; largest group by area | Teak, tendu, palas, khair |
| Tropical thorn | Below about 50 cm | Rajasthan, Gujarat, SW Punjab, Haryana | Babool, khejri, ber |
| Montane | Altitude | Himalaya: oak/chestnut → pine, deodar, fir → alpine; shola in the Nilgiris | Deodar, chir pine, birch, juniper |
| Littoral and swamp | Tidal | Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika, Mahanadi–Godavari–Krishna deltas | Sundari; stilt roots, pneumatophores |
Champion and Seth (1968): 16 type groups, about 200 types.
ISFR 2023 (released 21 Dec 2024; 18th edition)
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Forest cover | 7,15,343 sq km, 21.76% |
| Tree cover | 3.41% |
| Forest + tree cover | 25.17% (24.62% in 2021) |
| Top by forest area | MP > Arunachal > Chhattisgarh |
| Top by forest + tree cover | MP > Arunachal > Maharashtra |
| Highest % | Lakshadweep 91.33% > Mizoram 85.34% > A&N 81.62% |
| Mangroves | 4,991.68 sq km, 0.15%; West Bengal largest |
| Chhattisgarh | 55,811.75 sq km (about 41.3%); +684 sq km forest + tree cover: highest in India |
| Canopy classes | VDF ≥ 70% · MDF 40–70% · OF 10–40% · scrub below 10% (not forest) |
| Policy goal | 33% (National Forest Policy 1988); two-thirds in hills |
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Khadar (new alluvium) | vs | Bangar (old alluvium, kankar) |
| Gypsum: alkaline soil | vs | Lime: acidic soil |
| Sheet erosion: invisible | vs | Gully / ravine: visible |
| Forest cover (satellite, canopy above 10%) | vs | Recorded forest area (legal) |
| Moist deciduous 100–200 cm | vs | Dry deciduous 70–100 cm |
| Most extensive soil of India: alluvial | vs | Most extensive soil of Chhattisgarh: red-yellow |
| Kanhar: clayey, fertile | vs | Matasi: sandy loam |
| CAZRI Jodhpur (arid) | vs | CSSRI Karnal (salinity) |
Favourite MCQ trap
“Chhattisgarh recorded the largest increase in forest cover in ISFR 2023.” Not quite. It recorded the largest increase in forest and tree cover (684 sq km). Its forest cover alone rose by only 94.75 sq km. By forest cover area it ranks 3rd, after Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Second favourite trap
“Black soil is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus.” Wrong. It is rich in lime, iron, magnesia and alumina, and poor in nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter.
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