Presentation On_

Soil of South AsiaSubmitted To_ Submitted By_Shahana Akter Presentation Group ‘06’Course Teacher of “Geography of South Asia” ID_ B-110602041, ’42, ’43, ’44, ‘47Dept. of Geography and Environment Dept. of Geography and Environment Jagannath University, Dhaka. Jagannath University, Dhaka.

What is Soil? Soil is the product of weathering of rocks. It is the thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the Earth’s rocky

surface. Alternatively, it is the natural medium for growth of land plants, the accumulation of

unconsolidated ROCKS AND MINERALS fragments and organic matter formed in place at the earth's surface; capable of supporting life.

Major Soil Components.. Soils have four major components:

1. Mineral matter, 2. Organic matter

3. Air and 4. Water

Mineral matter contains three fractions, sand, silt and clay.

Organic matter contains appreciable quantities of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur.

Air and Water occupy the pore spaces in soils.

Major Soil Types of South Asia… The processes of soil formation is continuous and very complicated and it has

been continuous since the earth was been made in this universe. Where soil formation process include_ Additions, Losses, Transformations, Translocations.

Broadly speaking, four main types of soils are found in South Asia.

1. Deeply Colored soils and mountain soils

2. Yellow and Red soils.

3. Brown soils

4. Desert soils

1. Deeply Coloured soils and mountain soils The highest peaks and slanting steep slope of the northern mountain ranges of South Asia

forms 15% of the total area and are covered with these deeply coloured soils and mountain soils.

The deep colour of the soil is due to the lack of organic matter and the presence of salts. It is also quite porous and has little lime stone in it. The layers of this soil are quite thin

on the slopes of the mountain and are found in areas where rains are frequent. Mountains soils are mostly found in the Himalayan regions, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal

Pradesh and Kashmir and also in the Peninsula, Eastern Ghats and the summits of Sahyadris.

From the agricultural point of view, this soil is quite useful though the thinness of this layer make it less fertile.

Deeply Coloured soils and mountain soils

2. Yellow and Red soils. The oxides of iron give these soils the characteristics yellow or red colour,

but they lack others salts, while clay is found in excess. These soils are usually found in valleys, plains and the depression of

plateaus. Such soils also found all over peninsular India and Eastern mountain ranges.

These soil has a mixture of sand, clay and lime stone. During cultivation in this soil, a deficiency of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and

potassium is found which could be overcome by the use of different fertilizers.

Yellow and Red soils

3. Brown Soils These soils are usually mixed up with sand, stones and clay and are

found in sedimentary rocks at very high altitude. These are have hot and humid climates and are covered with

deciduous forests. Though quite gravelly, these soils are fertile and have a brown

colour.

Brown Soils

4. Desert soils In all coastal areas, different areas of the plateaus and the river valleys of South

Asian region, where there is a deficiency of rain, evaporation is great due to high temperature, they are all covered by the desert soils.

Desert soils are mixture of clay, loess and some salts and usually quite porous. All the banks of the rivers whether in mountainous areas of the plains, are

covered by these soils. Though these soils are not always very fertile but these desert soils area can be taken under cultivation with the help of irrigation water.

There are some places on the coast (such Rann of Kutch) which could not be brought under cultivation because of excessive amount of salts in the soil ( desert soil).

Desert soil

Four Major soil regions of South Asia

Soil Types of Bangladesh… The major part of Bangladesh is on the DELTA formed by the three major

rivers BRAHMAPUTRA, GANGES and MEGHNA. The system drains a basin of some 1.76 million sq km and carry not only

snowmelt water from the HIMALAYAS but also RUNOFF WATER from some of the highest RAINFALL areas of the world. 

These huge sediments are the major sources of formation of 80% SOILS of the country. The remaining 20% of soils have been formed in Tertiary and Quaternary sediments of hills (12%) and in uplifted PLEISTOCENE TERRACE (8%).

Floodplain: Active floodplains occupy land within and adjacent to the main rivers where shifting channels deposit and erode new sediments during the annual FLOODS. Pleistocene Terrace: Unlike other floodplain terraces, the MADHUPUR CLAY was uplifted and formed a terrace above SEA LEVEL probably before the Late Pleistocene.Hill Soil : forming processes are active on the hills for a significant period. Due to erosion on steep slopes of high hills, the weathered material on the hills is constantly removed and thus keeps the soils young on the high hills.

SOIL OF PAKISTAN North Eastern Mountain Soil: Dark yellowish, fertile,

natural grass and forests, chitral, sawat, gilgit.

North western Mountain Soil: Dry, less rain, red in color, not fertile, iron lime silica are found.

Upper Indus Plain Soil: Dry soil aslo called padocals, CaCO3 found, fertile, came from mountains by water, eg. Soil of Punjab.

Thar Soil: Brownish color, sand is found, lime, iron, potassium, phosphate is found, lake of water spoils it.

Lower Indus Soil: Favourable for rice, cotton, suger, cane and wheat, eg. Soil of Sindh

Baluchistan Platue Soil: also called loesses soil as it comes from south west platue by wind, fertile of water is provided.

Soil of IndiaAlluvial soil: Mostly available soil in India (about 43%) which covers an area of 143 sq.km, highly fertile, Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputhra plain, Narmada-Tapi plain etc are examples, Light Grey to Ash Grey in colour.

Red soil [18.5%]: Seen mainly in low rainfall area. porous, friable structure, absence of lime, kankar (impure calcium carbonate). Wheat, cotton, pulses, tobacco, oilseeds, potato etc are cultivated.

Black / regur soil [15%]: Regur means cotton – best soil for cotton cultivation. Most of the Deccan is occupied by Black soil. Mature soil. High water retaining capacity.

Laterite soil: Become so soft when wet and so hard when dried. Found in the areas of high temperature and high rainfall. Rice, Ragi, Sugarcane and Cashew nuts are cultivated mainly.

Desert / arid soil: Deposited mainly by wind activities. High salt content.

Peaty / marshy soil: Areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity. Growth of vegetation is very less.

Forest soil: Regions of high rainfall. Humus content is less and thus the soil is acidic.

Mountain soil: In the mountain regions of the country. Immature soil with low humus and acidic.

References Abbasi, Bushra Afzal, 1991: Geography of South Asia, Sang-Meel Publication, Lahore. http://www.slideshare.net/biotechvictor1950/global-contamination-of-soil http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Soil https://www2.indstate.edu/graduate/Jay_Gatrell/docs/world_region/sasia.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asia http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/cropexplorer/imageview.aspx?

regionid=sasia&startdate=10%2F1%2F2012&enddate=4%2F30%2F2013&season=2012+Rabi+Crop+(Oct+-+Apr)&ftypeid=35&fattributeid=1&stypeid=35&sattributeid=7

http://www.clearias.com/soils-of-india-classification-characteristics/ http://www.slideshare.net/SardarDawoodFaheemAbbasi/geography-of-pakistan-

47577668