Biotic Resources: The resources which are obtained from the biosphere and have life are called Biotic Resources. For example, animals and plants including human beings.
Abiotic Resources: The resources which are composed of non-living things are called Abiotic Resources. For example, water, minerals, metals, wind, solar energy etc.

Land resources in India are primarily divided into agricultural land, forest land, land meant for pasture and grazing, and waste land. Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas, and land used for other non-agricultural purposes such as housing, roads and industry. According to the recent data, about 54% of the total land area is cultivable or fallow, 22.5% is covered by forests, and 3.45% is used for grazing. The rest is waste land, with traces of miscellaneous cultivation.
The land under forest has not increased since 1960–61 because in the post-independence era demand for more land to expand agriculture, mainly after Green Revolution, developmental works and infrastructural facilities, led to clearance of forests areas. Industrialisation and urbanisation also decreased the forest area. Thus, land under forest has increased by only about 4% since 1960-61.

Technical and economic development have led to more consumption of resources on account of various factors such as:
→ Technological development provides sophisticated equipments. As a result, production increases ultimately leading to consumption of more resources.
→ Technological development also leads to economic development. When the economic condition of a country rises, the needs of people also rise. It again results into more consumption of resources.
→ Economic development provides favourable environment for the development of latest technologies. It helps to make or convert various materials found around us into resources. Finally, it results into the consumption of new available resources too.

Solve the puzzle by following your search horizontally and vertically to find the hidden answers.

(i) Natural endowments in the form of land, water, vegetation and minerals.
(ii) A type of non-renewable resource.
(iii) Soil with high water retaining capacity.
(iv) Intensively leached soils of the monsoon climate.
(v) Plantation of trees on a large scale to check soil erosion.
(vi) The Great Plains of India are made up of these soils.

Answer

(i) Resources
(ii) Minerals
(iii) Black
(iv) Laterite
(v) Afforestation
(vi) Alluvial

Coal, iron ore, petroleum, diesel etc. are the examples of
a) Biotic resources    
b) Abiotic resources
c) Renewable resources
d) Non Renewable resources

ANS (1) d

Which one of the following term is used to identify the old and new alluvial respectively ?
a) Khadar & Tarai
b) Tarai & Bangar
c) Bangar & Khadar
d) Tarai & Dvars

ANS C

Which one of the following soil is the best for cotton cultivation ?
a) Red soil
b) Black soil
c) Laterite soil
d) Alluvial soil

ANS B

How much percentage of forest area should be in the country according to the National Forest Policy.
a) 33% b) 37%
c) 27% d) 31%

ANS A