UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 82 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Soil Erosion Causes
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicAgriculture Geography
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeStatement
In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following?
1. Terrace cultivation
2. Deforestation
3. Tropical climate
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Show answer
Answer: B. 2 only
Verdict
The answer is 2 only. Deforestation causes soil erosion, but terrace cultivation prevents it and tropical climate by itself is not a cause.
Analysis
Statement 2 is CORRECT. Removing vegetation exposes topsoil to raindrop impact, runoff and wind, and removes the root network that binds the soil. Statement 1 is INCORRECT and inverted. Terracing is a soil conservation practice that breaks a long slope into short level steps, cutting runoff velocity. Statement 3 is INCORRECT. A tropical climate is a background condition, not a cause; heavy rain intensifies erosion only where land use has already exposed the soil.
Source
NCERT Class XI Geography, fundamentals of physical geography.
How to crack it
Watch for a conservation measure planted in a list of causes, since that inversion is the commonest construction in soil and water questions. Terracing, contour bunding, strip cropping, shelter belts and check dams are all remedies and should be rejected on sight if a question asks for causes. Then separate cause from condition: a climate zone is where erosion may occur, while deforestation, overgrazing and shifting cultivation are why it occurs.