Q.Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions that follow : Land Degradation The pressure on agricultural land increases not only due to the limited availability but also by deterioration of quality of agricultural land. Soil erosion, waterlogging, salinisation and alkalinisation of land lead to land degradation. What happens if land is consistently used without managing its fertility ? Land is degraded and productivity declines. Land degradation is generally understood either as a temporary or a permanent decline in productive capacity of the land. Though all degraded land may not be wasteland, but unchecked process of degradation may lead to the conversion to wasteland. There are two processes that induce land degradation. These are natural and created by human beings. National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has classified wastelands by using remote sensing techniques and it is possible to categorise these wastelands according to the processes that have created them. There are a few types of wastelands such as gullied/ravinous land, desertic or coastal sands, barren rocky areas, steep sloping land, and glacial areas, which are primarily caused by natural agents. There are other types of degraded lands such as waterlogged and marshy areas, land affected by salinity and alkalinity and land with or without scrub, which have largely been caused by natural as well as human factors. There are some other types of wastelands such as degraded shifting cultivation area, degraded land under plantation crops, degraded forests, degraded pastures, and mining and industrial wastelands, that are caused by human action. (18.1) Explain the meaning of 'land degradation'. (18.2) Explain any one man-made process which is responsible for 'land degradation'. (18.3) Suggest any two measures to solve the problem of 'land degradation'.

Land Degradation Control

(18.1) Meaning of Land Degradation

Land degradation refers to either a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of land. It occurs when agricultural land is consistently used without managing its fertility, leading to reduced productivity. While all degraded land does not automatically become wasteland, unchecked degradation can eventually convert productive land into wasteland. The process is driven by factors such as soil erosion, waterlogging, salinisation, and alkalinisation, which deteriorate the quality of agricultural land.

(18.2) Man-made Process Responsible for Land Degradation

Degraded shifting cultivation is a significant human-induced process causing land degradation. When shifting cultivation is practiced without adequate fallow periods or proper management, the soil loses its fertility and structure. Repeated clearing and burning of vegetation, followed by cultivation on the same plots without allowing sufficient regeneration time, exhausts soil nutrients and destroys the natural ecosystem. This ultimately renders the land unproductive and degraded.

(18.3) Measures to Solve Land Degradation

Two effective measures to address land degradation are: …

Understanding Land Degradation

Land degradation strikes at the heart of agricultural sustainability. When we speak of degradation, we mean a fall in the land's ability to produce — whether crops, pasture, or forest cover. This decline can be short-lived or irreversible, depending on the severity and the response. The passage draws a useful distinction: not all degraded land is wasteland yet, but neglect accelerates the slide toward complete unproductivity.

The root cause is straightforward. Agricultural land faces mounting pressure from two directions: shrinking availability and falling quality. Soil erosion strips away the fertile topsoil. Waterlogging drowns root systems and leaches nutrients. Salinisation and alkalinisation poison the soil chemistry, leaving behind crusts of salt or alkali that few plants can tolerate. Each of these processes chips away at the land's fertility, and if the land is farmed year after year without replenishing what is taken out — without managing its fertility — the inevitable result is degradation and declining yields.

A Human-Made Path to Degradation: Shifting Cultivation

One clear example of human-induced land degradation is the practice of shifting cultivation in its degraded form. Traditionally, shifting cultivation involved clearing a patch of forest, cultivating it for a few seasons, then allowing it to lie fallow for many years so the forest could regenerate and the soil recover. The cycle was sustainable when population densities were low and fallow periods long.

But as population pressure mounted, the fallow periods shortened. Farmers returned to the same plots before the soil had time to rebuild its organic matter and nutrient reserves. The forest cover thinned, erosion set in, and the land's productive capacity fell with each cycle. What was once a balanced system became a driver of degradation, leaving behind patches of exhausted, scrub-covered land that could no longer support either crops or healthy forest.

Measures to Control Land Degradation

Reversing or halting land degradation requires intervention on multiple fronts. Two practical measures stand out: …