Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Soil type — Laterite Soil:
Laterite soil is naturally prone to erosion and degradation. Human activities like deforestation (cutting trees for farming or timber) remove the protective vegetation cover, causing intense leaching by heavy rain. This strips the soil of humus and plant nutrients, making it infertile and unfit for cultivation.

Soil conservation method — Contour Ploughing:
When humans plough along the contour lines instead of up and down the slope, it decelerates the flow of water down the slope, reducing erosion. This restores the utility of laterite soil — as seen in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where such conservation has made it suitable for growing tea and coffee.

Source: Resources and Development, Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation / Classification of Soils

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• The question has two linked parts: degradation AND restoration — address both explicitly.
• Examiners expect: (1) named soil type with how humans degrade it, (2) named conservation method with how it restores utility. Each part carries ~1 mark; the link to the chapter argument carries ~1 mark.
• Laterite + contour ploughing is the clearest example from the textbook. You could also use alluvial soil + terrace farming, but laterite is more direct as the text explicitly mentions both its degradation by deforestation and its restoration by conservation techniques.
• Avoid vague answers — always name the specific soil and method.