Question

In hilly areas, erosion is minimized by
A. Terracing
B. Manuring
C. Ploughing
D. Mixed cropping

Answer 1

Hint: The soil erosion in hilly areas is mainly caused by heavy rainfalls. To prevent this slopes are divided into many parts or shorter levels. It allows heavy rains to soak into the soil rather than run off and cause erosion. It can be mainly observed in hilly areas.

Complete answer:
-In hilly areas, plants are grown on the hills or mountains in order to prevent soil erosion. It can be done in many ways. The top soil can be removed by the heavy flow of water (water erosion) or fast wind (wind erosion). It is called soil erosion. The roots of the plants or trees hold the soil and prevent soil erosion.
-The conservation of soil against soil erosion can be done by the method of terracing. In this method, the slope is divided into a number of flat fields. It prevents the rainfall on sloping land from accumulating and causing serious erosion. It slows down the water flow and prevents water erosion. It is effective in hilly areas to prevent soil erosion.
-Manuring is the method by which fertilizers are added into the soil to make it more fertile. The fertile soil is good to grow plants. Ploughing is the method by which soil is prepared for sowing seeds in the soil. It can be done by using advanced machines. Mixed cropping is the process of growing several types of crops in the same field. They do not prevent soil erosion in hilly areas.
-From the above information we have found that terracing is used to minimize the soil erosion in hilly areas.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: The swales are constructed at the regular intervals in the method of terracing. It captures surface runoff and directs it to an adequate, stable outlet. It also prevents washing away of important nutrients of the soil and allows people to engage in cultivation of water- intensive crops such as rice. It made the farming possible in mountainous parts of the world possible.