Question

The soil found in the Arid Zone is known as ___________.
A. Desert Soil
B. Laterite Soil
C. Black Soil
D. Alluvial Soil

Answer 1

Hint: The soil is mostly sandy in nature and is very much prevalent in the areas getting very low rainfall. The soil has low nutrient content, vegetation is not possible in this type of soil.

Complete answer: Option A: Desert is found in the places where there is very little rainfall. The soil has very little concentration of organic matter and nutrients, thus hampering vegetative growth. Another factor of the soil is as it is very sandy in nature, moisture retaining capacity is very low, it neither can sustain rainwater nor water provided by irrigation, making the soil even worse for vegetative purposes.
Excessive accumulation of salts on the surface can result in salinization. Due to lack of rain and poor soil conditions, desert soil can only support vegetation like that of shrubs, cacti and thorny bushes. This kind of soil is found in the arid and semi-arid areas of the world.
Option B: Laterite soil is a type of soil that is rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly found in the hot and wet tropical areas. This kind of soil forms the subsoils of the equatorial forests, of the savannas of the humid tropical regions and of the Sahelian steppes.
Option C: Black soil is a type of soil that is rich in metals such as iron, magnesium and aluminium. This soil is a result of gradual degradation of volcanic igneous rock of basaltic origin. This kind of soil is rich in humus and is found in and around volcanic mountains and plateaus.
Option D: Alluvial soil is the result of deposition of silt and alluvium from the mountains and hills along the rivers. This type of soil is very fertile in nature and best suited for crop cultivation. It is found in places adjacent to river and river valleys.

Thus , from the above analysis, we can conclude that option A, Desert soil is the correct answer.

Note: In the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), most desert soils belong to the Calcisols, Gypsisols, Durisols and Solonchaks. In India, arid soil is found in parts of Western Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab and extends up to the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. This type of soil is mostly sandy in nature. Normally, there is not much vegetation in this type of soil, but when it rains dormant germinate and form desert blooms.