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UPSC Prelims 2014 · Agriculture · Soils
In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with which of the following?
- Terrace cultivation
- Deforestation
- Tropical climate
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
Deforestation is the clear cause.
Statement by statement
1. ✗ NO — it prevents erosion Step-like terraces slow water running down slopes; they are a soil-CONSERVATION method.
2. ✓ YES Tree roots bind soil and the canopy breaks the force of rain; clearing forest exposes the soil.
3. ✗ NO — per the answer key Heavy rain can speed up erosion, but the key treats climate alone as not the cause — erosion follows the removal of plant cover.
Why the others are wrong
(a) Adds terracing because terraces sit on erosion-prone slopes. They are the remedy, not the cause.
(c) Neither terracing nor climate by itself is the problem.
(d) Adds terraces and climate — the key treats only the loss of plant cover as the cause.
The trap
Terraces sit on steep slopes where erosion happens, so people link them to the problem. They are the cure.
🔒 Erosion causes: deforestation, overgrazing, shifting cultivation, bad ploughing. Remedies: terracing, contour bunding, shelter belts, afforestation.