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IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring”, Hyderabad, India, 2002 
slope, drainage, surface form, particle size class and pH are 
generated using 'reclassification' of the soil master layer with 
the respective data of each theme. The spatial statistics of each 
soil parameter has been carried out. Map polygons were 
digitized on SPANS Ver. 7.0 GIS software (PCI, 1998). The 
digitized data formed the spatial database. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
Soil qualities based on one or more land characteristics (FAO, 
1976) are important for developing a suitable land use plan. 
Eswaran et al, (1993) considered soil qualities like nutrient 
availability, effective soil volume, soil erodibility, soil depth, 
texture, slope condition and pH as important parameters for 
sustainable land use planning. Information on these features is 
well understood through thematic maps and their statistical 
interpretations (Tyner, 1992). Thematic maps pertaining to 
slope, surface form, drainage condition, soil depth, particle size 
classes, pH status, drainage and erosion of this area are 
presented and discussed. 
Slope 
Slope has a direct influence on land use and land management. 
Risks of erosion are higher on lands of steep slopes. Nearly 76 
per cent of the district is covered by gentle (1-3%) to very 
gently sloping (3-8%) slopes (Fig.1). Moderately slopes (8- 
15%) and moderately steep slopes (15-30%) are covering 15 
per cent of TGA respectively. The steep slopes (>30%) are 
occupied nearly 9 per cent of the TGA. Adoption of soil 
conservation measures on such sloping lands is essential to 
avoid the land degradation. As per the norms of land capability 
classification slope are considered for agriculturally suitable, 
however most favoured are lower slope gradient. 
    
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bilaspur District 
Y 
BL — S —5 
5 0 15 km 
e Legend 
& [ZE Very gently sloping (1-396) 
© L7 Gently Sloping (3-8%) 
4 # [J Moderately Sloping (8-15%) 
4 % [7] Mod. steep sloping (15-309) 
aV "y [EX] Steepty sloping (30-506) 
> 
9 
   
Reference 
+ District Headquarter 
Tahsil Headquarter 
  
   
     
  
— District boundary 
River 
State Highway 
— National Highway 
—— Railway Line 
      
       
   
  
  
Pandana ' 
ès f 
Kandarpur Takheipur 
° 
  
  
x 
Mungeli 
   
Fig.1. Slope map of Bilaspur district. 
Surface Form 
747 
Landforms and their processes are having direct influence on 
soil development, land use and land management. Nearly 20 
per cent of the district is covered by hummocky landforms, 24 
per cent by level plains and 16 per cent by valleys (Fig.2). The 
remaining area is covered by gently sloping lands, plateau, 
dissected plateau, rolling plateau, ridges, undulating, undulating 
valleys and dissected valleys. Land users generally prefer level 
plains to moderately gently sloping land for cropping. 
Bilaspur District 
SURFACE FORM 
A 
5 0 15 km 
  
Legend 
[E273 Gently sloping 
[7 Hummocky 
[Level 
LL.) Plateau 
[7] Plateau & Dissected 
[7j Plateau & Rolling 
  
RE Ridges 
LL.) Undulating 
4 [—  Undulating & Valleys 
Valleys 
& EE Valleys & Dissected 
S 
Reference 
  
@ District Headquarter 
9  Tahsil Headquarter 
—— District boundary 
  
River 
—— State Highway 
National Highway 
— Railway Line 
  
  
  
  
  
Fig.2. Surface form map of Bilaspur district. 
Soils 
The soils of the district are developed in situ on Schistose and 
Granite Gneiss, Granite Schist and sandstone (Cuddapah) 
formations. The soils on hummock areas are shallow to very 
shallow, well drained, loamy-skeletal. Typic Ustorthents 
whereas the soils on level to gently sloping lands, dissected and 
rolling plateau, undulating and valleys are slightly deep to deep, 
well drained and clayey. Soils on undulating lands are loamy 
Typic Haplustalfs (Tamgadge et al, 1996). Soil map at 
subgroup level is depicted in Fig.3 and their area coverage is 
shown in Table 1. 
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
   
Bilaspur District 
Legend 
SOILS LL. Typic Hplustalfs 
MR Typic Rhodustaifs 
Lithic Ustorthents 
Ej Typic Ustorthents 
Typic Haplustepts 
Udic Haplustepts 
[EZ] Vertic Haplustepts 
Chromic Haplusterts 
EZ Typic Haplusterts 
  
5 0 15 km 
  
Reference 
e District Headquader 
9 — Tahsil Headquarter 
— District boundary 
River 
—— State Highway 
—— National Highway 
—— Railway Line