Land and Its Characteristics

Land and Its Characteristics

Land, sometimes referred to as dry land, is the solid surface of the Earth that is not permanently covered by water. The vast majority of human activity throughout history has occurred in land areas that support agriculture, habitat, and various natural resources. Some life forms (including terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals) have developed from predecessor species that lived in bodies of water.

Land is a commodity that is much treasured by everybody as it forms the basic natural and non renewable resources for agriculture and forestry and other uses (Dedzoe, 1999). In the past, industrial, urban and or agricultural development in many countries appears to be undertaken as a matter of expediency and also as a result of availability of raw materials rather than on the basis of any careful appraisal of the effect of these activities on the environment (Abrokwa-Ampadu and Ampadu Agyei,
1987).

Soil properties that can be changed in a short time by land use dynamic are considered as soil quality indicators (Carter et al., 1997). For evaluation of soil quality, it is desirable to select indicators that are
directly related to soil quality.

Characteristics of Land

Lands possesses the following characteristics:
1. Free Gift of Nature: Man has to make efforts in order to acquire other factors of production. But to acquire land no human efforts are needed. Lands is not the outcome of human labour. Rather, it existed even long before the evolution of man.

2. Fixed Quantity: The total quantity of land does not undergo any change. It is limited and cannot be increased or decreased with human efforts. No alteration can be made in the surface area of land.

3. Permanent: All man-made things are perishable and these may even go out of existence. But land is indestructible. Thus it cannot go out of existence. It is not destructible.

4. Primary Factor of Production: In any kind of production process, we have to start with lands. For example, in industries, it helps to provide raw materials, and in agriculture, crops are produced on lands.

5. Passive Factor of Production: This is because it cannot produce anything by itself. For example, wheat cannot grow on a piece of land automatically. To grow wheat, man has to cultivate lands. Labour is an active factor but land is a passive factor of production.

6. Immovable: It cannot be transported from one place to another. For instance, no portion of India’s surface can be transported to some other country.

7. Original Indestructible Powers: There are some original and indestructible powers of land, which a man cannot destroy. Its fertility may be varied but it cannot be destroyed completely.

8. Difference in Fertility: Fertility of lands differs on different pieces of land. One piece of lands may produce more and the other less.

9. oInelastic Supply : The demand for a particular commodity makes way for the supply of that commodity, but the supply of land cannot be increased or decreased according to its demand.

10. Land has Many Uses: We can make use of lands in many ways. On lands, cultivation can be done, factories can be set up, roads can be constructed, buildings can be raised and shipping is possible in the sea and big rivers.