Volume: XI Chapter: 3 Page No:
16
Chapter 3: Physical and Biotic factors
The total area of the Sp Sub catchment is 69026 Ha. This Sub
2. Forest types:
catchment has varied landforms, Forest types, Rainfall patterns, Agro-ecological zones and Soil types. This chapter gives a brief
The forest types of the Sp Sub-catchment
account of the Sp Sub catchment.
have
been represented in the pie
1. Landforms:
diagram.
It
is
observed that the area The
pie
drawn
diagram
under Sp Sub-catchment
below
represents
has 2 types of forests viz
the
Himalayan moist temperate forest and Sub-alpine forest. It is
types of landforms
evident that 76% of Sp sub catchment is covered by the
present in the Sp
Himalayan moist temperate forest while 24% area is covered by
sub catchment. It is observed
that
the Sub-alpine forests.
3
types of landforms
3. Rainfall:
are present in the Sp Sub catchment; they are Glaciers, steep to very steep high hills of Lesser Himalayas and Fluvial valleys. Steep to very steep high hills of Lesser Himalayas cover 71% of the total Sub catchment area followed by Glaciers covering 28% area. Fluvial valleys are spread over merely 1% area of the Sub catchment.
A graphical representation of
the
various
rainfall
intensities shows that the total
area
of
Sp
Sub
catchment is 69026 Ha of
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
Volume: XI Chapter: 3 Page No:
which 47% area receives rainfall less than 700mm while 750-
17
5. Soil types:
1000mm of rainfall is observed in 46% area. Only 7% area receives
rainfall
as
high
as
1000-1500mm
in
this
Sub
catchment. 4. Agro-ecological zones: The
graph
distribution
shows of
the Agro-
ecological zones in the Sp Sub
catchment,
where The soil types present in the Sp Sub-catchment are quite varied.
there are two types of Agro-ecological
It is observed that the entire Sub-catchment has 12 different
zones
types of soils. The pie diagram drawn below shows the
present in the Sp Sub catchment,
they
distribution of soil types in the Sp Sub-catchment.
are
described as Warm, Perhumid, Lesser Himalayas with 270-300
Note: The name of each soil types being very descriptive, we
days LGP and Warm, Sub-humid, Moist, Lesser Himalayas with
have denoted them as Soil types units. This nomenclature is
180-270 days LGP. It is seen that the Agro-ecological zone
used in the above graph and also in the further explanation. The
described as Warm, Perhumid, Lesser Himalayas with 270-300
description of the soil types is presented in the table 1
days LGP covers 59% area of Sp Sub catchment while 41% area is covered by the Agro-ecological zone described as Warm, Subhumid, Moist, Lesser Himalayas with 180-270 days LGP.
The Soil type 36 covers the maximum i.e. 37% area of the Sub catchment.
Since
the
soil
of
Sp
Sub
catchment
is
heterogeneous, the percentage of area covered by each soil type
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
is
given
below:
Volume: XI Chapter: 3 Page No:
Soil type unit 34 29 55 31 27 54 48 1 2 5 8
18
Area covered 19% 12% 11% 5% 4% 4% 2% 2% 2% 1% 1%
Table 1: Soil type description
Soil Description
Soil type unit
Rock outcrops covered with glaciers: associated with: Shallow, excessively drained, sandy skeletal soils with sandy surface, severe erosion and strong stoniness.
1
Shallow, excessively drained, sandy skeletal soils on very steep slopes with sandy surface, severe erosion and moderate stoniness, associated with: Rock outcrops.
2
Mountain & valley glaciers & rock outcrops; associated with; medium deep, excessively drained, sandy-skeletal soil on very steep slopes with sandy surface, severe erosion & moderate stoniness.
5
Rock outcrops associated with medium deep excessively drained, loamy-skeletal soils on very steep slopes with loamy surface, severe erosion and moderate stoniness.
8
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
Volume: XI Chapter: 3 Page No:
19
Shallow, somewhat excessively drained, mesic, coarse-loamy soils on moderate slopes with loamy surface and severe drained, fine-loamy soils with loamy surface and severe erosion.
27
Rock outcrops associated with, Medium deep, excessively drained, mesic loamy-skeletal soils on very steep slopes with loamy surface, severe erosion and moderate stoniness.
29
Deep. Excessively drained, mesic. Loamy. Skeletal soils on very steep slopes with loamy surface. severe erosion and moderate stoniness associated with Rock outcrops
31
Medium deep, somewhat excessively drained, mesic, coarse-loamy soils on moderate slopes with loamy surface, severe erosion and slight stoniness associated with Shallow, somewhat excessively drained, coarse-loamy soils with loamy surface, severe erosion and slight stoniness.
34
Shallow, excessively drained. Thermic, sandy-skeletal soils on steep slopes with loamy surface, very severe erosion and strong stoniness, associated with, Rock outcrops.
36
Medium deep, well drained, thermic, fine loamy calcareous soils on moderately steep slopes with loamy surface and severe erosion, associated with, Medium deep, well drained, fine-loamy soils with loamy surface and moderate erosion.
48
Medium deep to deep, well drained, thermic. Fine-loamy soils on steep slopes with loamy surface and moderate erosion, associated with medium deep, well drained, coarse-loamy soils with loamy surface and severe erosion.
54
Deep, well drained, thermic, fine-loamy soils on moderate slopes with loamy surface and moderate erosion, associated with Medium deep, well drained. Loamy-skeletal soils with loamy surface and severe erosion.
55
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin