NATURAL RESOURCES

Natural resources (economically referred to as land or raw materials) occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existent in various ecosystems. Natural resources are derived from the environment. Many of them are essential for our survival while others are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways. Classification On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:

Biotic - Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere , such as forests and their products, animals, birds and their products, fish and other marine organisms. Mineral fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they formed from decayed organic matter. Abiotic - Abiotic resources comprise of non-living things. Examples include land, water, air and ores such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.

Considering their stage of development, natural resources may be referred to in the following ways:

Potential Resources - Potential resources are those that exist in a region and may be used in the future. For example, petroleum may exist in many parts of India, having sedimentary rocks but until the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource. Actual Resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined and are being used in present times. The development of an actual resource, such as wood processing depends upon the technology available and the cost involved. That part of the actual resource that can be developed profitably with available technology is called a reserve.

With respect to renewability, natural resources can be categorized as follows: Reneweable resources are ones that can be replenished or reproduced easily. Some of them, like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and their quantity is not affected by human consumption. Many renewable resources can be depleted by human use, but may also be

replenished, thus maintaining a flow. Some of these, like agricultural crops, take a short time for renewal; others, like water, take a comparatively longer time, while still others, like forests, take even longer.

Non-renewable resources are formed over very long geological periods . Minerals and fossil fuels are included in this category. Since their rate of formation is extremely slow, they cannot be replenished once they get depleted. Of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them. But coal and petroleum cannot be recycled.

Examples

The natural resource of wind powers these 5MW wind turbines on this wind farm 28 km off the coast of Belgium. Some examples of natural resources include the following:

Agricultureagronomy is the science and technology of using plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. Air, wind and atmosphere Plants Animals Coal, fossil fuels, rock and mineral resources Forestry Range and pasture Soils Water, oceans, lakes, groundwater and rivers

MAJOR NATURAL RESOURCES

Forest Resources Water Resources Mineral Resources Food Resources Energy Resources
Land Resources

FOREST RESOURCES
Covers earth like a green blanket Produce innumerable goods

Provides several environmental services 1/3rd of the worlds land area is forested.

Former USSR 1/5th Brazil 1/7th Canada 6-7% USA 6-7%

USES OF FORESTS
Commercial Uses
Timber Fire wood Pulp Wood Food items Gum Resins Non-edible Oils Rubber Fibers Lac Bamboo Canes Fodder Medicines

Ecological Uses
Production of Oxygen Reducing of Global Warming Wild Life Habitat

 Regulation of Hydrological Cycle Soil Conservation Pollution Moderators.

OVER EXPLOITATION OF FORESTS & DEFORESTATION

Increased Population Increased requirements Total forest area in 1900 7000 mha 1970 2890 mha 2000 2000 mha Deforestation rate is less in temperate countries compared to tropical countries (40-50%).

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION
Shifting Cultivation 300 million people living as shifting cultivators. 5 lakh ha of forests cleared annually.

 Fuel Requirements Increase in fuel wood requirement 1945 65 million tons 2001 300-500 million tons Raw Materials for Industrial Use wood for making boxes, furniture, railway sleepers, plywood Pulp for paper industry. Development Projects Hydroelectric power projects, Big dams, Roads, Mining Growing Food Needs Creation of agricultural land and settlements by clearing forests. Overgrazing.

CONSEQUENCES OF DEFORESTATION
It threatens the existence of many wild life species due to destruction of their natural habitat. Biodiversity is lost and along with that genetic diversity is eroded. Hydrological cycle gets affected, thereby influencing rainfalls.

 Problems of soil erosion and loss of soil fertility increases. In hilly areas it often leads to landslides.

CASE STUDY 1
Desertification of Hilly regions of the iHimalayas
Deforestation in Himalayas, involving clearance of natural forests and plantations of monocultures like Pinus Roxbhurgi, Eucalyptus Camadulenses etc. have upset the ecosystem by changing the various soil and biological properties. Nutrient cycling has become poor, original germplasm is lost and the area is invaded by exotic weeds. These areas are not able to recover and are losing their fertility. The entire west Khasi hill district of Meghalaya in North-East Himalayas, Ladakh and Parts of Kumaon and Garhwal are now facing the serious problem of desertification.

CASE STUDY 2
Waning rainfall in Udhagamandalam (Ooty)
The sub normal rainfall during 1965-1984 at Ooty in Nilgiri Mountains has been found to be closely associated with declining forest cover in this region in the past 20 years. The rainfall pattern was found to fluctuate with wooded land area in the hills. When the NIlgiri mountains had luxuriant forest cover annual rainfall used to be much higher.

MAJOR ACTIITIES IN FORESTS

Timber Extraction Mining

Effects of Timber Extraction

poor logging results in degraded forests. soil erosion, especially on slopes. sedimentation of irrigation systems. loss biodiversity. climatic changes, such as lower precipitation.

new logging roads permit shifting cultivators

and fuel wood gatherers to gain access to logged areas. loss of non-timber products

WATER RESOURCES
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful to humans. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water. 97% of water on the Earth is salt water, leaving only 3% as fresh water of which slightly over two thirds is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. The remaining unfrozen freshwater is mainly found as groundwater, with only a small fraction present above ground or in the air. Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world's supply of clean, fresh water is steadily decreasing. Water demand already exceeds supply in many parts of the world and as the world population continues to rise, so too does the water demand. Awareness of the global importance of preserving water for ecosystem services has only recently emerged as, during the 20th century,

more than half the worlds wetlands have been lost along with their valuable environmental services. Biodiversityrich freshwater ecosystems are currently declining faster than marine or land ecosystems. The framework for allocating water resources to water users (where such a framework exists) is known as water rights.

A graphical distribution of the locations of water on Earth.

WATER USE AND OVER EXPLOITATION

Increased Human Population + Rapid Development Increased water withdrawal demands + Wastagedue to Pollution (anthropogenic activities) Globally, 70% of water withdrawn is used for

agriculture India 93% water for agriculture sector Water Poor Countries 4% for watering crops Global Industrial Usage 25% Developed Countries 70% Less Developed Countries 5% Per Capita Usage of water - wide variations In USA an average family of 4 members consumes 1000M 3 of water every year.

Ground Water vs Surface Water

Ground Water Aquifers

A layer of sediment or rock that is highly permeable and contains water is called as an aquifer. Unconfined Aquifer overlaid by permeable and is rechargeable Confined Aquifer sandwiched between two impermeable layers of rock or sediments, recharged only where aquifers intersects with the land Surface Water Streams, ponds, lakes

Effects of Ground water Usage

Subsidence when ground water withdrawal is more than its recharge rate the sediments get compacted Results - Sinking of overlying land surface - Structural damage to buildings - Reversing the flow of sewers and canals Lowering of Water Table Water Logging

Sustainable Water Management

Building several small reservoirs instead of a few mega projects Developing small catchment dams and protecting wet lands Soil Management, and afforestation permits recharging of underground aquifers, thus reducing the need for big dams Treating and recycling municipal waste water for agricultural use Preventing leakages from dams and canals Preventing loss in municipal pipes Effective rain water harvesting in urban environment

 Water conservation measures in agriculture,such as using drip irrigation Implementing methods to retain moisture and re-vegetate the degraded areas

MINERAL RESOURCES
Minerals Naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solids having definite chemical composition and characteristic physical properties e.g., Quartz, Feldspar, Biotite, Dolomite, Calcite, Leterite Composed of elements like silicon, oxygen iron, magnesium, calcium, aluminum

Uses and Exploitation

Development of industrial plants and machinery Generation of energy Coal, Liginite, Uranium Construction, Housing and other Settlements Transportation means Communication Telephone wires, cables, Electronic devices Medicinal uses Formation of alloys Agriculture as fertilizers, seed dressings,fungicides Jewellery

MINERALS
Non-Metallic Minerals graphite, diamond, quartz, feldspar Metallic Minerals Bauxite, Laterite, Hematite Critical Minerals essential for the economy of a nation e.g., iron, aluminum, copper, gold Strategic Minerals required for the defence of the country e.g., Manganese, Cobalt, Platinum, Chromium

Impacts of Mining
Devegetation and Defacing of Landscape Subsidence of Land Ground water Contamination Surface water Pollution Air Pollution Occupational Health Hazards

Remedial Measures
It is desirable to adopt eco-friendly mining technology. The low grade ores can be better utilized by using microbial leaching technique. Thiobacillus ferroxidans has been successfully and economically used for extracting gold embedded in iron sulfide ores Restoration of mined areas by re-vegetating them with appropriate plant species.

FOOD RESOURCES
The main food resources wheat, rice, maize, barley, oats, pulses, sugarcane, other fruits and vegetables, meat milk The FAO estimation minimum calorific intake on a global scale is 2,500 calories/day. Undernourished - < 90% of min requirement seriously under nourished - < 80% Deficiency or lack of nutrition malnutrition

World Food Problems

Last 50 years world grain production increased three times increase in per capita production by about 50% population growth (mostly in less developed countries) Every year 40 million people die of under nourishment and malnutrition

INDIAN SCENARIO
3rd largest producer of staple crops 300 million Indians are under nourished

Overgrazing
Livestock wealth plays a crucial role in the rural life of our country India leads in livestock population The huge population of live stock needs to be fed and the grazing land or the pastures areas are not adequate Livestock grazing on a particular piece of grass land or pasture surpass the carry capacity Carrying capacity of any system is the maximumpopulation that can be supported by it on asustainable basis However, most often, the grazing pressure is so high that its carrying capacity is crossed and the sustainability of the grazing land fails.

Impacts of Overgrazing
Land Degradation Overgrazing removes the vegetal cover over the soil and the exposed soil gets compacted due to which the operativesoil depth declines Roots cannot go deep into the soil Adequate soil moisture is not available Organic recycling also declines in the ecosystem Because not enough detritus or litter remains on the soil to be decomposed The humus content of the soil decreases and overgrazing leads to organically poor, dry, compacted soil Due trampling by cattle the soil loses infiltration capacity,which reduces percolation of water into the soil and as aresult of this more water gets lost from the ecosystem alongwith surface runoff Thus overgrazing leads to multiple actions resulting in loss of soil structure, hydraulic conductivity and soil fertility

Soil Erosion
Due to overgrazing by cattle, the cover of vegetation almost gets removed from the land The soil becomes exposed and gets eroded by the action of strong wind, rainfall etc

 The grass roots are very good binders of soil When the grasses are removed, the soil becomes loose and susceptible to the action of wind and water.

Agriculture
1. Slash and burn cultivation or shifting cultivation 2. Modern agriculture The types of agriculture are very different in their process and their outputs in terms of yield as well as their impacts on the environment.

Traditional Agriculture and its Impacts

It usually involves a small plot, simple tools, naturally available water, organic fertilizers and a mix of crops It is more near to natural conditions and usually it results in low production The main Impacts of this type of agriculture are Deforestation The slash and burn of trees in forests to clear the land for

cultivation and frequent shifting results in loss of forest cover Soil Erosion Clearing of forest cover exposes the soil to wind, rain and storms, thereby resulting in loss of top fertile layer of soil Depletion of Nutrients During slash and burn the organic matter in the soil gets destroyed and most of the nutrients are taken up by the crops within the short period, thus making the soil nutrient poor which makes the cultivator to shift to new area.

Modern Agriculture and its Impacts

It makes use of hybrid seeds of selected single crop variety, high-tech equipments and lots of energy subsidies in the form of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water The food production has increased tremendously, evidenced by the green revolution The Impacts Impacts related to high yielding varieties Fertilizer related problems Pesticide related problems Water logging

 Salinity problems

Fertilizer related problems

Micronutrient Imbalance Most of the chemical fertilizers used in modern agriculture have nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are essential macronutrients Farmers use these indiscriminately to boost up crop growth. Nitrate Pollution Nitrogenous fertilizers applied in the fields often leach deep into soil and ultimately contaminate the ground water. The nitrates get concentrated in the water and when their concentration exceeds 25 mg/L, they become the cause of aserious health hazard called Blue Baby syndrome Eutrophication Eutrophication means Over Nourishment Due to eutrophication lakes get invaded by algal blooms; these algae grows very fast by rapidly using up the nutrients, theyoften are toxic and badly affect the food chain.

Pesticide related problems

Creating resistance in pests and producing new pests Some individuals of the pest species usually survive even after pesticide spray The survivors give rise to highly resistant generations About 20 species of pests are now known which have become immune to all types of pesticides an are known as super pests Death of non-target organisms Many insecticides are broad spectrum poisons which not only kill the target species but also several non-target species which are useful to us Biological magnification Many of the pesticides are not biodegradable and keep on accumulating in the food chain, this process is called as biomagnifications.

Water logging
Over irrigation of croplands by farmers for good growth of their crop usually leads to water logging Inadequate drainage causes excess water to accumulate underground and gradually forms a continuous column with the water table Under water logged conditions, pore spaces in the soil

get fully drenched with water and the soil-air gets depleted The water table rises while the roots of the plant do not get adequate air for respiration Mechanical strength of the soil declines, crop plants get lodged and crop yield fails Preventing excessive irrigation, sub-surface drainage technology and bio-drainage with trees like Eucalyptus are some of the remedial measures to prevent water logging.

Salinity Problems
At present rd of the total cultivable land area of the world is affected by salts In India about 7 million Hectares of land are estimated to be salt affected Saline soils are characterized by the accumulation of soluble salts like sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride The most common method for getting rid of salts is to flush them out by applying more good quality water to such soils. Another method is laying under ground network of perforated drainage pipes for flushing out the salts slowly.

ENERGY RESOURCES
Energy consumption is considered as an index of its development The first form of energy known was FIRE Wind and Hydropower have been in use for the last 10,000 years The invention of steam engines replaced the burning of wood by coal and coal was later replaced to a great extent by oil. In 1970s due to Iranian revolution and Arab oil embargo the prices of oil shoot up, leading to exploration and use of several alternate sources of energy.

Energy Sources
A source of energy is one that can provide adequate amount of energy in a usable form over a long period of time These sources are of two types: Renewable Resources which can be generated continuously in nature and are inexhaustible (also called as non-conventional energy sources)

e.g., wood, solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy, hydro power, bio-mass energy, bio-fuels, geo-thermal energy and hydrogen Non-renewable Resources which have accumulated in nature over a long span of time and cannot be quickly replenished when exhausted. e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas and nuclear fuels like uranium thorium

Solar Energy
Sun is the ultimate source of energy. The nuclear fusion reaction taking place inside the sunrelease enormous quantities of energy in the form ofheat and light The solar energy received by the near earth space is approx. 1.4kJ/m2-s (solar constant) Traditional uses drying clothes and food grains, preservation eatables, for obtaining salt from seawater Techniques for harnessing Solar energy Solar Heat Collectors Solar Cells Solar Cookers Solar Water Heaters Solar Furnaces Solar Power Plants

Solar Heat Collectors

These can be passive or active in nature Passive heat collectors are natural

materials like stones, brickswhichabsorb heat during day time and release itslowly at night Active solar collectors pump a heat absorbing medium (air or water) through a small collector which is normally placed at top of the building.

Solar Water Heater

It consists of an insulated box painted black from inside and having a glass lid to receive and store solar heat Inside the box it has black painted copper coil through which cold water is made to flow in, which gets heated and flows out into storage tank.

Solar Furnace
Thousands of plane mirrors are arranged in concave Reflectors , all of which collect the solar heat and produce a high temperature.

Solar Power Plants

Solar energy is harnessed on a large scale by using concave reflectors which cause boiling of water to produce steam; the steam turbine drives a generator to produce electricity.

Hydro Power
Water enters the plant when an intake gate is opened, and moves through the penstock. Gravity and a narrowing scroll case increase the pressure of the water as it enters the turbine. Water exits the turbine and is returned to the river. The turbine spins a rotor directly above it, and electricity produced by the interaction of rotor and stator is transmitted through a transformer at the station and thence to the grid. Hydro power does not cause any pollution, it is renewable and normally the hydro power projects are multi purpose projects helping in controlling floods, used for irrigation, navigation etc.

Ocean Thermal Energy

The energy available due to the difference in temperature of water at the surface of the tropical oceans and at deeper levels is called ocean thermal energy A difference of 20C or more is required between surface water and deeper water of ocean for operating Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation power plants The warm surface water of ocean is used to

boil a liquid like ammonia, the high pressure vapors of the liquid are then used to turn turbine of a generator and produce electricity.

Geothermal Energy
The energy harnessed from the hot rocks present inside the earth is called geothermal energy High temperature, high pressure steam fields exist below the earths surface in many places, this heat comes from the fission of the radioactive material naturally present in the rocks Holes are drilled artificially upto the hot rocks and and pipes are put through which the steam gushes out at high pressure which turns the turbine of a generator to produce electricity.

Bio-mass Energy
Bio-mass is the organic matter produced by the plants or animals which include wood, crop residues, cattle dung, manure, sewage The bio-mass is directly used as a fuel but the efficiency of such furnaces is very low and it produces lot of smoke causing air pollution

 It is therefore more useful to convert the biomass into bio-gas or bio-fuels.

Bio-gas
Bio-gas is mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide, the major constituent being methane Bio-gas is produced by anaerobic degradation of animal wastes in presence of water Bio-gas is non-polluting, clean and low cost fuel No storage problems (direct supply from plant) The sludge left over is a rich fertilizer containing bacterial biomass with most of the nutrients preserved as such Bio-gas plants in our country are basically two types: 1. Floating gas holder type 2. Fixed dome type.

LAND RESOURCES
Land is a finite and valuable resourceupon which we depend for the basicamenities of life Soil is classified as a renewable resource The rate of regeneration of soil is very slow, about 200-1000 years are needed for the formation of 1 of soil, depending on the climate and soil type.

Land degradation
With increasing population growth the demand for arable land for producing food, fiber and fuel wood are also increasing more and more pressure on the limited land resource; degraded due to over exploitation Soil degradation is a real cause of alarm because soil formation is an extremely slow process Soil erosion, water-logging, salinization and contamination of the soil with the various industrial wastes cause land degradation.

Soil Erosion
Soil erosion means wearing away of the soil; defined as movement of soil components, especially surface litter and top soil from one place to another Soil erosion results in loss of fertility because it is the top soil layer that is fertile. Types Normal erosion or geologic erosion gradual removal of top soil by natural processes which bring an equilibrium between physical, biological and hydrological activities and maintain a natural balance between erosion and renewal Accelerated erosion caused by anthropogenic activities; the rate of erosion is much faster than the rate of formation of soil; Overgrazing,deforestation, mining accelerated erosion

Agents causing soil erosion

Climatic Agents

Water and wind are the climatic agents of the soil erosion. Water effects soil erosion in the form of torrential rains, rapid flow of water along slopes, run-off, wave action and melting andmovement of snow

Wind affects soil erosion in the form of saltation (verticalmovement of soil under the influence of direct pressure of stormy winds), suspension and surface creep

Biotic Agents

Excessive grazing, mining and deforestation are the major biotic agents responsible for soil erosion Due to these processes the top soil is disturbed or rendered devoid of vegetal cover.

Soil Conservation Practices

Conservational till farming Contour farming Terracing Strip Cropping Alley Cropping

Conservation till farming

Special tillers are used to break up and loosen the subsurface soil without turning up the top soil The tilling machine make slits in the unploughed soil and injects seeds, fertilizers, herbicides and a little water in the slit, so that the seed germinates and the crop grows.

TERRACING

STRIP CROPPING

Land Slides
Various anthropogenic activities like hydro-electric projects, large dams, reservoirs, construction of roads and railway lines, construction of buildings, mining are responsible for clearance of large forested areas. During the construction of roads, mining activities etc., huge portions of fragile mountainous areas are cut or destroyed by dynamite and thrown into adjacent valleys and streams. These activities weaken the already fragile mountain slopes and lead to land slides They also increase the turbidity of various nearby streams thereby reducing their productivity.

Desertification
Desertification is a process whereby the productive potential of a rid and semi-arid land falls by 10% or more Moderate desertification 10-25% drop Severe desertification 25-50% drop Very Severe desertification >50% drop Desertification is characterized by devegetation and loss of vegetal cover, depletion of ground, salinization ans severe soil erosion

Causes Deforestation, Overgrazing, Mining

Conservation of Natural Resources - Role of an individual

Equitable use of Resources for Sustainable Lifestyle .