Natural Resources

 Natural resources can be defined as

the resources that exist independent of
human actions.
 Oil, coal, natural gas, metals, stone
and sand are natural resources.
 Other natural resources are air,
sunlight, soil and water. Animals, birds,
fish and plants are natural resources as
well.
 Classification of Natural Resources

The resources can be classified in the following ways:

 On the basis of origin
 On the basis of exhaustibility
 On the basis of ownership
 On basis of the status of development
 On the Basis of Origin

 Biotic resources are resources or substances

which are derived from the biosphere like
living things and from forest and the materials
derived from them.
 Abiotic resources refer to non-living physical
and chemical elements in the ecosystem.
 On the Basis of Exhaustibility
 Renewable Resources are those resources
which can be renewed or reproduced.
 Renewable resources may further be divided
into:
(1) continuous or flow resources
(2) biological resources, which are of 2 types :
* Natural Vegetation
* (Forests) − Wildlife
 On the Basis of Exhaustibility
 Non-Renewable Resources are formed over a
substantially long geological time.
 These can subdivided into
• recyclable resources
• non-recyclable resources
 On the Basis of Ownership
 Individual Resources are resources that are
owned privately by individuals.
 Community Resources are resources
accessible to all the members of a community.
 National Resources are all the resources that
belong to a nation.
 International resources are resources
regulated by International bodies.
 On the basis of the state of development

 Potential resources are resources found in a

region which have not been utilized.

 Developed resources are those resources

which are surveyed and their quality and
quantity have been determined for utilization.
 Stock refers to materials in the environment
which have the potential to satisfy human
needs but human beings do not have the
appropriate technology to access these.
 Reserved resources are the resources that
are defined and their present amount is
recognized, but since they are reserved for
the future, they are not being used.
 What causes the depletion of our natural
resources?
 Overpopulation
 Poor farming practices
 Logging
 Overconsumption of Natural Resources
Pollution
 Industrial and Technological Development
 Effects of Depletion of Natural Resources

 Water shortages
 Oil depletion
 Loss of forest cover
 Depletion of minerals
 Extinction of Species
 How can we help conserve our natural resources?

 Reduce- Reducing means decreasing the amount of waste

we create. That could also mean cutting down on use of
natural resources.
 Reuse- Reusing includes using the same item again for the
same function and also using an item again for a new
function. Reuse can have both economic and
environmental benefits.
 Recycle- Recycling involves processing used materials in
order to make them suitable for other uses. That usually
means taking a used item, breaking it down, and reusing
the pieces. 
 Conclusion
Natural resources are essential to civilization as
we know it, and are the basis for economy and
survival. Resources such as bauxite, iron, and
copper form the basis of everyday items, while
water, soil, and salt are required for life. It is
humanity’s duty to protect and conserve natural
resources. Some things you can do in your everyday
life to conserve natural resources include recycling
plastic, paper, and metal,  and using energy more
efficiently.