NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE EARTH:

OUR RESPONSIBILITY
NATURAL RESOURCE:
Natural resources are materials and components (something that can be used) that
can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of
natural resources (at its fundamental level). A natural resource may exist as a
separate entity such as fresh water, and air, as well as a living organism such as a
fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which must be processed to obtain the
resource such as metal ores, oil, and most forms of energy.
 TYPES OR CLASSIFICATION:
 Natural Resources are classified into different types based on
their origin and availability
 Based on their origin natural resources are of 2 types they are:
 Biotic – Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere (living
and organic material), such as forests, animals, birds,
and fish and the materials that can be obtained from
them. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included
in this category because they are formed from decayed organic
matter.
 Abiotic – Abiotic resources are those that come from non-living,
non-organic material. Examples of abiotic resources
include land, fresh water, air and heavy metals including ores
such as gold, iron, copper, silver, etc.
 CLASSIFICATION BASED ON
AVAILABILITY:
 Based on availability natural resources are classified into two types:
 Renewable resources: are ones that can be replenished naturally. Some of these resources,
like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and their quantity is not noticeably
affected by human consumption. Though many renewable resources do not have such a
rapid recovery rate, these resources are susceptible to depletion by over-use. Resources from
a human use perspective are classified as renewable only so long as the rate of
replenishment/recovery exceeds that of the rate of consumption.
 Non-renewable resources: are resources that form extremely slowly and those that do not
naturally form in the environment. Minerals are the most common resource included in this
category. By the human perspective, resources are non-renewable when their rate of
consumption exceeds the rate of replenishment/recovery; a good example of this are fossil
fuels, which are in this category because their rate of formation is extremely slow
(potentially millions of years), meaning they are considered non-renewable. Some resources
actually naturally deplete in amount without human interference, the most notable of these
being radio-active elements such as uranium, which naturally decay into heavy metals. Of
these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them, but coal and petroleum cannot
be recycled.
BASIC NATURAL RESOURCES:
• Forest resources:
*forest is a land with wide range of
plants/tress and supports the ecosystem.
*from forests man has productive and
protective use.
*Threats to forest resources:
.Deforestation
.Desertification
.Decrease in rainfall
 Water resource:
 * Water is a liquid which is used for drinking ,
stabilization of temperature and for domestic purposes.
 *water is called as a universal solvent.
 *Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface and is vital
for all known forms of life. On Earth, 96.5% of the planet's water is
found in oceans, 1.7% in groundwater, 1.7% in glaciers and the ice
caps of Antarctica and Greenland, a small fraction in other large
water bodies, and 0.001% in the air as vapor, clouds (formed of solid
and liquid water particles suspended in air), and precipitation. Only
2.5% of the Earth's water is freshwater, and 98.8% of that water is in
ice and groundwater. Less than 0.3% of all freshwater is in rivers,
lakes, and the atmosphere, and an even smaller amount of the
Earth's freshwater (0.003%) is contained within biological bodies and
manufactured products.
MINERAL RESOURCES
 Minerals are commercially valuable non
renewable resources.
 A metal having definite chemical properties
and indefinite physical properties is
technically called mineral
Food Resource:
Materials which provides energy and maintains
metabolism in body in called Food
Plants are primary producers of food
 LAND
Land Resource: RESOURCES
Land is a area which constitutes biotic and
abiotic components .It is technically called
as biosphere
Soil is an organic mixture of all minerals
which are deposited as sediments.
Energy resources
 Energy Resource:
 Materials which provides energy are called energy
resources.
 Based on availability they are classified into two types:
 Renewable energy resources
 Non renewable energy resources
MEASURES TO
PRESERVE
NATURAL
RESOURCES:
 MEASURES TO CONSERVE FOREST RESOURCES:

Main threat to forest resource is

Deforestation.
Deforestation:Deforestation, clearance or cle
aring is the removal of a forest or stand of
trees where the land is thereafter converted
to a non-forest use. Examples of
deforestation include conversion of
forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use.
Measures to control Deforestation:
   Reducing emissions from deforestation and
forest management.
Farming.
We should not cut trees rapidly.
Reduce mining activity.
Afforestation.
Prevent construction of dams.
Measures to conserve water
resources:
 Implementing Efficient Watering Methods in
agriculture.
 Sewage Treatment.
 Effluent Treatment.
 Preventing over exploitation of water.
 Prevent dumping of e wastes.
Measures to control mining:
• Use of improved technologies to allow use
of low grade minerals at low cost.
• Bio-mining or bioleaching.
• Reducing the consumption of minerals.
Measures to prevent soil erosion:
 Planting wind breaks can be effective. A wind break is a line of plants
that are planted to stop or slow the wind. A thick row of bushes planted
next to a field of plants can stop the wind from blowing the soil away.
This method also helps against water erosion, as the soil gets caught up
against the roots of the bushes, rather than washing away.
 Terracing can also be effective. Terraces are level places that have been
made by people on hill sides. People can cut level sides into the side of
hills to create a place to grow crops.
 If the crops are growing on a slope, then one should plant them in lines
that run across, the slope, rather than up and down. So, if the slope goes
downhill to the south, then the plants should be in rows that run from
east to west.
 To prevent decomposition the government can put up wooden planks
along the beaches, or they could build sea walls against the cliffs.
Steps to achieve Organic Farming:
 Mulching:
 Process of layering dry leaves around a plant and sprinkle
water on it which improves fertility naturally is called mulching.
 Composting:
 Conversion of complex materials into simpler form by
microorganisms is called composting.
 Terrace/Contour farming:
 Developing of small trenches near the plant so that water
stays near the plant . This method is called terrace/contour farming.
Measures to conserve energy:
 Have your heating system inspected regularly -
especially if it's natural gas. A $50-100 annual
tune-up can help reduce your heating costs by
up to five percent.
When the fireplace is not in use, make sure
fireplace dampers are sealed tight, and keep the
glass doors closed. If you never use your
fireplace, plug the chimney with fiberglass
insulation and seal the doors with silicone caulk.
Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
These bulbs use 75 percent less energy
than typical incandescent, and they last
10 times longer.
Get rid of spare refrigerators or freezers.
An extra appliance can add more than
$100 to your energy bills every year
-GRACEB. VERIDIANO
MSAgEd. Student