NATURAL RESOURCES, CONSERVATION & DEPLETION OF RESOURCES

BY,

JONATHAN VINCENT, MBA(S-2),

ROLL NO.-16

RESOURCES

Any thing, which is useful man, or can be transformed into a useful product or can be used to produce a useful thing, can be referred as ‘resources’.

Example: rocks, minerals, soil, rivers,

plants & animal.

NATURAL RESOUCES

Materials that come from the Earth.

Something useful for humans need to survive.

Those resources that are drawn directly from the nature and used without modifications are called Natural Resources.

E.g.: air, water, minerals etc.

TYPES OF NATURAL RESOURCES On the basis of origin:

Abiotic

Biotic

On the basis renewability

Renewable

Non-renewable

Inexhaustible

Exhaustible

ON THE BASIS OF ORIGIN:

ABIOTIC RESOURCES

Abiotic natural resources are all the non-living resources that cannot replace themselves easily and are obtained from the surface of the earth’s crust.

Some of these resources are reproduced at extremely slow rates in terms of human life periods.

Examples would include water, land, mineral ores such as copper, gold, silver and aluminium.

BIOTIC RESOURCES

Biotic natural resources are all living resources that are able to reproduce, replace life and grow in numbers.

These are all the resources that are obtainable from the biosphere.

Example agriculture, fish, wildlife etc.

ON THE BASIS RENEWABILITY:

RENEWABLE RESOURCES

There are some resources that cannot be exhausted and are available in plentiful.

These can be easily replenished through natural processes in different ecosystems and are often known as renewable natural resources.

For example, sunlight and wind are two examples of renewable natural resources.

NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

These are those resources which are not renewed/replenished and are affected by human activity

Non renewable resources are exhaustible and are extracted faster than the rate at which they formed. For e.g. fossil fuels.

INEXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCES

It is a natural resource that will never run out so if we take advantage of the greatest natural resources will not be depleted and will continue to exist, such as water, sunlight, tidal energy, ocean energy and wind energy.

Wind power technology is one of inexhaustible resources examples.

EXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCES

These resources are limited in nature and they are non-maintainable.

Comes under non-renewable category.

Example: coal, petrol.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Conservation of Water

Conservation of Soil

Conservation of Energy

Conservation of WaterConservation of water are essential for the survival of mankind, plants and animals. This can be achieved by adopting the following methods:

Constructing dams and reservoirs to regulate supply of water to the fields, as well as to enable generating hydroelectricity.

Sewage should be treated and only the clear water should be released into the rivers.

Industrial wastes (effluents) should be treated to prevent chemical and thermal pollution of fresh water.

Judicious use of water in our day-to-day life.

Rainwater harvesting should be done by storing rainwater and recharging groundwater.

Conservation of Soil

Soil conservation means checking soil erosion and improving soil fertility by adopting various methods. Let us know some of these methods.

Maintenance of soil fertility: The fertility can be maintained by adding manure and fertilizers regularly as well as by rotation of crop.

Make compost from your kitchen waste and use it for your kitchen-garden.

Reforestation: Planting of trees and vegetation reduces soil erosion by both water and wind.

Do not irrigate the plants using a strong flow of water as it would wash off the soil.

Better use sprinkling irrigation.

Conservation of EnergyAt Home:

We should not keep lights unnecessarily switched on.

Reduce the energy your appliances consume by analysing star ratings.

Use solar cooker for cooking, which will make the food more nutritious and will save your LPG expenses..

At Public Places :

Switch off the fans and lights in the places like bus terminal and railway stations when not necessary.

Drive less, make fewer trips and use public transportations whenever possible.

Big Hoardings, lightened up for the whole evening and nights are other wastage of power which can be and should be avoided.

DEPLETION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Resource depletion is the consumption of a resource faster than it can be replenished.

Over a period of time, many of our natural resources are being depleted. Many activities of human society are responsible for this degradation of the environment.

Agricultural practises such as indiscriminate use of fertilizers and pesticides contaminate the soil.

Urbanisation, overpopulation, increase in use of carbon monoxide producing automobiles, deforestation, deterioration of water resources are all factors contributing to this depletion.

Depletion of natural resources refers to the exhaustion of raw materials within a region. Our resources are getting depleted at a faster rate than they are produced or renewed by nature.

Types of Degradation

Types

Deforestation

Desertification

ExtinctionErosion

Emission

DEFORESTATION : Deforestation is the clearance of forests by logging and/or burning.

DESERTIFICATION: Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a Relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife.

EMISSION: When human or natural forces release chemicals or other substances into the environment, the process is known as emission. Many natural processes cause emissions. When a volcano erupts, it lets out acid, and acid, ash, and many toxic gases.

EROSION: Erosion is the action of exogenic processes (such as water flow or wind) which remove soil and rock from one location on the Earth's crust, then transport it to another location where it is deposited.

KINDS OF RESOURCES

Forest Resources

Water Resources

Mineral Resources

Energy Resources

Land Resources

FOREST RESOURCES

Forest is an area with a high density of trees, together with other plants, covering a large area of land.

Forests are home to 50% to 90% of earth’s species.

These forests not only produce innumerable material goods, but also provide several environmental services which are essential for life.

Functions of Forest Resources

• Timber, bamboos, food, essential oils

• Latex, medicines etc.Productive Functions

• Conversation of soil and water

• Prevention of drought

• Protection against wind, cold, radiation, noise.

Protective Functions

• Absorption, storage and release of gases, water,

mineral elements & radiant energy.Regulative Functions

Direct Benefits from

Forest

Timber for

Buildings &

furniture

Natural habitat for

tribal

Beauty of

landscape-

Tourism

Manure & wood

fuel

Raw materials for

industries

Causes of Deforestation

Construction of Roads Mining

Hydroelectric projects Forest fires

Effects of Deforestation

Threatens

the survival

of tribes

Reduces

forest

resources

Contribut-

es to

global

warning

Runoff water

& floods

Soil

erosion

Extinction

of

organisms

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.

Water is an essential natural resource for sustaining life.

Water forms 60% of our body weight.

Water is a renewable and limiting resource.

About three – fourth of earth’s surface is occupied by oceans.

About 97% of the earth’s water is strong saline.

The rest 3% is freshwater.

Pure, usable water on land is only 0.3%.

WATER USE

About 70% of the total consumption is used in agriculture.

About 1.1% is used for domestic and municipal supplies.

Rest is used by various industries.

FRESH WATER SOURCES

Surface Water Under river flow

Ground Water Frozen Water

FRESH WATER USERS

Agriculture Industrial

House hold Recreation

WATER DEPLETED

It is caused by over exploitation, excessive use and unequal access to water among different social groups.

Increasing population, intensive industrialization, deforestation and mismanagement of water resources have caused a crisis

MINERALS RESOURCES

Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solids having a definite chemical composition and characteristic physical properties.

Minerals are exhaustible and non-renewable.

Minerals are relatively plentiful.

Minerals are over used by industries.

Disposal of minerals have negative effects on environment.

Metallic minerals – e.g., iron, copper, silver, gold

Non-metallic minerals – e.g., sand, stone, salt, phosphates

USES OF MINERALS

The main uses of minerals are as follows:

Development of industrial plants and machinery.

Generation of energy e.g. coal, lignite, uranium.

Construction, housing, settlements.

Defence equipment weapons, armaments.

Transportation means.

Communication- telephone wires, cables, electronic devices.

Medicinal system- particularly in Ayurveda System.

Agriculture – as fertilizers, seed dressings and fungicides (e.g. Zineb: containing zinc, Maneb: containing manganese etc.).

Jewellery– e.g. Gold, silver, platinum, diamond.

CONSERVATION OF MINERALS

Recycling – Minerals in products can be recycled.

Reuse – reuse the beneficial items e.g. glass bottles

Substitution – Scarce minerals can be substituted with more abundant minerals. e.g. ceramics, alloys

Reduce consumption – Consumers must decrease their mineral consumption.

Recycle industrial wastes – One industry may use the waste products of another industry.

ENERGY RESOURCES

The substances from which we produce energy are known as energy sources. We need energy for our day to day life.

The energy we use are of two broad categories:

1. Renewable source of energy

2. Non-renewable source of energy

Non-renewable

The sources of energy that once used , cannot be reused are known as non-renewable sources of energy. These are the energy sources which are mined from the earth crust. These sources of energy are known as fossil fuels and these took millions of years to form and cannot be regenerated in a matter of years. The rate of consumption far exceeds the rate of production of these resources

These include:

* Coal

* Petroleum

* Natural gas

* Nuclear fuel

Renewable sources

The virtually unlimited sources of energy which will not be exhausted in any near future are known as the renewable sources of energy. These energy sources are continuously replenished at a constant rate. About 16.7% of global final energy consumption comes from renewable energy sources.

The renewable sources of energy include:

Solar power

Hydel power

Wind energy

Tidal energy

Geothermal energy

Biogas

LAND RESOURCES

In the direct words

‘Natural resource in the form of arable land.’

Arable land (from Latin arabilis, "able to be plowed") is land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.

Land is among the most important natural resources. It covers up only 29% of the earth’s surface and all parts of the land are not habitable. The uneven distribution of population in different parts of the world is mainly due to varied characteristics of land and climate.

The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which adversely affect its fertility is called as Degradation.

Land degradation is the most important environmental problem currently challenging sustainable development in many parts of the world.

Land degradation means:

1) Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients.

2) Less vegetation cover

3) Changes in the characteristic of soil.

4) Pollution of water resources from the contamination of soil through which water sweeps into ground or runoff to the water bodies.

5) Changes in climatic conditions because of unbalance created in the environment.

Causes of land degradation

Deforestation

Soil erosion by wind or water

Mining

Industrialization

Unsustainable agricultural practices

Urban expansion

SOIL EROSION

Soil erosion is the washing or blowing away of the top layer of the soil.

It washes away the nutrients in soil such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium are lost resulting in infertility of the soil.

In India in 1971 alone 6000 million tons of soil was lost.

CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION

RAINFALL- raindrops directly strike the soil surface and detach the soil particles.

WIND- transportation of soil and sand particle by wind by wind is best seen in deserts and along the seashore.

BIOTIC FACTORS- grazing by cattle, cutting down of trees, agricultural activities, construction of buildings and laying of roads.

DESERTIFICATION

Desertification is a process by which fertile land becomes desert. Causes for the origin of manmade deserts,

Removal of trees .

Modern methods of agriculture instead of more traditional .

Over exploitation of fertile soil particularly in areas of low rainfall by cultivating cash crops.