Introduction to Natural resource

Rainforest on Fatu-Hiva, Marquesas Islands is an example of an undisturbed natural resource.. Examples include land, water, air and minerals including ores such as gold, iron, copper, s

Natural resource

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Primary resource" redirects here For original sources used in research,

see Primary source

Rainforest on Fatu-Hiva, Marquesas Islands is an example of an undisturbed natural resource.

The Upsala Glacier in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina is an example of a natural resource.

The ocean is an example of a natural resource.

Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively

survival while others are used for satisfying our wants Natural resources may be further classified in different ways

Contents

[ hide ]

1 Classification

2 Examples

3 Management

4 Depletion

5 Protection

6 References

On the basis of origin, resources may be divided into:

 Biotic – Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere, such as forests and

category because they are formed from decayed organic matter

 Abiotic – Abiotic resources include non-living things Examples include land,

water, air and minerals including 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

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

available and the cost involved

 Reserve Resources - The part of an actual resource which can be developed

profitably in the future is called a reserve resource

 Stock Resources - Stock resources are those that have been surveyed but

With respect to renewability, natural resources can be categorized as follows:

 Renewable 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

On the basis of availability, natural resources can be categorised as follows:

unlimited quantity in nature and are not likely to be exhausted easily by human activity are inexhaustible natural resources (sunlight, air etc.)

They can be exhausted by human activity in the long run (coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc.)

On the basis of distribution, natural resources can be classified as follows:

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:

 Coal, fossil fuels, rock and mineral resources

 Ranges and pasture

 Water, oceans, lakes, groundwater and rivers[3]

Main article: Natural resource management

Natural resource management is a discipline in the management of natural

resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on

development, a principle that forms a basis for land management and environmental governance throughout the world

of environmental management, Natural resource management specifically focuses

on a scientific and technical understanding of resources and ecology and the life-supporting capacity of those resources

In recent years, the depletion of natural resources and attempts to move to

[sustainable development] has been a major focus of [development agencies] This

is a particular concern in [rain forest] regions, which hold most of the Earth's natural biodiversity - irreplaceable genetic natural capital[energy conservation Conservation]

the ecology movement, and green politics Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in developing nations

Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing, hunting, and forestry are generally considered

States president, was opposed to unregulated natural resource extraction The term

include its minerals, energy, land, water, and biota."[4]

See also: Environmental protection

The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others.

Theodore Roosevelt[5]

Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's

excessive rates of extinction.[6][7] It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on sciences,

of California at San Diego in La Jolla, California in 1978 organized by biologists Bruce Wilcox and Michael Soulé

Habitat conservationis a land managementpractice that seeks toconserve, protect

species, and prevent theirextinction,fragmentationor reduction inrange.[12]