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What are Natural Resources? |
Natural resources,
also called land or raw materials occur naturally within
environments that exist relatively undisturbed by
mankind, in a natural form. 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.
Natural 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 include 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.
On the basis of status of
development, they can be classified into potential
resources, developed resources, stock and reserves.
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 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.
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 how management affects the quality
of life for both present and future generations. Natural
resource management is interrelated with the concept of
sustainable development, a principle that forms a basis
for land management and environmental governance
throughout the world.
Information
obtained from the Wikipedia web site. Wikipedia the free
encyclopedia.
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