Mineral Resources
UNIT 2:
Natural Resources
2.1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES 2.2.1 Natural resources and associated problems 2.2.2 Non-renewable resources 2.2.3 Renewable resources a. Forest Resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies. Timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people b. Water Resources: Use and over-utilisation of surface and ground water, floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams – benefits and problems. c. Mineral Resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources, case studies.
16 20 20 22 22 23 26 30 32
d. Food Resources: World food problems, Changes in landuse by agriculture and grazing, Effects of modern agriculture, Fertilizer/ pesticide problems, Water logging and salinity e. Energy Resources: Increasing energy needs, Renewable/ non renewable, Use of Alternate energy sources, Case studies f. Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man-induced land-slides, soil erosion and desertification.
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2.3 ROLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES 2.4 EQUITABLE USE OF RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES
50 51
Natural Resources
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4/9/2004, 5:07 PM
2.1 INTRODUCTION Our environment provides us with a variety of goods and services necessary for our day to day lives. These natural resources include, air, water, soil, minerals, along with the climate and solar energy, which form the non-living or ‘abiotic’ part of nature. The ‘biotic’ or living parts of nature consists of plants and animals, including microbes. Plants and animals can only survive as communities of different organisms, all closely linked to each in their own habitat, and requiring specific abiotic conditions. Thus, forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes and the marine environment all form habitats for specialised communities of plants and animals to live in. Interactions between the abiotic aspects of
Natural Resources
2.1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES 2.2.1 Natural resources and associated problems 2.2.2 Non-renewable resources 2.2.3 Renewable resources a. Forest Resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies. Timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people b. Water Resources: Use and over-utilisation of surface and ground water, floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams – benefits and problems. c. Mineral Resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources, case studies.
16 20 20 22 22 23 26 30 32
d. Food Resources: World food problems, Changes in landuse by agriculture and grazing, Effects of modern agriculture, Fertilizer/ pesticide problems, Water logging and salinity e. Energy Resources: Increasing energy needs, Renewable/ non renewable, Use of Alternate energy sources, Case studies f. Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man-induced land-slides, soil erosion and desertification.
35 48
2.3 ROLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES 2.4 EQUITABLE USE OF RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES
50 51
Natural Resources
15
Chapter2.p65
15
4/9/2004, 5:07 PM
2.1 INTRODUCTION Our environment provides us with a variety of goods and services necessary for our day to day lives. These natural resources include, air, water, soil, minerals, along with the climate and solar energy, which form the non-living or ‘abiotic’ part of nature. The ‘biotic’ or living parts of nature consists of plants and animals, including microbes. Plants and animals can only survive as communities of different organisms, all closely linked to each in their own habitat, and requiring specific abiotic conditions. Thus, forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes and the marine environment all form habitats for specialised communities of plants and animals to live in. Interactions between the abiotic aspects of