Natural Resources

        

1.Earth's Resources and Humans

( i ) The atmosphere. 

• Oxygen for human respiration ( metabolic requirements ) 

 • Oxygen for wild fauna in natural ecosystems and domestic animals used by humans food . 

 • Oxygen as a part of carbon dioxide , used for the growth of plants ( which in turn are by humans ) 

The atmosphere forms a protective shell over the earth . The lowest layer or troposph the only part warm enough for us to survive in , is only 12 km thick . If the earth were size of an apple , this lower layer of atmosphere that we breathe would be no thicker t the apple ' s skin ! The stratosphere is 50 km thick and contains a layer of sulphates , wh is important for the formation of rain . It also contains a layer of ozone , which absc ultraviolet ( UV ) light known to cause cancer , and without which no life could exist on ea The atmosphere is not uniformly warmed by the sun . 

This leads to air flows and variati in climate , temperature and rainfall in different parts of the earth . It is a complex dynai system ; if disrupted , it affects everybody . Most air Atmosphere ( air ) pollutants have both global and regional effects . . Living creatures cannot survive without air even for a few minutes . To continue to support life , the air must be kept clean . Many of the major Biosphere ( thin layer on pollutants ofair are created by earth in which life can ENI ) industrial units that release gases such as carbon dioxide , carbon monoxide and toxic fumes into the air . The air is also polluted by burning fossil Hydrosphere ( water ) Lithosphere . ( land fuels . 

The build - up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere ,known as the greenhouse effect , has led to the current global warming . The growing number of scooters , motorcycles , cars , buses . and . trucks . which all run on fossil fuel ( petrol and diesel ) , is a major cause of air pollution in cities and along highways . . . Air pollution severely affects human health ; it leads to acute and chronic respiratory diseases such as lung infections , asthma and even cancer.

    (2) Hydrosphere 

 •Clean water for drinking (a metabolic requirement for all living processes) 

•Water for washing and cooking

• Water used in agriculture and industry

 • Food resources from the sea, including fish, crustaceans and seaweed

 • Food from freshwater sources, including fish, crustaceans and aquatic plants

 • Water flowing down from mountain ranges, harnessed to generate electricity in hydroelectric projects

 The hydrosphere covers three-quarters of the earth's surface. A major part of the hydrosphere is the marine ecosystem in the ocean, while only a small part is freshwater. The freshwater in rivers, lakes and glaciers is perpetually being renewed by a process of evaporation and rainfall; some of this freshwater is stored in underground aquifers. Human activities, like deforestation, create serious changes in the hydrosphere. Once the land is denuded of vegetation, the rain erodes the soil, which is then washed into the sea. Chemicals from industry and sewage find their way into rivers and into the sea. 

Water pollution thus threatens the health of communities, as all our lives depend on the availability of clean water. This once plentiful resource is now becoming rare and expensive due to Water pollution pollution. 

    (3) Lithosphere 

• Soil, the basis for agriculture to provide us with food

 • Stone, sand and gravel, used for construction 

• Micronutrients in soil, essential for plant growth Microscopic flora, small soil fauna and fungi in soil, important living organisms of the lithosphere, which break down plant litter as well as animal waste to provide nutrients for plants.

• A large number of minerals on which our industries are based 

• Oil, coal and gas, extracted from underground sources. They provide power for vehicles, agricultural machinery, industry and for our homes.

The lithosphere began as a hot ball of matter which formed the earth about 4.6 billion years ago. About 3.2 billion years ago, the earth cooled down considerably and a very special event took place-life began on our planet. The crust of the earth is 6-7 km thick and lies under the continents. Of the 92 elements in the lithosphere, only eight are common constituents of crystal rocks. Of these, 47% is oxygen, 28% is silicon, 8% is aluminum, and 5% is iron, while sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium constitute 4% each. Together, these elements form about 200 common mineral compounds. Rocks, when broken down, form soil on which humans are dependent for agriculture. Their minerals are also the raw material used in various industries.

            (4) Biosphere 

• Food, from crops and domestic animals, providing human metabolic requirements

 • Food for all forms of life, which live as interdependent species in a community, and form food chains in nature on which humans are dependent 

• Energy needs: Biomass fuelwood collected from forests and plantations, along with other forms of organic matter, used as a source of energy

 • Timber and other construction materials 

This is the relatively thin layer on the earth in which life can exist. Within it the air, water, rocks and soil and the living creatures form structural and functional ecological units, which together can be considered as one giant global living system, that of our earth itself. Within this framework, those characterised by broadly similar geography and climate, as well as communities of plant and animal life can be divided for convenience into different biogeographical realms. These occur on different continents. Within these, smaller biogeographical units can be identified on the basis of structural differences and functional aspects into distinctive recognisable ecosystems, which give a distinctive character to a landscape or waterscape. Their easily visible and identifiable characteristics can be described at different scales, such as those of a country, a state, a district or even an individual valley, hill range, river or lake. https://456263.click-allow.top/

RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES 

A renewable resource is a natural resource which, if harvested sustainably, can be regenerated after its use. Ecosystems act as resource producers and processors. Solar energy is the main driving force of ecological systems, providing energy for the growth of plants in forests, grasslands and aquatic ecosystems.

Non-renewable resources on the other hand are natural resources that take millions of years to regenerate and are therefore irreplaceable after consumption. They are often present in only a fixed amount and are often consumed at a faster rate than the environment's capacity to regenerate them. Fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are some examples of non-renewable resources.

  The need for sustainable lifestyles

 The quality of human life and the quality of ecosystems on earth are indicators of the susta able use of resources. There are some clear indicators of sustainable lifestyles in human ife. such as: 

• increased longevity, 

• an increase in knowledge, and

 • an enhancement of income. These three together are known as the 'Human Development Index. The indicators of the quality of the ecosystems are more difficult to assess. They are: 

• a stabilised population or the percentage of species loss, 

• species diversity in ecosystems, and 

• the state of 'naturalness' of ecosystems.

Multidisciplinary Nature

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