natural resources

1. NATURAL RESOURCES

2. WHAT ARE NATURAL
RESOURCES?
Natural resources are living things from the
Earth that living things need.

3. Plants

4. Animals

5. Air

6. Water

7. Land and Soil

8. Minerals

9. Forests

10. Resources are Life
• Air, water, soil: we must breathe, eat and have shelter
to live.
• To meet our “needs” and “wants” we use resources in
many different ways.
• Natural resources: material that comes from our
natural environment (raw)

11. Classification of resources

12. Classification of resources

13. Flow Resources
• Replaced by natural actions whether humans
use them or not
e.g. fresh water flowing through streams and
rivers because of precipitation; ocean currents
EXIST B/C OF NATURAL SYSTEMS AND NATURAL
PROCESSES
Solar Energy
Wind
Fresh water
Waves, Tides
Air

14. ENERGY RESOURCES
Energy is the capacity to work. We use energy at various levels in different
forms. Two types of energy resources i.e. renewable energy resources and
non renewable energy resources.
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15. Renewable resources & Non-renewable
resources
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.
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16. Forests : Any area with lot of trees.
Forests occur naturally, but
they can be affected
positively and negatively by
human behavior. If a forest is
carefully replanted and
allowed to grow, it can exist in
balance. If the forest is cut
down faster than it can grow
back, then it will be used up
quickly.

17. FOREST RESOURCES
• Forest, an area with a high density of trees is a very complex ecosystem on
the earth.
• The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) has defined forest as a land
with tree crown cover of more than 10% and area of more than 0.5
hectares.
• The Indian Government defines forest as a land having tree crown cover
value of minimum 15%, land area value of minimum 0.05 ha and tree
height value of minimum 2 meters.
• Forests are a very crucial natural resource and have always been central in
human life.
• Forests provide renewable raw materials and energy, maintain biological
diversity, mitigate climate change, protect land and water resources,
provide recreation facilities, improve air quality and help alleviate poverty.
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18. Forest cover in India
• India’s Forest Cover accounts for
23.84% of the total geographical
area of the country and tree
cover.
• Tree Cover is defined as tree
patches outside recorded forest
(areas exclusive of forest cover
and less than the minimum
mappable area of one hectare)
accounts for 2.82% of India’s
geographical area (State of Forest
Report, 2007, Published on 2009).
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19. IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS
• Provides clean air.
• Provides clean water.
• Providing homes to plants and animals
• Provides shelter for tribal people.
• Provides commercial products.
• Regulation of climate
• Reducing global warming.
• Soil conservation.
• Pollution moderators.
• Aesthetic value

20. OVER EXPLOITATION OF FORESTS
• Commercial demand.
• Raw materials for industrial use.
• Urbanization and moderanization.
• Development projects for dams, roads,
hydroelectric projects, power stations,
railways
• Growing food demands.
• Fuel requirements.

21. Deforestation
• Deforestation refers to the cutting, clearing,
and removal of rainforest or related
ecosystems into less bio-diverse ecosystems
such as pasture, cropland, or plantations

22. Causes of deforestation
I. Overpopulation
II. Logging
III. Mining, Oil and gas extraction
IV. Cattle ranching
V. Agriculture: Cash crops
VI. Local, National, and International factors:
development, land titles, government subsidies to
attract corporations into developing countries, trade
agreements (NAFTA, CAFTA), civil wars, debt, lack of
resources, and lack of law enforcement

23. Statistics on Global Rates of
Rainforest Destruction
• 2.4 acres (1 hectare) per second: equivalent to two U.S.
football fields
• 149 acres (60 hectares) per minute
• 214,000 acres (86,000 hectares) per day: an area larger than
New York City
• 78 million acres (31 million hectares) per year: an area larger
than Poland
• On average, 137 species become extinct everyday; or 50,000
each year!
• *If the current rate of deforestation continues, the world's
rain forests will vanish within 100 years- causing unknown
effects on global climate and eliminating the majority of
plant and animal species on the planet

24. Timber extraction
• Timber is the wood used for engineering
purposes like building houses, making
furniture and for packing materials.

25. Effects of Timber extraction
• Poor logging results in a degraded forest.
• Floods may be intensified by cutting of trees or upstream watersheds.
• Loss of biodiversity.
• Climatic changes such as lower precipitation.
• New logging roads permit shifting cultivators to gain access to logged areas
and fell the remaining trees.
• Forest fragmentation which promotes loss of biodiversity because some
species of plants and animals require large continuous areas of similar habitat
to survive.
• Exploitation of tribal people by the contractors.
• Soil erosion specially on slopes occurs extensively.
• loss of non-timber products and loss of long-term forest productivity on the
site affect the subsistence economy of the forest dwellers.

26. Food Resources
• One tenth of the current world population :
Unmanaged Natural System
• 90% present world population : Managed Natural
System (Agriculture)
• The term agriculture, also includes livestock
husbandry, managed fisheries(aquaculture) and
forestry.
• Therefore, the bulk of global food production(cereals,
oils, livestock and fish) is dependent upon a whole
range of agricultural systems.

27. FOOD RESOURCES
•Our food comes almost entirely from agriculture,
animal husbandry and fishing i.e.,
•76% from crop lands,
•17% from range lands i.e., meat from grazing
livestock and
•7% - marine and fresh water i.e., fisheries.
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28. FOOD PROBLEMS
World Wide Problems
1. Natural Catastrophes : Drought, Heavy Rain And Flooding, Crop Failures.
2. Environmental Degradation Soil Erosion And Inadequate Water Resources.
3. Food Supply and demand Imbalances.
4. Inadequate Food Reserves.
5. Warfare And Civil Disturbances.
6. Migration Refugees.
7. Culturally based Food Prejudices.
8. Declining Ecological Conditions In Agricultural Regions.
Problems Of The Developing World
1. Underdevelopment.
2. Excessive Population Growth.
3. Lack Of Economic Incentives farmers Using Inappropriate Methods And Laboring On Land
They May Lose Or Can Never Hope To Own.
4. Parents Lacking Knowledge Of Basic Nutrition For Their Children.
5. Insufficient Government Attention To The Rural Sector.

29. Food Problems
Problems of the Industrialized World
1. Excessive use of natural resources.
2. Pollution.
3. Inefficient, animal-protein diets.
4. Inadequate research in science and technology.
5. Excessive government bureaucracy.
6. Loss of farmland to competing uses.
Problems Linking Industrial and Developing Worlds
1. Unequal access to resources.
2. Inadequate transfer of research and technology.
3. Lack of development planning.
4. Insufficient food aid.
5. Politics of food aid and nutrition education.
7. Inappropriate technological research.
8. Inappropriate role of multinational corporations.
9. Insufficient emphasis on agricultural development for self-sufficiency.

30. Causes of Food Problem
• Quantitative aspect of food problem
Increasing Population:
Natural Disasters : Draughts and Floods
• Qualitative aspects of food problem
Less production of protective food.
Low capacity for the purpose of nutritious articles.
Refraining from meat, fish and eggs due to religious causes.
Unawareness of balanced diet.

31. Food security
• Food security is the ability of all people at all
times to access enough food for an active and
healthy life.
• Three conditions must be fulfilled to ensure
food security that is availability, access,
utilization.

32. Minerals
• Minerals are naturally occurring substances
that originally came from rock, such as
phosphorous, bauxite, iron, salt, gold, silver,
copper, and potassium. Many minerals are
essential for the healthy growth of plants and
animals.

33. Mining
• Minerals are extensively used in domestic,
agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors and
form a very important part of any nations economy.
• Mineral resources refers to a wide variety of
materials obtained from earth. They may be:
• Metallic minerals(bauxite)
• Non-metallic minerals(graphite)
• Energy generating minerals(coal)

34. Major uses of some minerals
Metallic minerals Major uses
Iron Heavy machinery, steel production and transportation means.
Aluminum Packaging food items, transportation, utensils, electronics.
Chromium In making high strength steel alloys and in textile and tanning industries
Copper Electric and electronic goods, cables and vessels.
Lead Leaded gasoline, car batteries, paints, ammunition.
Manganese For making high strength, heat resistant steel alloys.
Platinum Use in automobiles, catalytic converters, electronics, medical uses.
Gold Ornaments, medical use, electronics and in aerospace.
Silver Photography, electronics and jewellery.
Nonmetallic minerals
Silicate minerals Sand and gravel for construction, bricks, paving's etc.
Limestone Used for concrete, building stone, used in agriculture for neutralizing acid
soils, used in cement industry.
Potash Used as fertilizers.
sulfur Used in medicines, car batteries and in industry.

35. Mining

36. Impacts of Mining
• Devegetation of landscape
• Subsidence of land
• Ground water contamination
• Surface water pollution
• Air pollution
• Dust and noise pollution
• Occupational health hazards
• Ecological damage

37. Indian scenario of mining impact
• Jaduguda uranium mine, Jharkhand. Exposed locals to
radioactive hazards.
• Jharia coal mines, Jharkhand. Underground firing leading
to land subsidence and forced displacement of people.
• Sukinda chromite mines, Orissa. Seepage of Cr(VI) into
river. Toxic and carcinogenic.
• Kudremukh iron ore mine, Karnataka. River pollution and
threat to biodiversity.
• East coast bauxite mine, Orissa. Land encroachment and
unsettled rehabilitation.
• North-eastern coal fields, Assam. High sulfur
contamination of ground water.

38. Conservation of mineral resources
• Economy in the use of mineral resources.
• Making finished products to last longer.
• Use of less precious substitutes.
• Renovation, recycling and reuse of metals.
• Applying effective techniques to recover
materials from minerals.
• Search of new earths treasures.
• Protection of existing mineral deposits.

39. Dams
• Temple of modern india :≈ 1850 major dams
• Largest : Bhakra Dam on Satluj in Himachal
Pradesh.
• Highest : Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi in
Uttarakhand.

40. Effects due to Dams
• Upstream problems
• Displacement of peoples
• Deforestation and loss of biodiversity
• Siltation and sedimentation
• Stagnation and water logging
• Changes in fisheries, breeding of vectors and aquatic
breeds.
• Earthquakes due to induced seismicity by reservoirs.

41. Effects due to Dams
• Downstream problems
• Water logging and salinity due to over irrigation.
• Reduced water flow and silt deposition.
• Salt water intrusion at river mouth.
• Flash floods and loss of land fertility.
• Micro-climate Changes.
• Outbreak of vector-borne diseases.

42. WATER RESOURCES
• Water is the driver of life, said Leonardo da vinci.
• Rare liquid, Natural resource and precious commodity, universal solvent.
• In nature, it is never totally pure. We depend on its good quality and quantity for
drinking, recreation, use in industry and growing crops.
• The worlds total quantum of water is 140x1016
m3
. 90% of all water on earth is salty.
• For every 1000 gallons of water on earth only 3 gallons are drinkable. Thus the
amount of water for which all people on the earth compete is much less than 1% of
the total. The global supply of water is fixed and finite.
• The water that lashes the earth today as rains is the same
water that evaporated yesterday from the seas.

43. Water is a Natural Resource
• People use water in many ways…
– People, plants, and animals need water to live.
– People use water for drinking and cooking.
– Water is used for having fun, to swim or cool-off.
– Water is also used for bathing and cleaning things.
Our supply of water will never run out. Water
covers about 70% of the Earth. Remember, water
is always being recycled.

44. Water resources
• Sea water : 97% in Oceans, 2.3% in Polar ice
caps, 0.7% as Fresh water.
• Ground water : 0.66%
• Surface water : 0.03%
• Rain water : Hydrological cycle balanced in
nature.
Cloud
formation
Rain fall

45. Water resources• Water resources are sources of water that are useful or
potentially useful.
• Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household,
recreational and environmental activities.
• 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water. However, only
three percent is fresh water; slightly over two thirds of this is
frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps.
The remaining unfrozen
freshwater is found mainly as groundwater, with only a small
fraction present above ground or in the air.
• Fresh water is a renewable resource, yet the world's supply of
clean, fresh water is steadily decreasing.
• Water demand already exceeds supply in many parts of the
world and as the world population continues to rise, so too
does the water demand.
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46. WATER QUALITY
• Water that exists in nature, like any other
material, undergoes changes. These changes
are driven by both physical and chemical
means. Chemicals(either organic or inorganic)
that dissolve in water can change its
characteristics and may cause it to become
contaminated. Among other things, these
chemicals could change its pH, cause
hardness, or add dissolved oxygen.

47. Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels take millions of years to form. They are the product
of the fossilized remains of dead plants and animals that have
been exposed to the heat and pressure deep within the earth’s
crust.
There are many types of fossil fuels, such as petroleum
(gasoline), natural gas, and coal.
It is estimated that 86 percent of the world’s energy comes
directly from burning fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are a major contributor to air pollution because when
they are burned they release many dangerous gases such as
nitrogen dioxide, methane, and carbon dioxide.

48. Solar Energy
The sun is the closest star to Earth. It brings heat and light to the
world. Some areas of the world, such as those closest to the
equator, have more sun than others.
The sun shines naturally but it is not affected by human activity.
It cannot be used up. However, its intensity varies with the
seasons, and it is not available at night.
The sun’s rays are used for energy by organisms that undergo
photosynthesis. Nearly every organism on the planet gets energy
through photosynthesis, directly or indirectly. There are also
ways that people can utilize the energy that the sun provides.
We can use solar power in simple (facing the sun to get warm,
using greenhouses to grow food, etc.) and more complex (solar
panels for heating) ways.

49. Wind
The wind blows naturally – it is not caused by human
activity, and it cannot be used up.
The power of the wind drives sailboats. It has been used
to power windmills that grind grain. Windmills can also
use the circular movement of the blades to turn a
turbine. This is increasingly used as a means of
generating electricity.
Wind power does not make greenhouse gas emissions. It does
not directly cause pollution. However, critics of wind power say a
large number of windmills could cause problems for animals,
especially migratory birds. Some people think the windmills are
unattractive.

50. Soil, Rocks, and Minerals are Natural
Resources
• A rock is a natural solid made of one or more
minerals.
• Minerals are natural solids usually formed as
crystals that are found in rocks. All rocks are
made of one or more minerals.

51. Soil is a Natural Resource
• Soil is the loose top layer of the earth’s
surface. All soil comes from rocks and
minerals.
• Although many of us don't think about the
ground beneath us or the soil that we walk on
each day, the truth is soil is a very important
resource.
Think of the Earth as an egg. The shell is a
very thin layer. Soil is the thin layer of the
Earth’s surface.

52. Rocks are Natural Resources
• A rock is a natural solid
made of one or more
minerals.

53. Minerals are Natural Resources
• Minerals are natural solids usually formed as
crystals that are found in rocks. All rocks are
made of one or more minerals.

54. Plants are Natural Resources
• Plants have many uses…
– They make surroundings more beautiful.
– Trees are used for wood to build houses and make furniture.
– Trees are also used to make paper.
– Fabric is made from plants, like cotton.
– Branches from plants are used for fuel to make a fire.
– Plants are used for food: fruits, vegetables and grains.
– Plants are used to make cooking oils, herbs, and spices for
seasoning foods.
– Plants are also used to make medicines.
– Some plants are even used to make rubber for tires.

55. . Geothermal energy
1
Geothermal energy is power extracted from
heat stored under the earth’s crust. This power
source is generally cost effective, usually
reliable, mostly sustainable, and generally
environmentally friendly.

56. Wind Energy
2.
• Wind power is growing at a rate of 30% a year and is harmless to the
environment.
• Three minor problems with wind energy however, wind is not available in
sufficient quantities in all locations all of the time, the current turbine
technology tends to be loud, and birds can sometimes fly into the
propellers and get killed.
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57. Solar energy
• Solar energy has been used by humans since the
beginning of mankind.
• Three types of solar energy: passive solar energy,
active solar energy, and solar energy created by
converting solar radiation into electricity using
photovoltaic cells.
• Solar energy using photovoltaic or solar cells is
currently the fastest growing power generating
technology in the world.

58. . Hydropower
4
•Hydroelectric dams use hydro-power to produce electricity.
•Hydro-power is created from the force of moving water turning large
turbines to create electricity.
•Modern age large scale hydroelectric dams however impact the
environment through loss of natural habitat, changes to the downstream
riverbed, the disruption of fish spawning, and even the loss of fish and other
species.
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59. Tidal Hydro-power
5.
•This is a form of hydro-power where the rising
tide fills a damned reservoir, then as the tide
lowers, the water is released through a turbine
that produces electricity, similar to that of a
hydroelectric dam.

60. Oil
•Crude oil is a naturally occurring highly toxic
combustible liquid primarily made up of
hydrocarbons.
•Oil is the result of the partial decaying of living
organisms occurring in the rock strata of
certain geological formations.

61. Coal
• Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock formed
from fossilized plants.
• Coal consists of amorphous carbon with various organic and some
inorganic compounds and is normally occurring in rock strata in layers or
veins called coal beds.
• Coal is another highly toxic element that is bad for the environment, and
currently is the largest source of energy for power plants, referred to as
coal fired power plants.
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62. Natural Gas
3.
• Natural gas is another combustible mixture of
hydrocarbon gases that occurs with petroleum
deposits consisting primarily of the gas methane.
• It is found with other fossil fuels and in coal beds. It is
created by the decay of methanogenic organisms in
marshes, bogs, and landfills.
• Lower temperatures are likely to produce more
petroleum, and higher temperatures are likely to
produce more natural gas.

63. Nuclear Power
4. Nuclear power is produced by the controlled splitting of atoms, which is
called nuclear fission.
• In m cases nuclear power plants use nuclear fission chain reactions to
heat water, using the resulting steam to produce electricity.
• Uranium, specifically, uranium -235, is one of the few elements easily
fission-ed.
• Some would think of this as renewable, but it is not, and it is also
dangerous, as the radioactive materials used and the resulting
radioactive waste are extremely hazardous to both humans and the
environment.
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64. • Food security: It is the ability of all people at all times to access
enough food for an active and healthy life.
• It is estimated that 18 million people worldwide, most of whom
are children, die each year due to starvation or malnutrition,
and many others suffer a variety of dietary deficiencies.
• If the world’s carrying capacity to produce food cannot meet
the needs of a growing population, anarchy and conflict will
follow.

65. SOLAR ENERGY
• Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the
sun harnessed using a range of ever-evolving
technologies such as solar thermal energy,
solar heating, artificial photo synthesis etc.
• It is an important source of renewable energy.
Solar energy is becoming increasingly popular
as the world takes notice of the burgeoning
carbon emission problems that come with
burning fossil fuels.

66. SOIL CONSERVATION
• 1 Biological methods - strip cropping(small
strips on slopes), crop rotation, application of
manure, shelter belt(green belts of trees) and
vegetation cover.
• 2 Mechanical methods – contouring(on
slopes), terracing(large areas on slopes),
control of gully through retention of run-off,
diversion of run-off and new structures.

67. ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY
• The sun is constant. It will always be there and is therefore a
reliable, utterly renewable source of energy.
• Solar energy does not emit any green house gases.
• Solar energy is produced by conducting the sun’s radiation – a
process void of any smoke, gas or other chemical byproduct.
• Solar energy doesn’t require expensive and ongoing raw
materials like oil or coal and beyond initial installation and
maintenance it is free.
• Solar energy offers decentralization in most locations that is
self-reliant and need no transportation.

68. ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR....
• As solar energy doesn’t rely on constantly mining raw
materials, it doesn’t result in the destruction of forests and
ecosystems that occurs with many fossil fuel operations.
• As solar energy doesn’t rely on the burning of harmful fuels to
generate electricity,solar power is non-polluting. It doesn’t
contribute to global warming or greenhouse gas emissions.
• Solar energy is renowned for its versatility, and can be used to
power anything from a tiny torch to a satellite in space,
without the need for wires, cords or power sources.
• Solar technology is improving and reducing in cost all the
time, whereas fossil fuel prices are only steadily increasing.

69. DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY
• The biggest disadvantage of solar energy is that its not constant and
doesn’t work at night. It also decreases over winter months when there
are less sunlight hours and sun radiation is less intense.
• Solar energy production is inefficient as current widespread solar panel
efficiency is at around 22% only. It means a fairly vast amount of surface
area is required to produce adequate electricity, as solar panels are
currently converting a maximum of 34% of the available sunlight.
• Solar electricity storage technology has not reached its potential as solar
drip feed batteries available are currently costly and bulky.
• The methods by which we harness solar power are constantly being
improved and, although efficiency and cost are not ideal right now, the
future looks like it might be bright, sunny and solar powered.

70. Hydrogen energy
• Hydrogen is the simplest element. An atom of hydrogen
consists of only one proton and one electron. It is also the
most plentiful element in the universe, but doesnot really
exists as a separate form of matter. Instead it is usually
combined with other elements. Production of hydrogen is
possible by thermal dissociation, photolysis or electrolysis of
water. To separate hydrogen gas from its companion
substances takes a lot of work but it produces a powerful,
nearly clean source of enrgy. As hydrogen burns in air , it
combines with oxygen to form water and a large amount of
energy (150 kilojoules per gms ) is released. Due to its high,
rather the highest calorific value, hydrogen can serve as an
excellent fuel.

71. Advantages of hydrogen energy
• As hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe it
is readily available.
• Hydrogen energy when burned, leaves almost no harmful
byproducts. In fact, when used in NASAs spaceships the
burned hydrogen gas leaves behind clean drinking water for
the astronauts.
• Hydrogen is also non-toxic and environment friendly fuel
sources.
• Hydrogen energy is very powerful and efficient . infact it is
three times as powerful as gasoline and similar fossil fuels,
meaning it takes less of it to accomplish more.
• Unlike other conventional source of energy it is renewable
and can be produced again. All we need is fossil fuels to break
the water molecules.

72. DISADVANTAGES
• Hydrogen energy is expensive and time consuming to
produce.
• Hydrogen energy is hard to move around as compared to
other fuels.
• Existing infrastructure doesnot support the use of it and
needs advanced structure for its functioning.
• Hydrogen being a powerful source of fuel , is highly
inflammable and potential risks are associated with it.
• Though hydrogen energy is renewable but depends on fossil
fuels to produce hydrogen fuel.

73. Section 1
Conserving Land and Soil
• 3 uses that change the land are agriculture,
development, and mining.
• Less than 1/3 of Earth can be farmed. New farmland
must be created for the growing populations.
• In the U.S. about a million hectares of farmland is
developed each year.
• Development is the construction of buildings, roads,
bridges, dams and other structures.

74. Mining
• Mining is the removal of nonrenewable resources such as
iron, copper, and coal from the land.
• Strip mining removes a strip of land to obtain minerals, and then replacing
the strip. This exposes the soil and can be washed or blown away. These
areas can remain barren for years before they are rich enough to support
the growth of new plants.

75. Protecting the Soil
• Poor soil management can result in 3
problems: erosion, nutrient depletion, and
desertification.

76. Terms
• Litter: The very top layer of dead leaves and grass.
• Topsoil: A mixture of rock fragments, nutrients, water, air,
and decaying animal and plant matter.
• Subsoil: Below the topsoil, contains rock fragments, water
and air, but less animal and plant matter.
• Bedrock: Soil that makes up Earth’s crust.
• It takes hundreds of years to form just a few centimeters of
new soil.

77. Erosion
Is the process by which water, wind, or ice
moves particles of rocks or soil.

78. Nutrient Depletion
• Nutrient Depletion: When farmers plant the same crops in a
field year after year. As a result, the plants use more
nutrients than the decomposers can replace. The soil
becomes less fertile.

79. Desertification
• The advance of desertlike conditions into
areas that previously were fertile.

80. Review
• List three ways that people use land.
• What are 3 problems that can occur when
topsoil is not properly managed?
• Describe the effects of strip mining.
• Describe two methods for reducing soil
erosion.

82. Indian Perspective
India, with only 2.3% of world’s total land area is supporting 18% and 15% of
world’s human and livestock population, respectively. The per capita arable land in the
country is only 0.15 ha and it is expected to come down to 0.08 ha by 2025. The
increasing pressure on the scarce soil resource and unscientific practices adopted for
short-term gains to meet the mounting multiple demands has led to over exploitation and
degradation of these resources. Long-term sustained productivity is being ignored for
short term gains.
It is a paradoxical situation that on the one hand more production is required
from the scarce soil resources for meeting the demand of ever expanding population, on
the other hand vast areas are either going out of cultivation or showing alarming
reduction in productivity due to land degradation at an alarming rate. Therefore,
reclamation of the degraded lands and prevention of any further degradation of land, are
among the serious national challenges.
As per the recent estimates of National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use
Planning, out of a total of 146.5 million ha of degraded land, water erosion affects 103.9
million ha, wind erosion 13.1 million ha physical deterioration 12.23 million ha, chemical
deterioration 10.3 million ha and deterioration due to other complex problems is 7.2
million ha.

83. About my Country:
• Area: 3,287,590 sq km
• Population: 1,188,310,000
• Literacy : 61%
• Government: Federal Democratic Republic
• Unemployment: 10.7%
• GDP: $3.57 trillion
• Chief Occupations: Agriculture is the chief
occupation of the country followed by service
and industrial jobs.
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84. Our Natural Resources Wealth
• Land
– Arable Land: 48%
– Forests: 22%
• Water
– Total renewable water resources: 1,907.8 km3/year
• Soil
– Many fertile soils including alluvial soil which comprises 80% of the total fertile
soil available
• Minerals
– India occupies a prominent place in the world in the production of many minerals.
The chief minerals include Coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore,
chromite, diamonds, limestone, thorium, petroleum, natural gas
• Energy
– India makes use of both renewable and non renewable energy resources. Energy
resources include natural gas, thermal, hydro, nuclear and other renewable
sources.
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85. Our Natural Resources Wealth
• Vegetation
– India has diverse vegetation which includes tropical rainforests,
deciduous forests and coniferous forests. India has 6 % of the world’s
flowering plants.
• Wildlife
– India has many species of animals, birds and reptiles which includes
7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian of the wildlife
population in the world Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Lion,
Leopard, Sloth Bear and Indian Rhinoceros, antelopes are some of the
important animals.
85

86. Natural Resources Chart
86

87. What is calling for our attention?
• India as country is blessed with rich natural
resources. But from our research on the usage of
natural resources in our country, we found that
the resources are depleting every day. For
example:
– Forest and arable land is being depleted due to
urbanization, overpopulation and overconsumption
– Wild life resources are being lost due to illegal
poaching, hunting and industrialization.
– Water resources are being contaminated are drying
up due to industrialization.