Lesson - 12 Main natural resources

Introduction :-

Every organism is surrounded by a variety of living organism and non living environment (Air, light, soil, water, temperature etc.).
These biotic and abiotic factors form the specific environment of the organism.
Man has tried to maintain harmony with nature since his emergence.
His existence is depended on nature's resources. Therefore, man has been respecting nature since time immemorial.
Unfortunately in the last few years there is seen an increased tendency of imprudent use of nature, because of that we are facing many bad effects in the form of natural calamities such as flood, drought, landslides, epidemic, earthquakes, tsunami etc.
In the ancient Indian culture know that in the Vedic period our ancestors gave excessive importance to nature.
They believed in the concept of Panch Tatva (Sun, sky, earth, water, fire) and by worshipping these tattvas like God, they explained the significance of nature to mankind.

Meaning of resources :-

Every object that is used directly or indirectly by human is called a resource.

Meaning of natural resources :-

The resources that we are receiving from nature and which we use directly without making any change in it are called natural resources.

Types of natural resources :-

Natural resources can be divided into three parts.

On the basis of development and use
On the basis of origin
On the basis of storage or distribution

On the basis of development and use :-

On the basis of development and use natural resources can be further divided into two levels

1. Actual resources :-

Those resources or objects whose structure or quantity is known to us and which we are using in the present time are called actual resources.
Eg. quantity of coal in Germany, quantity of mineral oil in West Asia, quantity of black soil in Maharashtra.

2. Possible resources :-

The objects whose exact quantity or numbers cannot be guessed and which we are not currently using but can use in future, are called possible resources.
The example of possible resources is wind mill which was a possible resource 20 years ago, but in modern time our country has made technical progress due to which today we are able to use mills.
Uranium found in Ladakh is also a possible resource which we can use in the near future.

On the basis of origin :-

On the basis of origin, natural resources can be divided into two levels

1. Biotic resources :-

Living things are called as biotic resources Eg. plants, animals, human etc.

2. Abiotic resources :-

Non-living objects are called as abiotic resources for Eg. - air, soil, light etc.

On the basis of distribution :-

On the basis of distribution, resources can be divided into two levels –

1. Universal :-

Those objects which are found everywhere and which are easily available are called universal resources Eg.- air

2. Local resources :-

Those objects which are found at a few places only are called local resources egg- copper, iron ore etc.

Natural resources more clearly, we can further divide it into two parts-

Renewable resources :-

The things that can be manufactured and used again, meaning that the objects which can be replenished easily, these objects are called renewable resources.

Eg.- solar energy, wind energy.

Non-renewable resources :-

The things whose stocks are limited and there is no hope for its creation or it takes too long to build again are called non-renewable resources.
Eg.-coal, petroleum, natural gas.

Management of natural resources :-

Man exploits natural resources for his livelihood. The primitive human being was dependent on plants and animals for his requirements.

At that time the density of population was less, the requirements of humans were limited and the level of technology was low. There was no problem of conservation at that time.

With time man has developed the technology of tapping the resources. In addition to the exploitation of the livelihood resources, man by scientific and technological developments also began to exploit the resources of production.

Due to the continuous growth of population, the demand for resources had increased. With the development of technology man increased his capacity to use these resources.

Therefore this competition has created a doubt that there will be question mark on the life of humans if the resources exhaust soon.

Judicious use and conservation :-

Natural resources can be conserved and used for long period of time if they are used judiciously and prudently. Planned, prudent and adequate use of resources is their conservation. Conservation does not mean

Not to use natural resources and only protect
They should be used miserly.
In Spite of their need they should be kept for future

But by conservation we mean that resources should be used sensibly to meet the requirements of more people for a longer time period

Need for conservation of Resources :-

Human being has been using various natural resources to fulfil his needs.
He plough the land for the supply of food and for Other substances, he has exploited and used forest products and minerals for the development of irrigation and power.
In the last two centuries there has been a rapid growth in population and industrial production.
Our consumption for food, cloth, shelter, means of transportation, various types of equipments, industrial raw material has increased several times. Because of this we are rapidly exploiting natural resources in a destructive manner.
This has resulted in worsening of the natural balance. If this equilibrium is lost then the existence of human beings will also be in danger.
Thus for the existence and for the progress of human being conservation and management of natural resources is necessary

Ways of conservation of resources :-

Natural resource is our capital. It should be used for beneficial works in a planned manner.

For this firstly we must be aware of the resources of a country or a region, and should also keep in mind that various resources are mutually influential and interactive. So if one reduces or gets destroyed, then its bad effects fall on the whole economic cycle. We should use them on Priority basis.

Finishing indiscriminately those resources or natural resources which are limited, is a blind Sight. It is essential to search for the alternative options for the limited resources like coal and petroleum.

For the conservation of resources it is necessary to get support at government and non government level.

Forest conservation and management :-

A. Importance of forest :-

Forest is the base of life on earth.
This is an area where the action of the development of life has been going for ages and millions of species of animals and plants have been evolved.
Forest not only control the rain and supplies water continuously to the rivers, but also provide humidity to the atmosphere.
Forests not only protect fertile soil from erosion due to water and rain but also are one of the important factors for the formation of fertile soil from active abiotic rocks.
Forests help to keep the environment clean and maintains the natural balance. Clean environment is not possible without forest.
About 35 lakhs cubic meter of timber, 13 lakhs cubic meter firewood, innumerable types of products like - bamboo, medicine, gum, resins, rubber, scented oil, oil seeds and many other useful products are obtained from forests

B. If forest are absent on the earth :-

In the last few years, the demand for timber as well as the increase in its prices had led to an increase in the timber trade that now the forests around the world have become threatened.

Due to the reduced cover of the forests drought occurs at many places.
In the absence of trees, the fertile soil flows away with rain water.
Due to cutting of trees on the hills, soil flows down with rains and comes into the rivers, consequently the rivers become so shallow that it floods, when the water level increases a little.
In spite of the accelerated destruction of the forests in the last few years, there are about 15000 species of flowering plants and double the number of other remaining flora species are found in India.
Only 15% of all available species of plants are of economic importance.

Indian forests are spread across around 8 lakhs sq. km.

In India mostly the tropical forests are found. One of the specialties of evergreen tropical forests is that they are rich in biodiversity. In some parts of the country we have deciduous temperate forests.

C. Deforestation :-

Cutting of plant/forest for any purpose is known as deforestation.
In our country 1.3 million hectare of forests are declining each year.
Initially approximately 70% of the earth was covered with forests but now only 16-17 percent of the land is covered with forests.

D. Reason for deforestation :-

With the increase in population forest land is cleared for agricultural purpose.
Forests are cut around the world for different construction works, factories and animal husbandry.
Jhoom farming is considered as one of the reasons for deforestation.

Jhoom farming

In this type of farming the flora of a particular region is burnt to ashes, thereby increasing the fertility of the land, for two to three years good harvest is taken.
With the decrease in the fertility of the soil the same method is adopted in other areas.
In our country the tribal people of Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Assam adopt this method of farming.

E. The Major side effects of deforestation :-

The Major side effects of deforestation are

Depletion of natural resources
Soil erosion
Destruction of forest life
Change in climate
Desertification
Increase in pollution etc.

F. The following measures can be adopted for the protection of the forests :-

Forest should be cut up to the optimal limits, there should be an equal ratio between the rate of forest cutting and plantation.
Forest should be protected from fire, for this the observation posts and fire protection path should be formed.
Forest should be protected by spraying insecticides to kill harmful insects and by removing diseased trees.
More priority should be given to diverse forest over uniform forest.
Destruction of forest for agriculture and habitat purpose and jhoom method of agriculture should be stopped.
To prevent deforestation, alternative sources of fuel and timber should be worked out.
Conservation of forest resources should be kept in mind while planning for dams and other multipurpose schemes.
Awakening public awareness about the importance of forests. Chipko movement, silent valley area etc. are the result of this awareness. Social and voluntary organisation have a great role in forest conservation.
It is creditable to give incentive to social farming.
The rules and regulations of forest conservation must be followed strictly.

Social forestry :-

It is recognized as a programme of the people, for the people and by the people.
In our country more than one crore hectare of degraded land needs to be replanted every year so that ecological balance can be maintained. This target can be achieved through social forestry.
This will not only increase the forest area but will also create employment on a large scale.
The National Commission Agriculture had also suggested to adopt social forestry in order to increase the forest area, so that with the expansion of forests, the villagers could get fodder, firewood, and secondary forest produce.
There are three main components of social forestry: -

Agroforestry
Plantation done by the forest department to meet the needs of the public at public places like canals, roadside, hospital etc.
Plantation on public land done by villagers.

Wild life :-

In general the term wild animals are used for those that live in natural habitat like, elephant, lion, rhinoceros, deer etc. But the term wild life is widely used for all the species of animals and plants found in nature.
India is a country which is endowed with religious, cultural, political, climatic, land diversity and a rich biodiversity.
It is remarkable that the land of our country has only 2.4% of the total land area of the world, where is 8.1% of the world's total biodiversity is found in our country.
Overall in India 500 mammals, 1200 aves, 220 snakes, 150 lizards, 30 tortoise, 30 crocodile and alligator, 105 fresh water fishes and thousands of invertebrate species are found.
But at present there has been such a cause created by humans that the existence of wildlife is ending.
Apart from humans there are also some natural reasons due to which the wildlife is becoming endangered.

Reasons for the Extinction of wildlife :-

There are many reasons for the destruction of the animals in natural habitat. The main reasons for this destruction are natural calamities like earthquake, volcano, tsunami etc.
Due to the population growth the needs of human beings have increased. Human used forest land for housing, agriculture, industries, which resulted in a crisis on the habitat of wildlife.
Due to large scale water projects like Bhakra Nangal, Tehari, Vyas project etc. the forest land was submerged in water, thereby decreasing the habitat of wildlife.
Natural habitats were also destroyed due to the mining works in forests, acid rain etc.
Oil leakage from oil tankers in the ocean is destroying the habitat of sea organisms.
Because of the Greenhouse effect the climate is getting hot around the earth, thereby destroying the biodiversity
Illegal poaching of the wild animals.
Pollution Conflict between humans and wildlife.
Natural
genetic
man-made reasons

In India conservation of wildlife was under the National Forest Policy during 1952-1972.

For the protection of wildlife in 1972, wildlife protection act was framed which is implemented today with many amendments.

An International organisation IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) was formed in 1948 due to the world wide awareness among people, for the conservation of nature.

Red Data Book :-

IUCN compiled a book on all the species which have reached the brink of extinction, this book is known as Red Data Book.

IUCN has defined the following five category of species –

1. Extinct species :-

The species which are extinct from this world an not surviving today are kept in this category like- Dinosaur (animal), Rhynia (plant)

2. Endangered species :-

These are the species whose conservation measure if not taken, will end in the near future like Rhinoceros, Godawan (Great Indian Bustard), Lion etc.

3. Vulnerable species :-

These are the species which are likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve like- common leopard, alligator etc.

4. Rare species: -

A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon, scarce and can become endangered in near future, like- giant panda, snow leopard etc.

5. Inadequately known species :-

These are the species which exist on earth but not much is known about their distribution

Main protect areas for wildlife conservation

A. National park :-

National parks are the natural areas where wildlife and natural habitats are preserved along with the environment.

There is a complete ban on cattle grazing in national parks.

Private organizations are prohibited to conduct their private activities in national parks.

Some part of the national parks can be developed to promote tourism.

Their control, management and policy making is done by central government.

Kajiranga National Park - Assam
Gir National Park - Gujarat
Great Himalaya National Park - Himachal Pradesh
Bandipur National Park - Karnataka
Satpura National Park - Madhya Pradesh
Sundarban National Park - West Bengal
Ranthambhore National Park - Rajasthan
Kevla Devi National park - Rajasthan
Corbet National Park - Uttaranchal

B. Sanctuary :-

These are also protected areas, they have completed restriction on wildlife hunting.

These allow private organizations to enter on the condition that their activities should be creative and should not adversely affect wildlife.

Following are some of the sanctuaries in India-

Kedarnath pranivihar – Uttaranchal
Nagarjuna sagar – Andhra Pradesh
Hazaribagh pranivihar – Bihar
Nal Sarovar pranivihar – Uttar Pradesh

Following are some of the Wild life Sanctuary in the Rajasthan

Sariska wild life sanctuary - Alwar - Deer, Godawan
Darrah wild life sanctuary - Kota - Panther
Mount Abu wild life sanctuary - Sirohi -Wild Cock
Tal Chhappar wild life sanctuary - Churu -Black deer
Jawahar Sagar wild life sanctuary - Kota - Alligator
Sitamata wild life sanctuary - Pratapgarh - Flying Squirrel
Kailadevi wild life sanctuary - Karauli - Bear Fox
Nahargarh wild life sanctuary - Jaipur - panther

C. Biosphere Reserve :-

These are the natural areas which have been declared as a silent area for scientific study.

These are the areas comprising terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems.

Each reserve promotes solutions by reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.

Until now 669 biosphere reserves in 128 countries has been established.

India has 18 biosphere reserves.

In India first biosphere reserve came into existence in 1986 at Nilgiri.,

Following are some of the biosphere reserves in the Indian

Andaman and Nicobar Island - Great Nicobar
Assam - Kajiranga Manas
Karnataka, Kerala - Nilgiri
Uttar Pradesh - Nanda Devi
West Bengal - Sundarban
Madhya Pradesh - Kanha
Rajasthan - Thar Desert

Water conservation and management :-

Water is life.
70 % of earth's surface is submerged in water.
Only 2.5 % of this water is used by humans, 97.5 % of total water being saline is useless for us.
Increasing population and indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources has created many problems for human being.
The reasons for this are pollution of water bodies, over-exploitation of groundwater, industrial demand of water, uncertainty of monsoon, and neglecting the traditional sources.
Problem of water deficiency has created tension at national and international levels.
In India there is a situation of tension exists in neighboring states about the water sharing of almost all the rivers. So water conservation and management is today's biggest demand.

There are three important principles of water conservation and management :-

Maintaining water availability
Protecting water from getting polluted.
Cleaning the contaminated water and recycling it.

Ways of water conservation and management :-

Water is a cyclic resource, if it is used judiciously, it will not be depleted. Conservation of water is the conservation of life.
The following measures should be taken for the water conservation: -

Water should be declared as a national asset and proper planning should be done.
Water should be collected by rainwater harvesting methods.
Wastage of water should be minimized in domestic works.
Ground water should not be over exploited.
Water should be prevented from being polluted.
Water should be recycled and used again.
For flood control and proper use of water the rivers should be linked together.
Fountain method or drip method should be employed for irrigation.

Integrated watershed management :-

In the watershed management, there is an integrated use of agricultural, forestry, techniques for land and water management of a particular region is practiced.
Watershed is an area whose water flows towards one point.
It's a geo-morphological unit, a river basin, which can be used according to the convenience of small natural areas.
Watershed management is the overall developmental thinking in which the conservation of soil and humidity, flood control , water harvesting, plantations, feeding gardens, grassland, social forestry etc. programs are inclined.
Watershed development program in India is run in collaboration of the ministry of agriculture and rural development and ministry of forests.

Rain water harvesting :-

Rain water harvesting is an important measure of ground water recharge.
In a state like Rajasthan where most of the drought and famine continues, rain water harvesting is the primary requirement.
Since ancient times, there has been tradition of rain water harvesting in the country.

Rajasthan has the following indigenous methods of water harvesting: -

1. Khadeen :-

Khadeen is a temporary pond made up of soil, which is built at the base of sloppy land.
It has walls of soil on two sides and a strong stone wall on the third side.
When the amount of water is high the Khadeen fills and the water moves into the next Khadeen.
The Khadeen is cultivated when the water dries in it.

2. Pond :-

Pond is the main ancient technique of storage of rainwater in Rajasthan.
These were separate for men and women.
A well was made at the bottom of the pond, commonly known as Beri.
This ancient method of water harvesting still holds its significance and is a scientific basis for increasing the level of ground water.

3. Lake :-

In Rajasthan both types, natural and artificial lakes are found.
Lakes have been very traditional system of water storage from ancient times.
The water leaking out of the lakes is helpful in increasing the water levels of wells, step wells, kund etc. which are situated below it.

4. Step well or Baori :-

Step well or Baori has its own importance in Rajasthan.
These are one of the oldest methods of water harvesting.
Stairs and Tibare were made to go down into step well.
They are adorned with beautiful art work.

5. Toba :-

Toba is the traditional source of water harvesting in Thar desert.
It resembles that of a Nadi, but its depth is more than Nadi.

Conservation of coal and petroleum

1. Coal :-

Coal is a solid organic substance that is used in the form of fuel.
Coal is very important as a major source of energy, 35-40% of the total energy used is obtained from coal.
Various forms of coal contain different amount of carbon.
Other inflammable and useful products are also obtained from coal.
Years ago, due to subdued vegetation, coal was produced. Nearly 30 crore years ago earth was covered with dense forests, mud fields and water bodies. Vegetation groups fell into the water, died and buried under the layers of soil. Due to the high heat and pressure under earth these remains of organisms get converted in to coal.
Coal mainly contains carbon and its compounds. In addition to carbon and hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen and Sulphur is also present. Apart from this phosphorus and some inorganic matter are also found.
In India coal is mainly found in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

Based on the quantity of carbon, coal is divided into the following four types

Anthracite (94-98% carbon)
Bituminous (78-86%)
Lignite (28-30%)
Peat (27%)

Destructive distillation of coal :-

Bitumen, coal gas and Ammonia are produced when coal is heated at 1000-1400 degree Celsius temperature in the absence of air. This process is called as destructive distillation of coal.

2. Petroleum :-

Petroleum is a very useful mineral that is very much used in daily life. like coal, petroleum is also a fossil fuel.
It is also formed like coal, due to the burying of vegetation and organisms under earth and in long period of time because of extensive heat and pressure they got converted into coal and petroleum.
The petroleum found in nature is also called crude oil, unrefined oil, rock oil etc. which is a thick, black colored liquid that contains different components.
These components are separated by the fractional distillation method.
By fractional distillation petrol, diesel, kerosene, natural gas, Vaseline, lubricants are separated.

Importance of coal and petroleum :-

Coal and petroleum are fossil fuels which are non-renewable resources of nature.
These are formed in hundreds of years and their quantity in nature is limited.
If humans continue to use them indiscriminately then these resources will end in the future, therefore they should be used very prudently and judiciously.
Apart from this, non-conventional sources like air, water and light should be used as an alternative, which are abundant in nature.

3. Biogas :-

Biogas can be used in place of natural gas.
Biodiesel is obtained from biological sources and is equivalent to diesel as a fuel. It is purely made from renewable resources.
This can run traditional diesel engines without any alteration.
It is considered as the fuel of future. It is non poisonous and biodegradable.
The good thing about biodiesel is that like other fossil fuels it is not harmful for the environment.
Rajasthan Government has set up Bio fuel Mission and Biofuel Authority to promote biodiesel in the state.

Sustainable development :-

Use of any resources should be cautious so that not only we can use them, but also the generations to come can use them to fulfill their needs.

Participation of people in conservation of natural resources :-

Clean environment is essential for any society because human life and health are directly connected With clean environment.
Today development has cause of destruction. This has caused huge damage to all the aspects of the environment.
Though the water, air, land all have become polluted, the human's uncontrolled and irrational economic development journey is continuing.
The harmony between the economic development and environment protection has ended.
Environmentalists are constantly warning that if natural resources are continuous to exploited, balance between environment and ecosystem may have to face serious crisis.
In spite of all, some successful experiments and mass movements are also running, which are playing their role in maintaining balance in the environment and ecosystem.

Chipko movement :-

Chipko movement is a progressive step in the direction of protection of forests.
Its main purpose is to protect forests from contractors and prevent cutting of trees.
This movement has started from Khejarli village in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, where 363 Bishnoi men, ladies and children sacrificed their lives with Amrita Devi Bishnoi.
In 1730 AD wood was required for the construction of the palace of Maharaja of Jodhpur. His soldiers reached Khejarli village and started cutting the trees of Khejri.
On hearing the sound Amrita Devi and her three daughters came there and politely requested the soldiers not to cut the trees, but the soldiers did not stop their axes, then Amrita Devi and her daughters hugged the trees. Soldiers cut them along the trees.
News spread like fire throughout the village and surrounding areas. People came over there, hugged the trees and sacrificed their lives. In this way 363 people sacrificed their lives to protect the trees.
Even today Bishnoi community is committed to preserve the plants and wildlife.
In 1973 women in Uttarakhand launched the Chipko Movement for the protection of trees.
This movement lasted for eight years, then in 1981 government banned the cutting of green trees in areas with height above 1000 metres.
Sundarlal Bahuguna extended the Chipko movement after the Khejarli sacrifice.
Same kind of movement was also run in Karnataka, which was called Appiko. Appiko is a kannada language term which means, to stuck.
Today Khejarli sacrifice is an ideal for the protection of forests.
Khejri trees still remind of the sacrifice and provides inspiration.
Khejri is considered as the kalpvriksh of Thar. Its scientific name is Prosopis cineraria.
In 1983 Khejri was declared as the state tree.

Science world classes

RBSE Class 10 Science Lesson 12 Main Natural Resources Notes