Renewable and Flow Resources What Geographic terms describe various types of natural resources?

What is a Resource? Basically, if something is useful to people, then it can be called a resource. In a broad sense, resources can be places, people, or things – for example – a library is a resource centre for all kinds of information – just as a museum is a resource to learn about local history. A Natural resource is any physical item on earth that can is useful to people. Natural resource are the natural products of the land, air and sea.

Definitions Resource – something that is useful to people Natural resources – a material found in nature that has usefulness and economic value, such as trees, water, minerals Technology – the use of scientific knowledge and skills for useful, practical purposes to meet the needs and goals of people

Resource Depletion People harvest and sell what is useful for profit, and this puts great pressure on resources. It can lead to resource depletion For example – Wild animals are becoming endangered species (or even extinct)

Tropical Rainforest and Resource Depletion People can destroy natural resources and they can also protect or replace them. Complex plant and animal communities are wiped out when TROPICAL RAINFORESTS are cleared and burned in South and Central America, Africa and Asia. Tropical Rainforest – a large forest in an area with heavy rainfall and very warm temperatures Resource Depletion – the use of a resource until there is none left

Endangered Species

Silkworm

Did you know? Did you know that silk fabric is woven from tiny threads extruded by the silkworm? Until Chinese discovered how to gather and weave these filaments, the silkworm was just another leaf-eating insect, not the valuable natural resource behind a billion dollar industry.

Resources and Technology Whether or not people can turn something into a natural resource depends upon Technology. Consider rock as a natural resource used by societies with different technologies. Early humans searched for rocks suitable for pounding or scraping meat. Later, they learned to use a stone to chip softer rocks into sharp spears points and arrowheads. Several thousand years ago, stonecutters in Egypt used special tools to measure and shape rock into building blocks for the pyramids.

High Technology Many electronic devices that we rely upon are operated by microchips. Computers, cellphones, and telephones are just three examples The simple chips in personal computers are created using thin slices of silica. Silica is a type of mineral that can erode to become sand. More complex chips used in telephone switching circuits are ”grown” in laboratories. To make electronic circuits, both types of chips are etched with tiny lines using robotic tools.

Sand to Silica

3 types of Natural Resources Natural resources can be neatly divided into three groups. Renewable Non-renewable Flow

Renewable Resources Renewable resources can replace themselves in a fairly short time. Living resources such as plant and animals can renew themselves through reproduction. Natural cycles also work to replace soil resources and purify the air and water. This, too, can take place fairly quickly, unless there has been serious damage done to the resource.

Non-renewable resources Other natural resources cannot replace themselves because they form over millions of years. Non-renewable resources , which include all types of material from within the earth. Supplies of non-renewable resources such as metallic minerals (gold/silver/copper) and energy fuels (coal/oil/natural gas) must be stretched by recycling them.

Flow Resource A flow resource doesn’t fit either category well. It is a natural resource because its movement can be harnessed for energy; however, a flow resource must be used when and where it occurs in nature Our society has learned to create electrical energy from running water, wind, tides, and solar radiation. Using flow resources this way requires advanced technology and offers an opportunity to break our dependence on petroleum as a major source of energy.

Thinking it over Make a chart to show how three different levels of technology have used rocks and minerals as a natural resources High Technology Advanced Technology Simple Technology

Run Out? Are humans so smart that we can always use technology to find a new resource if we run out of the old one? Discuss this question with you partner; then, put your thoughts down on paper.