1. NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR CONSERVATION
Chapter - 2
NATURAL RESOURCES AND THEIR CONSERVATION
 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation

2. Natural Resources
Natural resources are the substances which are inherent to earth and
obtained from nature and utilized to create products and services which
are useful for human beings. Forests, water, air, soil , etc. are natural
resources.

3. Resources
Natural resources are the materials that are needed to sustain life and livelihood on the earth

4. Renewable resources A renewable resource is a natural resource with the ability to reproduce through biological or natural processes and replenished with the passage of time. (water, air, soil, plants etc.) Non-renewable resources A non-renewable resource is a natural resource which cannot be reproduced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate, once depleted there is no more available for future needs.

5. Non renewable resources
That can be recycled
That can not be recycled
Materials like copper, aluminium, iron etc.
Fossil fuel

6. Our natural resources
water,
air
forest,
land,
food and
minerals.

7. Problems Associated with natural resources
Unequal consumption of natural resources.
Unequal distribution of natural resources leads Corruption for natural resources.
Unexplored natural resources
Unsustainable way of using natural resources.
Water scarcity
More land requirement for production of non-vegetarian diet.

8. Forest Resources

9. Classification of Forest
Old growth/Frontier forest: uncut forest
Second growth: Result from ecological succession that takes place when forest are cleared.
Plantation: managed forest for commercially valuable tree.

10. They provide natural habitat to tribal people.
Importance of Forests
Direct Benefits
Manure
fuel wood
Raw material
Timber
Edible product
Medicinal plants
They provide natural habitat to tribal people.
Natural habitat to wild life
Contribute to national income
Tourism
Employment opportunities.

11. Indirect Benefits
They help in regulating hydrological cycle.
They help in regulating the gases in atmosphere.
Forests help in minimizing natural hazards. e.g. flood, drought etc
They help in reducing soil erosion and siltation of downstream water bodies.
They help in reducing desertification and land degradation.
They help in maintaining biodiversity by providing habitat to wild animals.

12. Deforestation
The term deforestation refers to the removal or reduction of forest cover
Causes of Deforestation
Encroachment of forest land for agricultural use
Expansion of cities
Construction of dams, canals, and highways
Establishment of industrial areas
Demand for firewood
Mining
Forest fires
Commercial logging
Paper Industries

13. Logging Leads To Deforestation

14. Forest Making Way For Farms

15. Impact or effect of Deforestation
Deforestation exposes soils and shade species to wind, sunlight, evaporation, and erosion. Soil fertility goes down, topsoil is eroded and siltation in dams, rivers. The increased sedimentation harms downstream fisheries
no regulation of the flow into rivers: So increases the intensity of flood
Loss of natural habitat
Extinction of some species
Land degradation
Loss of forest product

16. Impact of Deforestation (contd)
Change in climatic condition
Local and global climate changes can occur.
Global warming
Siltation of rivers and lakes
Loss of revenue
Change in water cycle and reduces rain fall

17. Erosion
Forest Fire

18. Control of deforestation
Reduce mining activity
Tree Plantation
Enforcement of environmental laws and legal provision
Extension of forest through social forestry, agro forestry
Public awareness

19. Villagers in Cherrapunji carting water from other areas

20. The Story of Cherrapunji
Wettest place on earth
11.5 m of annual rain
Yet drought in non-monsoon months
Reason: Forests cut down

21. Control of deforestation
Mining activity should be prohibited in the areas declared as protected forests
Cutting of trees should be followed by massive plantation
The environmental Laws and legal provision should be strictly enforced.
Forest extension should be carried out through social forestry, agro forestry, recreation forestry etc.
Public awareness regarding medicinal and other economic and environmental significance of forest should be created.

22. Participation of locals in forest conservation

23. The story of Chipko: The women who saved the trees
March 26, 1974 in the forest next to Renni village in the Garhwal District of Himalayas.
People action preventing destruction of environment

24. The Story of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Contain some of the finest tropical evergreen forests in the world.
Rich in biodiversity with a variety of known and unknown species of flora and fauna.
Destruction:
Timber extraction started by the British, continued after Independence
Logging led to soil erosion, flow of sediments into ocean, killing of corals
Andaman Trunk Road destroyed forests
Marine species endangered
Livelihoods of tribals affected
Impact of 2004 tsunami

25. World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development (WCFSD)
The main conclusions of the 1999 WCFSD Report:
The world’s forests declined from 6.0 billion ha 8000 years ago to about 3.6 billion hectares in 1999
56 countries have lost % of their forests.
Over the last two decades of the 20th century, 15 million ha of forests were lost annually, largely in the tropics.
About 14 million ha of tropical forests have been lost each year since 1980 due to conversion into cropland.
Forest decline threatens the genetic diversity of the world’s plants and animals.
In developing countries alone, some US$ 45 billion per year is lost through poor forest management.
In Europe, forests are declining due to drought, heat, pests, and air pollution.

26. UN Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010
The key findings:
Forests cover 31% of total land area (4 billion hectares)
The rate of deforestation shows signs of decreasing, but is still alarmingly high.
South America and Africa continue to have the largest net loss of forest.
Legally established protected areas cover an estimated 13% of the world’s forests.
Forests store a vast amount of carbon.
12% of the world’s forests are designated for the conservation of biological diversity.

27. UN Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010 (contd)
30% of the world’s forests are primarily used for production of wood and non-wood forest products.
Around 10 million people are employed in forest management and conservation, but many more are directly dependent on forests for their livelihoods.
Significant progress has been made in developing forest policies, laws and national forest programmes.
There are many good signs and positive trends towards sustainable forest management at the global level.

28. Saving the World’s Forests
Recommendations of the World Commission on Forests and Sustainable Development (WCFSD):
Stop the destruction of the earth’s forests.
Use the forest resources to improve life for poor people and forest-dependent communities.
Involve people in decisions about forest use.
Set the price of forests to reflect their full ecological and social values, and stop harmful subsidies to lumber companies.
Apply sustainable forest management approaches.

29. Saving the World’s Forests (contd)
WCFSD Recommendations (contd):
Plan for the use and protection of whole landscapes, not the forest in isolation.
Make better use of knowledge about forests, and greatly expand this information base.
Accelerate research and training so sustainable forest management can become a reality quickly.
Take bold political decisions and develop new civil society institutions to improve governance and accountability regarding forest use.