CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES

OBJECTIVES
1. Define conservation
2. Highlight the methods of conserving some natural resources
3. Name some popular reserves in Nigeria.

Conservation is defined as the planned or controlled exploitation or judicious use of natural resources to
ensure their continuous availability and to preserve the quality or original nature of the environment.
Natural resources can be renewable or non – renewable.

Renewable resources: renewable resources are resources that are recoverable or resources that can be
removed from the environment without them running out. Examples are animals. Plants, water, soil, etc.

Non renewable resources: these resources are fixed in nature and can easily be deleted or not
replenished at the speed at which they are depleted. Examples are petroleum, coal, tin, gold, etc.

METHODS OF CONSERVING SOME NATURAL RESOURCES

Water conservation methods:
1. Construction of dams and reservoirs to obstruct flood, use available water for generation of
hydroelectricity.
2. Water should not be allowed to spill all over the towns. This can be achieved by damming rivers or
making sure pipes do not burst.

3. Irrigation to reactivate areas that lack adequate water.

4. Tree planting which provides vegetation cover and reduces evaporation and promotes water retention
5. Adequate control and use of ground water
6. water pollution should be prevented.
7. saving water by turning off taps when not in use.

Forest conservation methods:

• Through reforestation, people are made to plant two trees where one is cut
• Adequate forest management approach should be encouraged
• Maintenance of forest reserves
• Having strict laws guiding forest management
• Consistent soil conservation to encourage adequate forestation
• Encouraging industries to use other materials aside from wood in furniture making

Wildlife conservation methods:

1. Game farming system should be adopted

2. Hunting should be limited to prevent extinction.

3. More national parks should be established
4. There should be provision of artificial wildlife stocks.
5. Prohibition of bush burning to prevent migration of wildlife.
 6. Deforestation should be prohibited or minimized.

Soil conservation methods:

1. The control of erosion using methods ranging from contouring, protective vegetation, terracing,
strip cropping, planting of cover crops, preventing over-grazing, the use of mulching and breaking
of wind to avoid wind erosion of the soil
2. The soil fertility must be maintained by the following methods: fertilizer application, manure
application and the use of cover crops.
3. Trees should be planted in order to check erosion as well as desertification

1. Adoption of better farming practice such as crop rotation to check erosion, leaching, and acidity
2. Bush burning should be prevented so as not to expose the soil to erosion
3. Prevention of land pollution so as to prevent killing of soil micro organisms.

 Air conservation methods

1. Proper treatment and disposal of sewage
2. Proper burning of waste from factories and homes so as to reduce air pollution and acid rain
3. Proper disposal of dust materials which may cause air pollution.
4. Reduction of fumes from automobiles and thermal plants that may make air unfit for living
organisms
 Ways to conserve fishes or sea animals
1. Impose quotas across nations for fishermen to work with. This way, one nation will not harvest fishes
than the other.
2. Enforce endangered species of fishes are not caught. This can be achieved by inspectors who visit
boats at seas. They will make sure endangered fishes caught are thrown back into the sea.
3. Restocking: This involves breeding a large number of fishes in hatcheries and then release them
into their natural environment.

Endangered species
A species whose numbers have fallen so low that it is at risk of becoming extinct is said to be
endangered. Once a species has become extinct, it is gone for ever.

Causes of extinction
Habitat destruction
We have seen how human activities can destroy habitats. Species with no habitat cannot survive.
Hunting
Pollution
Extra addition of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere can cause climate change. As
temperature rises, some organisms that are adapted to live in a particular area may not be able to
survive anymore, leading to extinction.

Introduced species
New species that are introduced by humans into an ecosystem can threaten the existence of native
species. E.g. in New Zealand, no major predator evolved there hence native species did not evolve
adaptations that help them survive predators. In the 18 th century when humans introduced rats and
other predatory mammals into the island, almost half of the native vertebrates became extinct.
 Ways of ensuring conservation of natural resources/endangered species
1. Establishment of game reserves and national parks
2. Setting standards for pollution control
3. Establishment of agencies for conservation such as forest departments, River Basin Development
Authorities (RBDA), Ministry of agriculture, Department of wildlife conservation, etc.
4. Monitoring and protecting the species in its natural habitat
5. Using captive breeding programmes
6. Educating local people about the importance of conservation, and what they can do to help.

 NEED FOR CONSERVATION

1. To prevent the destruction of natural ecosystem; This will allow the organisms in the ecosystem to
survive e.g alteration of food chain and food web, cutting down large number of trees can affect the
water cycle (transpiration).
2. To prevent destruction of natural environment or to allow for continual use of natural resources for
man’s benefits e.g food.
3. To preserve naturally beautiful sceneries for their aesthetic values
4. Natural resources, e.g. wild life, forest, minerals, etc. provide basis for research purposes
5. To preserve rare and valuable species of plants and animals for the future generation or to save
them from extinction or permanent destruction
6. Forest which provides medicinal materials must be conserved to ensure easy availability and
continued existence.
7. To increase the chance of selective breeding.

 Problems associated with conservation

1. Environmental pollution
2. Overgrazing
3. Soil erosion by wind and rainfall
4. Indiscriminate hunting.
5. Problem of oil spillage that kill terrestrial and aquatic life
6. Indiscriminate bush burning and felling of trees
7. Adoption of poor farming methods that depletes soil nutrients
8. Indiscriminate fishing.

 Assignment
 Mention benefits of conserving the following natural resources
 1. wildlife
 2. Forest
 3. soil
 4. water