Natural Resources

(ASES 3101-Environmental Studies and

Disaster Management)

Prepared by
Mr. Chandrasekhar Sahu
Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Physiology
MSSSoA
CUTM
Odisha
Resource
• A resource is a source or supply from which a benefit is
produced and that has some utility.
Natural Resources
• Resources that are found in nature that has usefulness
and economic value and  that exist without any actions
of humankind
• Thus, a natural resource may be defined as any part of the
environment such as land, water, air, mineral, forest,
wildlife, fish, population etc. which the human beings
utilise to promote their welfare.
• Classification of Natural resources
1. On the basis of origin- 2 types
A) Biotic
• Resources are obtained from the biosphere (living and
organic material), such as forests and animals, and the
materials that can be obtained from them.
• Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included
in this category because they are formed from decayed
organic matter.
B) Abiotic
• Examples of abiotic resources include land, fresh water, 
air, rare earth metals and heavy metals including ores,
such as, gold, iron, copper, silver, etc
2.On the basis of stage of development
a) Potential resources — Potential resources are those that
may be used in the future—for example, petroleum in
sedimentary rocks that, until drilled out and put to use
remains a potential resource
b) Actual resources — Those resources that have been
surveyed, quantified and qualified and, are currently used
—development, such as wood processing, depends on
technology and cost
c) Reserve resources — The part of an actual resource that
can be developed profitably in the future
d) Stock resources — Those that have been surveyed, but
cannot be used due to lack of technology—for example, 
hydrogen
3. On the basis of renewability
a) Renewable Resources
Resources which are renewed/replenished fastly and not
affected by human activity
b) Non-renewable resources
A nonrenewable resource is a natural resource that cannot
be re-made or re-grown at a scale comparable to its
consumption.
 Renewable Resources Non-renewable Resources

It cannot be used again and again

It can be used again and again
as it is limited which can be
throughout its life.
depleted one day.

They are the energy resources They are the energy resources
which cannot be exhausted. which can be exhausted one day.

It is environment-friendly as the It is not environment-friendly as

amount of carbon emission is the amount of carbon emission is
low. high.

These resources are present in These resources are present in a

unlimited quantity. limited quantity only.

The total cost of these resources The total cost of these resources is
is low. comparatively high.
These resources are pollution free. These resources are not pollution free.

The maintenance cost of the renewable The maintenance cost of the renewable
resources is very high. resources is low.

Requires large land area for the
installation of the power plant.
It is sustainable
The rate of renewal is greater than the
rate of consumption.
Requires less land area for the
installation of the power plant.
It is exhaustible
The rate of renewal is lower than the
rate of consumption.

Adversely affect the health of humans

Causes no harm to life existing on the by emitting smoke, radiations,
planet earth. carcinogenic or cancer causing elements
into the environment.

Coal, petroleum, natural gases, batteries,

Sunlight, are the examples of renewable
are the examples of non-renewable
resources.
resources
FORESTRESOURCES
•The word Forest derived from latin word ‘foris’ means
‘outside’.
•A forest can be defined as a biotic community predominant
of trees, shrubs or any other woody vegetation usually in a
closed canopy.
•Hanson (1962) defines forest as “a stand of trees growing
close together with associated plants of various kinds”.
•India’s Forest Cover is 6,76,000 sq.km.
• Scientists estimate that India should ideally have 33% of
its land under forests.
•Today we only have about 12% thus we need not only to
protect our existing forests but also to increase our forest
cover.
• Use and overexploitation of Forest
• People who live in or near forests know the value of forest resources
first hand because their lives and livelihoods depend directly on
these resources.
• However, the rest of us also derive great benefits from the forests
which we are rarelyaware of
• The water we use depends on the existence of forests on the
watersheds around river valleys.
• Our homes, furniture and paper are made from wood from the forest.
• We use many medicines that are based on forest produce.
• Forests once extended over large tracts of our country.
• People have used forests in our country for thousands of
years.
• As agriculture spread the forests were left in patches
which were controlled mostly by tribal people.
• They hunted animals and gathered plants and lived
entirely on forest resources.
• Deforestation became a majorconcern in British times
when a large amount of timber was extracted for
building their ships.
• This led to a loss of stake in the conservation of the
forests which led to a gradual degradation and
fragmentation of forests across the length andbreadth of
the country
• Another period of over utilisation and forest degradation occurred
in the early period following independence as people felt that now
that the British had gone they had a right to using our forests in
any way we pleased.
• The following years saw India’s residual forest wealth dwindle
sharply.
• Timber extraction continued to remain the Forest Department’s
main concern up to the 1970s.
• The fact that forest degradation and deforestation was creating a
serious loss of the important functions of the forest began to
override its utilization as a source of revenue from timber
 Forest Functions :
I. Protective functions.
II. Productive functions
III. Recreational and
educational functions
IV. Development functions
1.Protective and ameliorative functions

A.Watershed protection: Reducing the rate of surface

run-off of water, Preventing flash floods and soil erosion

B.Erosion control: Holding soil (by preventing rain from

directly washing soil away)

C.Land bank: Maintaining soil nutrients and structure

D.Atmospheric regulation: Maintaining carbon dioxide

levels for plant growth, Maintaining the local climatic
conditions
2.Productive Functions

• Local use – Consumption of forest produce by local people

• Food: (consumptive use) gathering plants, fishing, hunting from the

forest.

• Fodder for cattle

• Fuel wood and charcoal for cooking and heating

• Poles for building homes in rural and wilderness areas

• Timber for house hold articles and construction

• Sericulture for silk

• Medicinal plants for traditional medicines.

3.Recreational And Educational
Functions: Eco tourism

4. Developmental Functions
• Employment functions
• Revenue
Ecological significance of forests:

1. Balances CO2 and O2 levels in atmosphere.

2. Regulates earth temperature and hydrological cycle

3. Encourage seepage and reduces runoff losses, prevents
drought

4. Reduces soil erosion (roots binding), prevents siltation of

reservoirs and landslides thereby floods

5. Litter helps in maintaining soil fertility

6. Safe habitat for birds, wild animals and organisms against

wind, solar radiation and rain
Deforestation:
• Deforestation refers to the loss of forest cover that is
permanently converted from forest to agricultural land,
golf courses, cattle pasture, home, lakes or desert.

• The FAO ( Food and Agriculture Organization of the

UN) defines tropical deforestation as “change of forest
with depletion of tree grown cover more than 90%”
 Causes for Deforestation
• Agriculture: Conversion of forests to agricultural land to feed
growing numbers of people
• The cash crop economy: Raising cash crops for increased economy.
• Mining
• Increase in population: The needs also increase and utilize forest
resources
• Urbanization & industrialization
• Construction of dam and reservoirs
• Infrastructure development
• Forest fires
• Human encroachment & exploitation
• Pollution due to acid rain
Environmental effects /Consequences of deforestation
1. Food problems
2. Ecological imbalance
3. Increasing CO2
4. Floods leading to soil erosion
5. Destruction of resources
6. Heavy siltation of dams
7. Changes in the microclimate
8. Loss of biodiversity
9. Desiccation of previously moist forest soil
10.Deforestation can cause the climate to become extreme in nature. The
occurrence and strength of floods and droughts affecting the economy.
11. The stress of environmental change may make some species more
susceptible to the effect of insects, pollution, disease and fire
12. Most humid regions changes to desert
13. Heavy rainfall and high sunlight quickly damage the topsoil in
clearings of the tropical rainforests. In such circumstance, the
forest will take much longer to regenerate and the land will not be
suitable for agricultural use for quite some time.
14. Where forests are replanted, their replacement can mean a loss of
quality
15. Loss of future markets for ecotourism. The value of a forest is
often higher when it is left standing than it could be worth when it
is harvested.
16. Some indigenous peoples’ way of life and survival are threatened
by the loss of forests. Fewer trees results an insecure future for
forest workers
17. Environmental pollution
18. Global warming
Concepts in conservation
1. Restraining cutting of trees and submerging the forests
2. Reforestation
3. Afforestation
4. Control forest diseases and forest fire
5. Recycling forest products
6. Replacing forest products
7. Avoids diversion of forest lands for other activities through acts like
Forest Conservation Act and Wild life (protection) Act
8. Bringing awareness among people ex: Chipko movement,
Appiko , Narmada Bachao Andolan
9. Implementing people’s participatory programmes. Ex: Joint Forestry
Manangement (JFM)
CASE STUDY
Joint Forest Management
• The need to include local communities in Forest
Management has become a growing concern.
• Local people will only support greening an area if they
can see some economic benefit from conservation.
• An informal arrangement between local communities
and the Forest Department began in 1972, in Midnapore
District of West Bengal.
• JFM has now evolved into a formal agreement
which identifies and respects the local
community’s rights and benefits that they need
from forest resources.
• Under JFM schemes, Forest Protection
Committees from local community members
are formed.
• They participate in restoring green cover and
protect the area from being over exploited.
• Timber extraction, mining and dams are invariably parts of the
needs of a developing country.
• If timber is overharvested the ecological functions of the forest are
lost.
• Unfortunately forests are located in areas where there are rich
mineral resources.
• Forests also cover the steep embankments of river valleys, which
are ideally suited to develop hydel and irrigation projects.
• Thus there is a constant conflict of interests between the
conservation interests of environmental scientists and the Mining
and Irrigation Departments
• What needs to be understood is that long-term
ecological gains cannot be sacrificed for short-term
economic gains that unfortunately lead to deforestation.

• These forests where development projects are planned,

can displace thousands of tribal people who lose their
homes when these plans are executed. This leads to
high levels of suffering for which there is rarely a
satisfactory answer.
Thank
You