Natural resources- the basis of human life. There are quite a lot of criteria for their classification in modern environmental science. Which of them are most common in the environment? Russian experts? What types of natural resources can be distinguished in accordance with them?

Natural Resources: Definition

Actually, let’s first define what natural resources are. The concept and classification of this phenomenon are issues characterized by a significant degree of discussion among Russian and world experts. As for the definition of the term under consideration, one of the most common is the formulation according to which natural resources are sources of raw materials, energy and products vital for humans that are found in the natural environments of the planet. And there are quite a lot of classification criteria for them. Let's consider those that are popular among Russian experts.

Criterion: origin

Some experts believe that the classification of natural resources can be based on criteria such as origin. So, in particular, sources of raw materials may belong to the class of natural components or reflect belonging to territorial complexes. The first type includes resources such as mineral, water, soil or land. The second includes urbanization, forestry or, for example, water management.

The classification of natural resources by origin assumes that certain types of raw materials, arising in natural conditions and environments - water, air, vegetation - subsequently form complexes that are fixed within certain territorial boundaries. Hence their marked classification.

Criteria: economic use

There are experts who believe that the classification of natural resources can be carried out based on their economic purpose, that is, their use in one or another economic sphere. For example, raw materials are isolated that are used in the energy sector. Specific examples such resources - oil, gas, uranium, wood, coal. There are, in turn, resources used in agriculture. Specific examples are vegetation for feed, water. This classification of natural resources is very popular among Russian experts. Therefore, it will be useful to consider the most important groups of raw materials in accordance with the noted criteria in more detail.

Energy Group Resources

As we have already noted, one of the groups within the classification, the main criterion of which is the applicability of raw materials in certain sectors of the economy - energetic resources. Their nature can be very diverse. These include fossil fuels and hydropower sources - river waters and sea currents. A separate category within the group of resources under consideration is nuclear raw materials - uranium, plutonium and other metals that can be used at nuclear power plants, in the production of transport reactors, which are used on submarines and icebreakers.

Agricultural Resources

Another group we noted is agricultural resources. These, in turn, are classified into several additional categories. These are, in particular, agroclimatic resources. These experts include air moisture, sunlight, rain, the quantitative characteristics of which - volume, frequency of presence - are determined by the specifics of a particular climatic zone. Another category is land resources. These include soil - both the upper, most fertile component of the earth, and the soil itself, located underneath it and ensuring the tectonic stability of the economic system and influencing the characteristics of the absorption and preservation of moisture in the soil, the presence of mineral components. The next category is feed resources. This is fresh grass, hay, fruits and berries, which can serve as food for certain breeds of animals. IN separate category ecologists also highlight water resources. Moreover, the latter are divided into those that are used for irrigation and those that are used to feed animals.

We have thus considered economic classification natural resources. The criterion that underlies it - the economic purpose of certain sources of raw materials, as experts believe, allows us to identify fairly independent categories of resources. At the same time, the classification of natural resources, the scheme of which we have now studied, is not the only one that is used among Russian ecologists. Many experts prefer to focus on another criterion - environmental. Let's consider its features.

Environmental aspect

Russian experts thus highlight the ecological classification of natural resources. It does not take into account the distribution of varieties of raw materials according to economic categories. At the same time, as many experts note, this is also a very voluminous and complex classification of natural resources in terms of the characteristics of certain sources of raw materials. Let us briefly consider, therefore, the specifics of the noted categories within the framework of the scheme under consideration. What are the main features that characterize the belonging of a particular type of resource to a certain group?

Among the basic criteria in relation to which the classification of natural resources is carried out within the framework of the ecological scheme is exhaustibility. What categories of raw materials are allocated within this scheme?

Firstly, these are actually exhaustible natural resources. According to a common theory, their volume present on the planet may be declining in absolute terms under the influence of human activity. However, within this category of resources there are those whose volume can be restored - with human participation or through natural processes. Such resources belong to the group of renewable ones. In turn, there are raw materials, which, according to modern concepts, after extraction from the bowels of the earth cannot be restored. Note that the classification of natural resources by exhaustibility also implies a category of sources of raw materials that occupies an intermediate position between renewable and those that cannot be restored.

Secondly, there are inexhaustible resources. It is assumed that, regardless of the intensity of human use, the corresponding sources have sufficient natural reserves for self-regeneration, or the volume of the resource itself is so large that modern civilization cannot waste them to a noticeable extent.

Exhaustible Resources

The specificity of their origin is as follows. They are formed during processes occurring in the earth's crust or on its surface - on the landscape. The rate of formation of these resources is measured on the so-called geological time scale. However, the corresponding indicator for different types of raw material sources may vary. There are resources that are formed very slowly. The rate of their formation is incommensurate with the intensity of their use by humans. And therefore, over time, their volume becomes so small that their further use by humans on a significant scale becomes impossible. Actually, we are talking about non-renewable resources. These include oil, gas and many other types of minerals.

There are also resources, the rate of recovery of which generally correlates with the intensity of their exploitation by humans. These are renewable sources of raw materials. These include vegetation, animal resources, and fish.

There are sources, the recovery rate of which is tied to various factors, the nature of which determines whether these resources are classified more in the first category, or in the second. These ecologists include arable soils and forests. Much depends on the specific region of use of the corresponding type of resource. In some climatic zones, for example, soils recover faster. In this case, the resources can be considered fully renewable. In other climatic zones, the dynamics of source recovery will, in turn, be insufficient to classify them into this category.

Inexhaustible resources

The classification of natural resources, the scheme of which we are now studying and presented in the form of a photo in the text above, involves the identification of such a category as inexhaustible sources. As we have already noted, their availability has virtually no correlation with the degree of human exploitation. However, there are few sources of this type. These are climate and water resources. They are formed as a result of processes occurring in nature, thanks to sunlight, the presence of water and air on the planet. Which, in fact, are primary in relation to those that are characteristic of the formation of exhaustible natural resources.

The main inexhaustible resources on the planet are sunlight, rain, air, water, and wind. There are, of course, various reasons for their additional classification. For example, water resources can be used by humans in a wide range of areas. This is flow energy used in power plants, this is a natural thermal resource available in geothermal sources, this is, of course, drinking water.

Inexhaustible resources: features

Let's study the series interesting features, characteristic of natural resources classified as inexhaustible. For example, the practice of using solar energy in different regions of the world may differ significantly in terms of the efficiency of using the corresponding resource. For example, in the equatorial zone of the planet, the annual volume of sunlight is much greater than, for example, in the circumpolar region. And therefore, the practical significance in terms of using this resource in hot countries is higher than in the north. This is one of the reasons why, according to some researchers, solar energy has not become popular in Russia.

The situation is similar in the field of wind energy. There are regions of the world where there is constant movement of air currents, and there are areas where the wind does not blow so strongly. Russia, as many environmentalists note, is still one of the states where air flows move at a speed that is not always sufficient for the construction of profitable projects in the field of alternative energy.

By the way, the factor of uneven distribution of certain sources is also important when considering economic classification natural resources, which we studied above. For example, certain lands used for agricultural needs will be characterized by different efficiency of use depending on the specific region of the world. In the humid subtropics, where there is plenty of sun, farmers can harvest several crops a year. This doesn't usually happen in the North.

Many of the resources classified as inexhaustible are considered promising from the point of view of human use. For example, in many regions of the world it is planned to build energy networks based on geothermal sources. Also included promising directions in this area - the use of the energy of sea tides. There are already operating power plants operating on the basis of this resource.

Thermal heat (where it exists) is successfully used not only for medicinal purposes (hot springs), but also for heating homes. In Russia, the largest thermal springs are located in Kamchatka (the valley of geysers), but they do not yet have serious economic use, since they are located quite far from large populated areas.

Nuances of classification

Let us note that many ecologists who study the classification and types of natural resources believe that the characteristics characteristic of certain sources of raw materials are not entirely correct to consider as sufficiently strict criteria. There is, in particular, an opinion that no matter how renewable this or that resource is, there is always a possibility that due to some changes - in the structure of the world economy, the earth's climate, ecology - it can always become one of those whose restoration will not occur be characterized by an optimal speed from the point of view of the intensity of human exploitation.

And therefore, some experts, who generally accept the ecological scheme we have considered, according to which the world’s natural resources are classified, prefer to use a somewhat different conceptual apparatus from the model we have considered.

For example, there are experts who believe that it is fair to distinguish the category of “virtually inexhaustible” natural resources. That is, it is assumed that their volume is quite sufficient from the point of view of current needs modern civilization. But in the event of some fundamental changes in the world economic system, it may turn out that the inexhaustibility of the relevant sources will not be so obvious. For example, it is known that many rivers and lakes, considered a source of inexhaustible resource - water, can dry up due to various factors. Natural phenomena of this kind can cause significant changes in local, regional and even planetary climate, as some experts believe.

Visual classification

This is a common classification of natural resources among Russian ecologists. The table we offer will help us navigate the criteria used by experts.

Resources are everything that is used to achieve any goals. Their task is to meet the needs of environmental subjects.

Classification by direction

Today, the following types of resources are distinguished:

More general concepts are economic, information and production resources.

Classification by type

Regarding this criterion, it is customary to distinguish between such types of resources as those that are reproducible and those that are not. The first type includes all accumulated and stored objects. All others are considered irreproducible. In natural nature, the analogue of classification would be the exhaustibility of resources. Also included in the standard criterion are such properties of an object as replaceability, degree of consumption and origin.

Reproducible resources retain their form during operation and can be used for other purposes (at the next stages). In case of long downtime, their degree of usefulness is lost and is subsequently not compensated. This is why such resources are called “power”. These include people, mechanisms and working conditions (machines, machines).

Non-reproducible resources are completely or partially consumed at the end of work. However, reuse is not permitted. There is no statute of limitations for this type of resource. They can be used both at the current moment in time and in the distant future. The main property of this type of resource is the gradual consumption of the reserve, that is, the lack of ability to accumulate. Such resources are classified as “energy”. Examples include labor items, fuel, and finances.

Types of resources: financial

IN economic theory Two main groups of sources of global potential can be distinguished. The first includes material types resources, and to the second - human ones. Today there are a huge number of different combinations of production factors. IN material resources includes land and capital, human - entrepreneurial and labor abilities. All these factors are aimed at producing goods and providing services.

Financial resources are considered to be the main resources of the world economy. These include cash, And securities, And accounts receivable, and various investments, and other capital transactions. The peculiarity of these resources is that they are considered inexhaustible, that is, they cannot be completely consumed or used. In turn, many of them are cumulative.

Creation financial resources necessary for the interaction of the external and internal environment. They represent a separate type of communication between people and organizations.

Types of resources: production

This type includes not only various materials, finished products and services, but also all kinds of variations of work. Production types of resources have one common feature - consumability. All the fruits of human and machine activity can be used in whole or in part, but in any case they are in demand.

The main aspect production resources is profitability. In other words, how much will the degree of cost correspond to the final result (products, services). According to this criterion, resources can be profitable, moderate, or unprofitable.

The mental and physical abilities of workers are responsible for the success of production. Both characteristics are combined into labor resources. They play the most important role in the implementation of optimal production activities. In turn, this type of resource is limited by working age criteria. In Russia, for men it will be inclusive from 16 to 59 years, and for women - from 16 to 54. In some countries, you can work from the age of 14 and retire by 65 years.

Types of resources: natural

Materials of this type are used for various needs and production of goods. Natural resources are a collection of objects and substances located on a certain territory of the planet. These are rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, animals, and plants. Subspecies include water, soil and forest resources.

The earth's crust contains a huge variety of useful substances that are necessary for comfortable human living. Therefore, it is considered the main source of natural resources. It contains hundreds of minerals suitable for direct use or processing. For example, clay, sand, granite and other materials are indispensable in construction.

By origin, resources can be organic or not. The first group includes oil, coal, gas, and chemical elements. They are mined both on the surface and at high depths. Inorganic rocks include rocks (stone, ore, etc.).

It is worth noting that all minerals are ultimately exhaustible, including water and forest resources. Among the vital natural products of consumption, the sun and air should be highlighted. They, together with water, are irreplaceable resources for all life on the planet. This applies to both fauna and flora.

Types of resources: electronic

These primarily include digital data. Essentially, electronic resources represent all types of information on appropriate media (hard or floppy disk, flash drive, etc.). This is a global database that consists of filmography, various collections, documents, publications, etc.

The electronic catalog has limitless possibilities. Today, digital resources occupy the first place among sources of information. These include electronic libraries, encyclopedias, books, magazines and other publications. Documents are presented in digital form, and the format may vary. The same applies to the variability of languages: Russian, English and any others.

Among users electronic resources can be both readers of scientific publications and ordinary people, including children. Digital data is divided into categories depending on its focus: expert, specialized, artistic, social, political, etc.

Plus electronic information the fact that it can be easily stored, sorted, printed, and searched.

Types of resources: Internet

Any points on the Global Network called websites fit this category. Internet resources are a set of pages that are located on the worldwide Internet system. They can be text, graphic, multimedia. The first type includes various documents typed on the keyboard, the second includes pictures, presentations, etc., the third includes video materials, music, etc.

In turn, Internet sites can be static and dynamic. The former are based on the HTML programming environment, and the latter are based on special scripts. Each such Internet resource is stored on a dedicated hosting server. The website address is its domain name on the World Wide Web.

The most popular source of Internet resources is the World Wide Web, abbreviated as WWW. In second place is FTP storage with a built-in file transfer system. Among others, it is worth highlighting E-mail and chat.

Types of resources: educational

These include educational materials (manuals, notes, presentations, reports, etc.). Educational resources can be printed or electronic. IN modern world greater priority is given to digital materials, although educational institutions Printed editions are still in use.

Electronic educational resources stored on all kinds of media: from floppy disks to the Internet cloud. They come in text, graphic and multimedia formats. It has been proven that audio and video materials, as well as various presentations, are best suited for learning and assimilating information. On the other hand, printed publications will be more beneficial for human health.

Natural resources of Russia are the wealth of nature that people use in life and economic activity. All resources are divided into two groups: exhaustible and inexhaustible.

Exhaustible natural resources are divided into renewable ones (water, soil, vegetation, animal world) And non-renewable(part of the exhaustible resources that are not capable of self-recovery in a short time). These include minerals: oil, natural gas, coal, ore and non-metallic minerals. Their reserves in the bowels of the Earth are limited, and replenishment is impossible, since the formation of minerals occurs over millions of years.

The second group, which includes inexhaustible natural resources, includes solar energy, wind power, intraterrestrial heat, and tidal energy. They are considered inexhaustible because their use does not deplete the supply.

Types of natural resources

By origin, natural resources are divided into mineral, land, water and forest.

Minerals and rocks are called mineral resources. By origin, they are divided into sedimentary (coal, oil, oil shale, salts, limestone, chalk), igneous (ores of iron, chromium, copper and other metals) and metamorphic (gneisses, schists, quartzites). Based on their use, mineral resources are divided into fuel (combustible), ore (metallic) and non-metallic (non-metallic).

• Combustible minerals are oil, natural gas, coal, peat, oil shale.
• Ore - iron, copper, aluminum ores, ores of rare and precious metals.
• Non-metallic minerals - chemical raw materials, Construction Materials, precious and semi-precious stones.
• Mineral resources are sometimes used as is. in which they are found in nature (marble, table salt, mica), or whether certain chemical elements are extracted from them (iron from ore).

There are certain patterns in the formation and distribution of minerals, and they are associated with the internal structure of the earth's crust. A huge amount of minerals are extracted from the depths of the Earth every year. Scientists have calculated that the amount of mineral raw materials extracted in just one year would be enough to fill a train with a length of 700 thousand km, which could encircle the globe along the equator 17 times. However, of this huge mountain mass, humans use less than 20 percent. The rest of the rocks remain in dumps.

In the foreseeable future, humanity will face an acute problem of a shortage of mineral resources. The need for them is growing, and the most accessible deposits are quickly depleted. Currently, work is underway to study the possibility of reusing resources, that is, maximizing the use of industrial and household waste. An example in this is set by Japan, as well as the countries of Western Europe. In a matter of seconds in Japan they can disassemble old car, sort ferrous and non-ferrous metals, glass and other materials and reuse them for the production of steel, aluminum, copper.

Irrational use of renewable natural resources can lead to the loss of their self-healing ability. This primarily concerns the flora and fauna. Thoughtless use of plant and animal resources leads to extinction individual species plants and animals.

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Grape

In gardens and personal plots, you can choose a warmer place for planting grapes, for example, on the sunny side of the house, garden pavilion, or veranda. It is recommended to plant grapes along the border of the site. The vines formed in one line will not take up much space and at the same time will be well lit from all sides. Near buildings, grapes must be placed so that they are not exposed to water flowing from the roofs. On level areas it is necessary to make ridges with good drainage due to drainage furrows. Some gardeners, following the experience of their colleagues from the western regions of the country, dig deep planting holes and fill them with organic fertilizers and fertilized soil. The holes, dug in waterproof clay, are a kind of closed vessel that is filled with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile soil, the root system of grapes develops well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, it suffocates. Deep holes can play a positive role on soils where good natural drainage, permeable subsoil is provided, or reclamation artificial drainage is possible. Planting grapes

You can quickly restore an outdated grape bush using the layering method (“katavlak”). For this purpose, healthy vines of a neighboring bush are placed in grooves dug to the place where the dead bush used to grow, and covered with earth. The top is brought to the surface, from which a new bush then grows. Lignified vines are laid on layering in the spring, and green ones - in July. They are not separated from the mother bush for two to three years. A frozen or very old bush can be restored by short pruning to healthy above-ground parts or by pruning to the “black head” of an underground trunk. In the latter case, the underground trunk is freed from the ground and completely cut down. Not far from the surface, new shoots grow from dormant buds, due to which a new bush is formed. Neglected and severely frost-damaged grape bushes are restored due to stronger fatty shoots formed in the lower part of the old wood and the removal of weakened sleeves. But before removing the sleeve, a replacement is formed. Grape care

A gardener starting to grow grapes needs to thoroughly study the structure of the grapevine and the biology of this interesting plant. Grapes are vine (climbing) plants and require support. But it can spread along the ground and take root, as is observed with Amur grapes in a wild state. The roots and aboveground part of the stem grow quickly, branch strongly and reach large sizes. Under natural conditions, without human intervention, a branched bush of grapes grows with many vines of different orders, which begins to bear fruit late and produces crops irregularly. In cultivation, grapes are shaped and the bushes are given a shape that is easy to care for, ensuring a high yield of high-quality bunches. Vine

Schisandra

In the literature devoted to climbing plants, lianas, the methods of preparing planting holes and the planting itself are unnecessarily complicated. It is proposed to dig trenches and holes up to 80 cm deep, lay drainage from broken bricks and shards, install a pipe to the drainage for feeding, fill it with special soil, etc. When planting several bushes in collective gardens, similar preparation is still possible; but the recommended pit depth is not suitable for the Far East, where the thickness of the root layer reaches 30 cm at best and is most often underlain by waterproof subsoil. No matter what kind of drainage is laid, a deep hole will inevitably turn out to be a closed vessel where water will accumulate during the monsoon rains, and this will entail damping off and rotting of the roots from lack of air. And the roots of actinidia and lemongrass vines, as already noted, spread in the taiga in the surface layer of soil. Planting lemongrass

Schisandra chinensis, or schisandra, has several names - lemon tree, red grapes, gomisha (Japanese), cochinta, kozyanta (Nanai), kolchita (Ulch), usimtya (Udege), uchampu (Oroch). In terms of structure, systemic relationship, center of origin and distribution, Schisandra chinensis has nothing in common with the real citrus plant lemon, but all its organs (roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, berries) exude the aroma of lemon, hence the name Schisandra. The schisandra vine that clings or wraps around a support, along with Amur grapes and three types of actinidia, is an original plant of the Far Eastern taiga. Its fruits, like real lemons, are too sour to be consumed fresh, but they have medicinal properties and a pleasant aroma, and this has attracted a lot of attention to it. The taste of Schisandra chinensis berries improves somewhat after frost. Local hunters who consume such fruits claim that they relieve fatigue, invigorate the body and improve vision. The consolidated Chinese pharmacopoeia, compiled back in 1596, states: “the fruit of Chinese lemongrass has five tastes, classified as the first category of medicinal substances. The pulp of lemongrass is sour and sweet, the seeds are bitter and astringent, and in general the taste of the fruit is salty. Thus, All five tastes are present in it." Grow lemongrass

All living organisms on the planet, for normal existence and functioning, require certain natural resources, including: water (sea and fresh), territory, soil, mountains, forests (vegetation), animals (including fish), fossil fuels and minerals.

All the above mentioned resources are natural and they exist in nature. No man created them, but humanity uses them for its own benefit. It must be taken into account that all the natural resources of the world are interconnected, for example, if water disappears in a certain area, this will negatively affect the local flora, fauna, soil and even climate.

The Earth's natural resources can be used directly or indirectly. For example, people directly depend on forests for food and biomass, improved health, recreation, and increased living standards and comfort. Indirectly, forests act as climate controls, provide protection from floods and storms, and provide nutrient cycling.

Below is a simple illustration of some of the major benefits we receive from specific natural resources.

Raw materials

Sometimes, natural resources can be used as raw materials to produce something. For example, we can use a tree from the forest to obtain wood. Wood is necessary for making furniture or extracting cellulose (it is used to make paper, plastics, films, etc.). In this case, wood is the raw material.

Every item in your home was made from raw materials, even a cup, electricity, bread, clothes - everything came from the natural resources of our planet.

Natural resources can have different states of aggregation: solid, liquid or gaseous. They are also divided into organic and inorganic, renewable and non-renewable, and may have metallic or non-metallic properties.

Classification of natural resources by exhaustibility

Inexhaustible natural resources

Inexhaustible natural resources are of cosmic origin and belong to our planet as a cosmic body. Even with prolonged use, they do not deteriorate, but with anthropogenic pollution, their quality may change. Such resources are unlimited in quantity relative to the needs of humanity.

Exhaustible natural resources

Exhaustible natural resources are limited in quantity and depend on our needs. With use, they decrease, but can be restored. Conventionally, they can be divided into: renewable, non-renewable and partially renewable.

• Renewable natural resources are those that are constantly available (such as water) or can be reasonably replaced or restored. Animals are also considered renewable because they are capable of reproducing.

Renewable resources that come from living organisms (plants and animals) are called organic, while those that come from nonliving things (water, sun and wind) are considered inorganic.

• Non-renewable natural resources are those that cannot be easily replaced once they become scarce or disappear (example: fossil fuels). Minerals are also one of these because they are formed naturally, in a very long process called magma crystallization. Some animal species, due to poaching and habitat destruction, are not able to restore their numbers in a timely manner, which makes them a non-renewable resource. That is why people must ensure the protection of endangered fauna.

Non-renewable inorganic resources are non-living in origin (such as minerals and rocks), while resources formed from living organisms (such as fossil fuels) are called organic non-renewable.

• Partially renewable resources are those that take longer to regenerate than it takes to use them.

Inorganic resources have metallic or non-metallic properties. Metallic ones include those that contain metals. They are heavier, shiny and can be melted to form new products (eg iron, copper and tin). Non-metallic resources do not contain metals and are softer and less shiny (such as clay).

Main types of natural resources

Water resources

There are more than 1,386 million km³ of water on Earth. Less than 3% of the total is fresh water and more than 97% is salt water. About 2/3 of fresh water (68.7%) is found in ice caps and glaciers, and more than 1/3 is stored underground in the form groundwater. And only 0.3% of all fresh water is readily available as surface water in lakes, swamps, rivers and streams.

Forest resources

Forest resources are extremely important natural resources that are used by people to meet the needs of life (food, shelter and building materials). Forests occupy about 1/3 of the land area or 4 billion hectares and are considered dominant, because they are distributed throughout the world. Forest resources contain about 80% of the Earth's plant biomass.

Land resources

Land resources include areas that are located on land and can be used for human needs. Their total area is about 14.9 billion hectares. This resource is limited in space and subject to anthropogenic influence. Land resources are an integral part of the planet, necessary for the existence and functioning of most living organisms.

Mineral resources

Mineral resources are non-renewable and include all minerals intended for further use; there are more than 200 types of them. All types are uneven and in different quantities distributed throughout our planet. In this regard, the availability of mineral resources depends on the availability of certain species in a particular region of the world and their use.

Climate and space resources

Climate and space resources are inexhaustible and include: solar energy, wind energy, the energy of the earth's interior, the energy of sea tides and waves, water and air energy. When used, such resources do not decrease in quantity, but their quality characteristics may change due to anthropogenic impact.

Biological resources

Biological resources include all living organisms (, etc.). This resource is renewable if organisms are able to reproduce. A biological resource can be considered a natural source of obtaining necessary benefits (food, raw materials for industry, farm animals, etc.).

Importance of natural resources

The world's natural resources are essential to maintaining the highly complex interactions between living things and non-living things. All over the world, people consume resources directly and indirectly, gaining enormous benefits from these interactions. More developed countries consume resources in greater quantities than less developed countries.

The global economy uses about 60 billion tons of natural resources every year to produce the goods and services we consume. On average, one person in Europe uses about 36 kg of resources per day; in North America - 90 kg; in Asia - 14 kg and in Africa - 10 kg.

In what form do people consume natural resources? The three main forms include: food and drink, housing and infrastructure, and mobility. They account for more than 60% of the use of all natural resources.

Food and drink

This form includes agricultural products, natural products (such as meat, freshwater and saltwater fish), seeds, nuts, medicines, herbs and plants. This includes drinking water, as well as water for sanitary and domestic use. Just think, ceramics, silverware (spoons, forks and knives), jars, milk cartons, paper and plastic cups are all made from raw materials that come from the earth's natural resources.

Mobility

Mobility includes all types of transportation such as cars, trains, watercraft, and fueled aircraft. Where do you think the raw materials used in the production and operation of vehicles come from?

Housing and infrastructure

Imagine all the houses, public places, roads and other objects that are located in your locality. Think about where all the energy that heats and cools spaces comes from, as well as the origins of the metal, plastic, stone and other materials needed for construction.

Beyond these three main areas of consumption, we use many more resources from our environment on a daily basis. The role of natural resources in supporting life on Earth is extremely important, and we must ensure that the environment is protected and that it is easier to regenerate naturally.

Distribution of natural resources

Natural resources are distributed unevenly around the world. Some countries are richer in them than others (for example, some regions have many water resources and access to oceans and seas). Others have lots of minerals and forests, and still others have metal rocks, wildlife, fossil fuels, etc.

For example, the United States ranks first in the world in coal reserves, and Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal. China remains the largest gold producer.

The United States, Russia, and Canada are the leading producers of wood and pulp. Annual exports of primary and secondary wood products from tropical forests have exceeded $20 billion in last years, and further growth is observed.

Many countries have developed their economies using existing natural resources. Some of them also receive a lot of income from tourism and recreation (for example, Brazil and Peru, make money from tourism in the Amazon forest, where there is a very diverse flora and fauna).

Crude oil is another important natural resource. From it we get many petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel and gas, which are used to power transport and provide comfortable conditions in our homes. But crude oil is not distributed evenly across the planet.

Regions where there is sufficient oil extract it and then sell it to regions where it is not, and also buy natural resources from other regions, such as timber and precious metals(gold, diamonds and silver), which they have in abundance.

Uneven distribution is also the root of power and greed in many countries. Some states use their resource wealth to control and manipulate regions with fewer resources, and even engage in military conflicts.

Threats of natural resource depletion

Overpopulation

This is probably the most significant threat facing natural resources. The world population is growing at a very fast pace. According to statistics, 365 thousand children are born every day in the world, which means that the planet’s large population negatively affects almost all natural resources. How?

Land use

With more people, more land must be cultivated for food and areas must be allocated for housing. Many forests and lands with rich vegetation will be converted into human settlements, roads and farms. This will lead to negative consequences for natural resources.

Deforestation

There will be greater demand for wood (timber), food and wood products. Therefore, people will use more forest resources than they can recover naturally.

Fishing

Fresh water and seafood, on which people directly depend, also face threats. Larger fishing companies go to the depths of the seas and catch fish in huge quantities. Some of the fishing methods they use are not sustainable and thus deplete fish resources.

Need more

A more comfortable human life means greater needs (for example, communication, transportation, education, entertainment and recreation). This means that more industrial processes need to be used and the demand for raw materials and natural resources increases.

Climate change

Climate change, resulting from excess carbon dioxide, is harming biodiversity and many of the world's other abiotic natural resources. Species that have become acclimated to their environment may die, while others will have to move to more suitable areas to survive.

Environmental pollution

Water, soil and air pollution have a negative impact on the environment. This affects the chemistry of soils, rocks, land, ocean waters, fresh groundwater and other natural resources.

Restoration of used natural resources

In recent years, waste has begun to be seen as a potential resource rather than something that should be in landfills. According to experts, something very useful can be made from paper, plastic, wood, metals and even waste water.

Natural resource recovery (waste recovery)- the use of sorted waste to extract secondary raw materials and use them again or transform them into new raw materials for the production of something.

It involves composting and recycling waste that is sent to landfill (for example, wet organic waste such as waste from food consumption or agricultural activities). Traditionally, we collect them and send them to landfill, but when recovering used resources, they need to be composted or processed through anaerobic digestion to produce biogas.

This concept can be applied at home. In many localities there are places where residents can throw out garbage that they have previously sorted at home. This simplifies the organization of waste disposal before further processing.

Waste recovery is not an easy task, it involves careful planning, people's culture, community participation as well as the use of technology. Despite these challenges, waste recovery has enormous environmental and economic benefits and should therefore be seriously considered.

Restoring the planet's natural resources benefits humanity because it reduces our need for new raw materials, thereby saving the environment (for example, by recycling used paper products, we can obtain new cellulose, which is found in wood. Plus, for recycling requires less energy than producing new raw materials).

Wastewater and stormwater can be used as another example. There is a way to significantly reduce the demand for fresh water if we start recycling all wastewater for reuse. This water can be used for gardening, Agriculture, domestic needs and heating.

In Victoria, Australia, purified water is used to irrigate vineyards, tomatoes, potatoes and other crops.

In Mexico City, about 174 million liters per day of treated wastewater is used to irrigate green areas, fill recreational lakes, and also in agriculture.

Ways to protect natural resources

In order to have a sustainable future where we can continue to use the Earth's natural resources, we urgently need to change the way we produce and consume goods and services.

High levels of natural resource consumption are observed mainly in major cities peace.

Globally, cities are responsible for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of carbon dioxide emissions, consuming more than 75% of natural resources.

In order to change your current lifestyle, you need to use:

Public

All stakeholders should strive to provide information and raise public awareness of existing resources and the need to ensure their protection. Although there is a lot of information freely available, campaigners should try to use less scientific and complex terms. Once people realize how useful our natural resources are, they will be more concerned about protecting them.

Individuals and organizations

People and organizations in developed countries, With high level resource consumers must be aware of resource protection issues. It is necessary to understand that using all the necessary resources for your own benefit is acceptable, but it is necessary to reduce the amount of waste and take care of proper disposal. We can achieve this in our homes and workplaces by reducing and recycling the waste we create.

Government

The government must enforce policies to protect natural resources. It is necessary to monitor the operation of enterprises and provide incentives to those who use recycled materials and introduce hefty fines for those who refuse to do so. Enterprises must return part of their profits to activities that are aimed at restoring previously used resources.

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The Earth's natural resources are the main wealth of the planet, which allows people to survive, and includes objects of living and inanimate nature. If in ancient times people used minimal resources, limiting themselves to collecting plants, fishing and hunting, then over time they began to use water, land resources, and minerals (metals, clay, coal, oil, etc.). All this leads to the fact that some natural resources are almost completely exhausted, and their replenishment requires several hundred or even thousands of years. Subsequently, it changes and ecosystems are destroyed.

Classification of natural resources

To properly use natural resources, you need to know which of them are present on the planet in large quantities and can be freely used, and which are scarce and need to be used only in minimal quantities.

Experts divide all sources according to renewability and exhaustiveness into the following classes:

• . These are resources of cosmic origin - solar energy, water, intraterrestrial heat;
• . They are on the planet - the world of flora and fauna, organic and mineral compounds;
• . A group of these resources has the ability to recover thanks to natural processes. These are animals and plants, rocks and minerals;
• . Their recovery rate is so low that they need to be used rationally in order to leave some of the resources for descendants. These are underground waters, ores of some metals, marble, sand, granite, coal, oil and gas.

Types of natural resources

The most accessible resource of the Earth is wind and solar energy. Its use is not harmful environment. One of the sources of life is water. This resource is used to support the life of people, animals, plants, and is needed for the occurrence of many natural processes.

Forest resources provide oxygen circulation, purify the air of harmful substances, and are a source of nutrition for people and animals. IN Lately people actively cut down trees, which leads to many environmental problems. Land resources are used in human economic activities, but this leads to soil depletion. Diversity mineral resources allows people to use minerals for all sorts of purposes. The more actively they use various resources, the more damage they will cause to the planet. Some sources are on the verge of extinction, and if people do not reconsider their actions, they could lose large quantity natural benefits.