Renewable and Nonrenewable Natural Resources: A Guide
1. Concept of Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
Natural Resources
Natural resources are material goods and services provided by nature, undisturbed by human beings, that are valuable to human societies. They contribute to our welfare and development directly (e.g., raw materials, minerals, food) or indirectly (e.g., essential organic services for life on the planet).
Renewable Natural Resources
Renewable natural resources are those that regenerate naturally at a rate higher than their rate of use. They can meet human requirements and be useful without modification or processing, or they can be used to produce goods or services.
Nonrenewable Natural Resources
Nonrenewable natural resources have limited deposits or renewal rates that are significantly slower than the rate at which society exploits them.
Products of the Biosphere
The biosphere provides us with two types of products:
- Biosphere Material Resources: These include food, certain materials, and energy resources. Most are renewable and obtained through agriculture, forestry, livestock, aquaculture, fishing, hunting, and industrial use of microorganisms.
- Ecological or Ecosystem Services: These are essential functions or processes performed by the biosphere, such as decomposition and recycling of organic materials, soil generation, and oxygen production. While often taken for granted, their importance becomes clear when environmental impacts disrupt them.
Benefits from the Forest
Forests have numerous uses and are a source of many raw materials. Their importance can be viewed from two perspectives:
a) Ecological Importance
- Slow rainwater runoff and recharge streams and aquifers.
- Control soil erosion.
- Regulate climate locally, regionally, and globally.
- Maintain carbon dioxide levels.
- Provide habitat for wildlife.
- Dampen noise and absorb airborne pollutants.
- Serve as homes for indigenous peoples.
- Provide recreational areas.
b) Commercial Importance
- Provide timber for construction and paper production.
- Offer food sources.
- Supply industrial materials.
- Provide ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry.
Major Changes: Deforestation
Deforestation is the large-scale destruction of forests by human action.
- Shifting cultivation, involving logging and burning, was responsible for 45% of deforestation in Africa and Asia during the 1980s.
- Logging operations are a major cause of deforestation in Southeast Asia, Central Africa, and West Africa.
- Deforestation for agriculture on infertile soils yields only short-term benefits.
- Tree plantations, while potentially beneficial, can contribute to deforestation if not managed sustainably.
- Pasture creation for livestock grazing is a significant driver of deforestation.
- Settlement, mining, and oil industries also contribute to deforestation.
- Road and dam construction often leads to deforestation.
Sustainable Management of Forest Resources
Actions for Rational Forest Exploitation:
- Study nutrient cycles to ensure sustained growth and prevent depletion.
- Inventory tree species.
- Develop management plans for timber harvesting that allow for regeneration before the next harvest.
- Plant high-performance forests on exploited and marginal lands to reduce the negative impact of logging.
- Conduct thinning (selective logging of mature trees) or harvest in small stands to minimize forest gaps.
- Cultivate and harvest high-quality wood in long rotations (100-200 years).
- Protect soil during road construction and logging operations.
- Use natural regeneration methods, such as leaving dead trees and fallen trunks, to maintain habitats and soil fertility.
- Remove industrial waste and increase recycling.
- Combat pests and diseases naturally through forest diversity and natural predators.
- Reduce the need for human migration to forest areas.