Natural resource
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The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others.
—Theodore Roosevelt[1]
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Natural resources (economically referred to as land or raw materials) occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource's is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existent in various ecosystems.
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[edit] Natural resource depletion
Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing, hunting, and forestry are generally considered natural-resource industries. Agriculture is considered a man-made resource. Theodore Roosevelt, a well-known conservationist and former United States president, was opposed to unregulated natural resource extraction. The term is defined by the United States Geological Survey as "The Nation's natural resources include its minerals, energy, land, water, and biota."[2]
[edit] Examples
Some examples of natural resources include:
- Agronomy [3]
- Air and atmosphere [3]
- Animals / Fauna
- Coal and Fossil fuels
- Forestry & Agroforestry [3]
- Plants / Flora [3]
- Range and Pasture [3]
- Soils [3]
- Water and Oceans [3]
- Wildlife [3]
- Wind [3]
[edit] Depletion
In recent years, the depletion of natural resources and attempts to move to sustainable development have been a major focus of development agencies. This is of particular concern in rainforest regions, which hold most of the Earth's natural biodiversity - irreplaceable genetic natural capital. Conservation of natural resources is the major focus of natural capitalism, environmentalism, the ecology movement, and green politics. Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in developing nations.
[edit] See also
- Conservation biology
- Conservation reliant species
- Ecology
- Ecology movement
- Environmental protection
- Habitat conservation
- Natural environment
- Natural capital
- Rainforest Action Network
- Renewable resource
- Sierra club
- Sustainability
- Sustainable agriculture
[edit] References
- ^ Theodore Roosevelt, Address to the Deep Waterway Convention Memphis, TN, October 4, 1907
- ^ "Natural Resources". U.S. Geological Survey. http://www.usgs.gov/themes/resource.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved May 2009.
