Natural Resources and their Use — NCERT Solutions

Given/Concept: Renewable resources are those that can replenish naturally over time (e.g., forests, freshwater, soil). However, if they are exploited faster than they can regenerate, they can effectively become non-renewable.

What can make a renewable resource non-renewable:

• Over-exploitation: Harvesting a resource (e.g., cutting forests, over-fishing) at a rate faster than it can naturally replenish makes it functionally non-renewable.
• Pollution: Contaminating freshwater bodies or soil with industrial waste, chemicals, or plastics can permanently damage or destroy these resources.
• Habitat destruction: Clearing land for agriculture or construction destroys ecosystems, making it impossible for species and resources to regenerate.
• Climate change: Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns can dry up rivers, degrade soil, and destroy forests permanently.
• Soil degradation: Intensive farming without replenishment strips soil of nutrients, turning fertile land into barren wasteland.

Actions to prevent this:

1. Sustainable harvesting — Cutting only as many trees as are replanted; catching only as many fish as the population can sustain.
2. Pollution control — Treating industrial and domestic waste before releasing it into water bodies or land.
3. Legal protection — Enforcing laws against deforestation, over-fishing, and land degradation.
4. Community awareness — Educating people about the importance of not over-using shared resources.
5. Afforestation and reforestation — Actively planting trees to restore degraded forest cover.
6. Water conservation — Rainwater harvesting and efficient irrigation to prevent freshwater depletion.

Conclusion: A renewable resource becomes non-renewable when human activity destroys its ability to regenerate. Mindful, regulated, and sustainable use is the key to keeping renewable resources available for future generations.

Given/Concept: Ecosystems perform a wide range of functions — often called 'ecosystem services' — that directly or indirectly benefit human beings.

Five important ecosystem functions that serve humans:

1. Provisioning services (Food and Water): Ecosystems provide food (crops, fish, fruits, meat), fresh water, timber, fibre, and medicinal plants that humans depend on for survival.

2. Regulating services (Climate and Air regulation): Forests and oceans absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, regulating the climate and maintaining air quality. Wetlands filter pollutants from water.

3. Soil formation and nutrient cycling: Decomposers in the soil break down dead organic matter, recycling nutrients that are essential for plant growth and agriculture.

4. Pollination: Bees, butterflies, birds, and other organisms pollinate flowering plants, which is essential for the reproduction of most food crops and wild plants.

5. Flood and erosion control: Forests, grasslands, and wetlands absorb rainwater, reduce surface run-off, prevent soil erosion, and protect against floods and landslides.

Conclusion: These ecosystem functions are vital for human well-being, food security, and survival. Protecting ecosystems means protecting these services for present and future generations.

Given/Concept: Resources are broadly classified as renewable and non-renewable based on their ability to replenish naturally.

Renewable Resources:
Renewable resources are those that can be replenished naturally over a relatively short period of time through natural processes. Examples: sunlight, wind, water (rivers and rain), forests, soil, and fish populations.

Difference between Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources:

What people can do to ensure renewable resources remain available:

• Avoid over-exploitation: Use resources only at the rate at which they can regenerate. For example, do not cut more trees than are planted.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Minimise waste so that less pressure is placed on natural resources.
• Use clean energy: Shift from fossil fuels to solar and wind energy to reduce pressure on non-renewables and reduce pollution that harms renewables.
• Water conservation: Use water efficiently through drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and fixing leaks.
• Community and legal action: Support laws that protect forests, rivers, and biodiversity.

Two Examples:

1. Forests (Renewable): If trees are cut at a sustainable rate and replanting is done regularly, forests continue to provide timber, oxygen, and habitat. Over-cutting without replanting destroys this renewable resource.
2. Freshwater (Renewable): Water is replenished through the water cycle (rain, rivers). However, over-extraction of groundwater and pollution of rivers can make clean water scarce. Rainwater harvesting and reducing water pollution help keep this resource available.

Conclusion: Renewable resources are a gift of nature, but they require responsible and mindful use to remain available for future generations.