Resource Notes PDF

Resource Notes SLIDESMANIA.COM  Natural Resources Natural resources are resources provided by Earth, including Earth’s organisms, nutrients, rocks, water, and minerals. Comes fr...

Resource Notes SLIDESMANIA.COM  Natural Resources Natural resources are resources provided by Earth, including Earth’s organisms, nutrients, rocks, water, and minerals. Comes from the soil, air, water, or deep in Earth’s crust. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Renewable Resources A renewable resource is a natural resource that can be replaced by nature as quickly as it is used. EX) fresh air, fresh surface water in lakes, rivers, and streams, and most groundwater. Renewable resources also include fertile soil, when used properly. Sunlight is considered a renewable resource because it will be available for at least the next SLIDESMANIA.COM five billion years.  Non-Renewable Resources A non-renewable resource is a resource that exists in a fixed amount in various places in Earth’s crust and can be replaced only by geological, physical, and chemical processes that take millions of years. EX) Resources such as fossil fuels, diamonds and other gemstones, and elements such as gold, copper, and silver are considered to be nonrenewable. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Land Land provides places for humans and other organisms to live and interact, spaces for the growth of crops, forests, grasslands, and wilderness areas. Topsoil can be lost as a result of erosion by wind or water. Plowing and leaving the ground without plant cover can increase topsoil loss. The loss of topsoil makes soil less fertile and less able to hold water, which results in loss of crops. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Desertification Desertification is the process whereby productive land becomes desert. This occurs in hot and dry climates when there is a loss of topsoil Happens when too many grazing animals are kept in arid lands, or when trees and shrubs are cut down for use as fuel. Can be prevented by reducing overgrazing and by planting trees and shrubs to anchor soil and retain water. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Air A pollutant is a substance that enters Earth’s geochemical cycles and can harm the well-being of living things or adversely affect their activities. Air pollution can come from natural or human sources and can affect air outside or inside buildings. Natural sources of air pollution include volcanoes, fires, and radon. Volcanoes can spew sulfur which helps to create acid rain and a type of bluish smog called vog. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Water About 71 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water. The world’s oceans help regulate climate, provide habitats for marine organisms, dilute and degrade many pollutants, and even have a role in shaping Earth’s surface. Freshwater is an important resource for agriculture, transportation, recreation, and numerous other human activities. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Water Liquid water can store a large amount of thermal energy without a significant increase in temperature. This property protects aquatic organisms from rapid temperature changes, and it also contributes to water’s ability to regulate Earth’s climate. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Energy The energy that humans and all other organisms use comes mostly from the Sun. Fuels are materials that are consumed to produce energy. The total amount of living matter in an ecosystem is its biomass. Biomass fuels are fuels derived from living things. Biomass fuels are renewable resources. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Energy Ethanol is a liquid produced by fermenting crops that can be blended with gasoline to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. Ethanol fuels burn more cleanly than pure gasoline. Biodiesel can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and reduces air pollution. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels are energy sources that formed over time as a result of the compression and incomplete decomposition of plants and other organic matter. EX) crude oil, coal, natural methane Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources because their formation occurs over millions of years, and we are using them at a much faster rate. SLIDESMANIA.COM  Alternative Energy The Sun is the source of most of the energy on Earth. The main advantages of solar energy are that it is free and it does not cause pollution. Hydroelectric power is generated by converting the energy of free-falling water to electricity. Nuclear fission is the process in which a heavy nucleus (mass number greater than 200) divides to form smaller nuclei and one or two neutrons. This process releases a large amount of energy. SLIDESMANIA.COM