Natural resources

NATURAL RESOURCES FORESTS1234To lead a comfortable life, we are dependent on many things that are provided by nature. Some of these are air, water, soil, forests, animals and minerals. These are called natural resources. We use these resources in our daily lives to take care of our basic necessities.

Natural resources are of two types : renewable resources and non-renewable resources.

RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Renewable resources are constantly renewed by natural process. These resources are also known as inexhaustible resources. Sunlight, water, soil, animals and forests are renewable resources.

NON_RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Non-renewable resources are those which once used up, cannot be renewed by nature or would take millions of years to get renewed. Non-renewable resources are also known as exhaustible resources. Ron copper, coal, petroleum are exhaustible resources.

Forest Resource – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

A large of land where there is a dense growth of trees and bushes is known as a forests. About one-fifth of the land in India covered with forests.

IMPORTANCE OF FORESTS

• Forests consist of various types of trees and plants that provide us with oxygen. We need oxygen to breathe.
• Fallen leaves and dead plants in the forests improve the quality of the soil. They make it more fertile.
• Forests cause rain and prevent the land from becoming dry.
• Forests keep the surroundings cool.
• Forests are home to many animals and birds.
• Forests provide us with wood for making furniture matchsticks and paper.
• Many medicine are made from the leaves, roots and stems of trees.
• Forests give us a variety of food products.

TYPES OF FORESTS

There are five main types of forests.

• Evergreen forests
• Deciduous forests
• Tidal forests
• Coniferous forests
• Thorn forests

EVERGREEN FORESTS

• These forests are green throughout the year. This is because trees in these forests do not lose their leaves all at once.
• These forests are found in areas Where there is heavy rainfall. They are found in the Western Ghats, North eastern India and Andaman and Nico bar islands.
• Rosewood , ebony and mahogany are some trees that are found in the evergreen forests.

DECIDUOUS FORESTS

THORN FORESTS

• Areas that are dry and receive very little rainfall have thorn forests. The trees have long roots, thick bark, sharp thorns and small leaves. They can survive on very little water for months.

NATURAL RESOURCES FORESTS1234TIDAL FORESTS

• Areas forests are also known as mangroves. The roots of the trees grow above the ground. These forests are found in the deltas of river Ganga , Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, and Godavari.
• Sundari tree grow in the tidal forests of the sunderban Deltas.

CONIFEROUS FORESTS

• Found in the Himalayas region and in parts of the Nigiri hills, coniferous forests have trees that are tall and cone_shaped leaves.
• Trees such as chir, deodar, pine and spruce are commonly found in these forests.

CONSERVATION OF FORESTS

There is an increasing demand for wood and othere forests products in a devloping country like india. Trees are being cut down in large number to fullfill the growing demands. Consequently the forests cover is slowly and gradually shrinking. The large _scale cutting down of trees is known as deforestation.

• less or even no rainfall in the areas, leaving the lands dry.
• Destruction of natural habitats of birds and animals.
• Floods, landslides and soil erosion.

Natural Resource Management

Natural Resource Management (NRM) refers to the sustainable utilization of major natural resources, such as land, water, air, minerals, forests, fisheries, and wild flora and fauna. Together, these resources provide the ecosystem services that provide better quality to human life.