Get summay, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF, competency-based questions of chapter- 4/unit I, Natural Resources: AHSEC Class 11 Environmental Education, which is part of the present syllabus. These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
Summary
The world around us is filled with many resources that we get from nature. These are called natural resources. Things like land, water, air, minerals, and forests are all natural resources. Human life and progress depend on them. There are two main kinds of natural resources. The first kind is renewable resources. These are resources that do not run out or can be replaced over time. Examples include solar energy, forests, and wildlife. However, some renewable resources, like forests and groundwater, can be used up if we consume them too quickly. The second kind is non-renewable resources. These exist in limited amounts. Once we use them all, they are gone forever. Fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are examples of non-renewable resources.
Forests are a very valuable resource, covering about one-third of the world’s land. They provide us with useful things like timber, food, and medicine. Forests also perform important services for the planet. They produce the oxygen we need to breathe through photosynthesis. During this process, they absorb carbon dioxide, which helps reduce global warming. Forests are also home to countless animals, they prevent soil from washing away, and they help regulate the climate. In North East India, forests are being lost due to the timber industry, clearing land for farming, and building roads and industries.
Water is another essential resource, as no life can exist without it. Most of the Earth’s water is salty ocean water. Only a small amount is fresh water, and most of that is frozen in ice caps. A very tiny fraction is available for us to use from rivers, lakes, and the ground. North East India has plenty of fresh water from heavy rainfall and large rivers like the Brahmaputra. The region also has many wetlands, including Loktak Lake in Manipur, which is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India. Land is also a finite resource that gives us food and other necessities. It takes hundreds of years for just one inch of soil to form. Soil can be damaged by erosion, which is the loss of the top layer, or by contamination from industrial waste and chemicals.
Minerals are naturally occurring substances like iron, coal, and limestone. We use them to build things, generate energy, and make products. Minerals can be metallic, like iron ore, or non-metallic, like diamond. Some are used to generate energy, such as coal and uranium. The North Eastern region of India is rich in minerals. Assam is known for petroleum and natural gas, while Meghalaya has uranium and limestone. Because our population is growing, the demand for all these resources is increasing. This means we must practice conservation, which is the careful and wise use of resources. Conservation involves avoiding overuse and wastage. We can conserve water by harvesting rainwater and preventing pollution. We can conserve land by planting trees to stop soil erosion. Using our natural resources prudently ensures they will be available for a long time.
Textual/Exercise
1. What do you mean by natural resources ?
Answer: Since resources like land, water, air, minerals, coal, forest, and wildlife are obtained from nature, they are called natural resources. The welfare and development of human civilization largely depend upon these resources, and it is possible to obtain valuable goods from any resource.
2. What are the different types of natural resources ?
Answer: The different types of natural resources are:
- Forest resources
- Water resources
- Land resources
- Mineral resources
- Food resources
- Energy resources
3. What are renewable and non-renewable natural resources ? Give examples.
Answer: Renewable resources are resources that are in-exhaustive and can be regenerated within a given span of time, for example, solar energy, forest, and wildlife. Though many renewable resources do not have a rapid recovery rate, these resources are susceptible to depletion by over-use, for example, forest and groundwater.
Non-renewable resources are resources that are available only in finite quantities, for example, fossil fuel like coal, petroleum, and minerals. Once we exhaust these resources, the same cannot be replenished.
4. Mention the ecological services of the green plants.
Answer: The ecological services of the green plants are:
- The green forests produce oxygen by photosynthesis which is very vital for life on earth.
- During photosynthesis, green plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thus reduce the global warming problem.
- The forests give shelter to millions of life forms starting from the insects to the huge wild animals.
- It retards soil erosion.
- It regulates local climatic condition and hydrological cycle.
- There are certain plants which can absorb many toxic gases and act as pollution indicators.
5. Name the national parks of Assam.
Answer: The national parks of Assam are:
- Kaziranga National Park
- Manas National Park
- Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
- Nameri National Park
- Orang National Park
- Raimona National Park
- Dehing Patkai National Park
6. Give 5 names of wildlife sanctuaries of Assam.
Answer: The names of wildlife sanctuaries of Assam are:
- Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
- Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary
- Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary
- Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary
- Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary
7. Name the great wetland of Manipur.
Answer: The great wetland of Manipur is Loktak Lake, which is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India.
8. Mention two conservation measures for land resources.
Answer: Two conservation measures for land resources are:
- Soil erosion can be minimized by afforestation in the hilly slopes.
- Use of pesticides and fertilizers should be banned and organic fertilizers should be encouraged.
9. Mention the mineral resources of NE India.
Answer: The North eastern region of India is a treasure home of valuable mineral resources. Meghalaya is famous for uranium, coal and limestone. Assam is widely known for its mineral resources which include petroleum (crude), natural gas, coal, and limestone. Assam is also endowed with other minerals such as sillimanite, base-metals, beryl, building and road metals, asbestos, fire clay, kaolin, fuller’s earth, mica, quartz, and dolomite.
10. Mention a few water conservation measures.
Answer: A few water conservation measures are:
- Rainwater harvesting
- Decreasing runoff losses
- Reducing evaporation losses
- Reuse of water
- Preventing wastage of water
- Controlling water pollution
- Implementation of strict laws
- Organization of awareness programmes
Extra/additional questions and answers
1. What are the two main kinds of natural resources?
Answer: The two main kinds of natural resources are renewable resources and non-renewable resources. This classification is based on their ability to be regenerated or replenished.
25. Write a short note on Forest resources.
Answer: About 1/3rd of the world’s land area is covered by forests. The green forest not only provides us all sorts of essential commodities but gives us a number of ecological services. Forests provide us with commercial goods like timber, wood, food items, fuel, fodder, medicines, drugs and many more. But we have to acknowledge the non commercial services offered by the green forests.
- The green forests produce oxygen by photosynthesis which is very vital for life on earth.
- During photosynthesis, green plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thus reduce the global warming problem.
- The forests give shelter to millions of life forms starting from the insects to the huge wild animals.
- It retards soil erosion.
- It regulates local climatic condition and hydrological cycle.
- There are certain plants which can absorb many toxic gases and act as pollution indicators.
Extra/additional Fill in the Blanks
1. Resources that are obtained from nature are called ______ resources.
Answer: natural
23. The gold extraction from the river ______ dates back to earlier than the eighteenth century.
Answer: Subansiri
Get notes of other classes and subjects