Question

Classify resources, on the basis of exhaustibility in two groups. Mention three characteristics of each.

Answer 1

Hint: Resources on the Earth are air, water and land. Lithosphere is the outer crust of our planet Earth, which we call land. The hydrosphere is the Earth’s surface covered with water. Atmosphere is a multi-layered gaseous envelope of air that covers the whole Earth like a blanket. Natural resources are living and nonliving components of nature, which are used by human beings to fulfil their needs or requirements.

Complete answer:
There are two types of natural resources – inexhaustible and exhaustible.
Exhaustible are those natural resources that are available in limited quantities and may get depleted by regular and indiscriminate human consumption. These are of two types –

i) Renewable resources: These are those resources that get replenished at regular intervals. Both living and non-living resources come under this, e.g., forests, wildlife, soil and underground water.
Characteristics:
- Having a capability of regeneration.
- These can last forever if they are used responsibly or in limited amounts.
- This can become non-renewable if not managed properly.

Non-renewable resources: These are those resources which once used cannot be replenished. Only non-living resources come under this because these resources cannot be recycled, e.g., minerals, fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum.
Characteristics:
- These are also called stock resources because these are available in finite quantities.
- They may be solids, liquids and gases.
- These remain as waste in some other forms after their use unless they are subjected to recycling.

Note: Conservation of natural resources –
- To prevent soil erosion, plant more trees.
- Use the method crop rotation.
- For transporting oil, use pipelines.
- Before the waste is released into the water bodies, we have to treat the industrial sewage and wastage.