Chapter 5.3, Problem 2MI

Summary Introduction

To define:

The given word “natural resources” using the book or dictionary.

Introduction:

The biosphere supplies the basic needs for over six billion people in the form of natural resources. Human population is growing at an alarming rate and the growt is not evenly distributed throughout the world. Increase in population increases the need for natural resources to fulfill the basic needs of the population.

Answer to Problem 2MI

Natural resources refer to organisms and materials found in the biosphere.

Explanation of Solution

Natural resources refer to all those resources that are found naturally in biosphere without any intervention of humans. These resources are of great industrial, commercial, scientific, aesthetic and cultural importance.

There are two classes of natural resources; renewable resources and nonrenewable resources.

1. Renewableresources- These include resources that can be replaced by natural processes faster than they are consumed. These are solar energy, clean water, clean air, plants and animals. They usually get replaced faster than they are consumed but the supply is not unlimited. If the demand exceeds the supply, the resource might become depleted.
2. Nonrenewable resources- Those resources that are found on Earth in limited amounts or those that are replaced by natural processes over long periods of time are called nonrenewable resources. These include fossil fuels, minerals and species.