Chapter 4.3 Renewable And Nonrenewable Resources Flashcards
Define renewable resource.
- Resources that can regenerate if they are alive.
- Resouces that can be replaced by biogeochemical cycles if they are non-living.
- They are not necessarily unlimited.
- They can easily become limited by overuse
What are two examples of renewable resources?
Trees
Water
Define nonrenewable resource.
Resources that cannot be replenished by natural processes
What are four examples of nonrenewable resources?
Fossil fuels
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
What is sustainable development?
A way of using natural resources wthout depleting them or causing long-term environmental harm
What are the five resources discussed in class?
Land Forest Fishery Air Freshwater
What type of resource is land?
Soil is renewable
What type of resource is forest?
Some are renewable and some are non-renewable.
What type of resource is fishery?
Renewable, but now loss of species
What type of resource is air?
Renewable
What type of resource is freshwater?
Renewable, but limited
What is the issue with land?
Plowing land removed roots that held soil in place increasing soil erosion. Losing topsoil turns once productive areas into deserts.
What are the issues with forests?
Deforestation leads to soil erosion preventing regrowth of trees.
Old-growth forests take centuries to grow back.
Logging causes loss of species.
What is the issue wth fishery?
Overfishing between 1950-1990’s.
Fish caught went from 19 million tons to over 90 million tons.
Species began to shrink.
What are the issues with air?
Smog from automobile exhausts and industrial emissions.
Burning of fossil fuels release pollutants causing health problems after long exposure.
Acid rain.
