Types of Natural Resources
Types of Natural Resources for Class 5 EVS
This concept mainly deals with different types of natural resources and their uses.
After reading the concept, students will be able to:
- Know how many types of natural resources are there.
- Understand the differences between renewable and non renewable resources.
- Get an idea of different types of forests.
- Define what is boreal forest.
- Recall various types of forest and wildlife resources.
- Enlist the uses of honey and timbers.
- Define firewood, its sources and uses.
- Discuss the importance of herbal medicines and their uses.
Each concept is explained to class 5 students using descriptions, illustrations, and concept maps. After you go through a concept, assess your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given at the end of the page.
Download the worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions for the concept of the Types of Natural Resources provided in PDF format.
What are Natural Resources?
- The resources available in nature that can be harnessed and used directly or indirectly after being converted into other forms are called natural resources.
- The important natural resources are as follows—
- Natural resources are essential for the survival and continuity of life on Earth.
- They are harnessed, extracted, or converted into forms suitable for use.
Examples:
- Crude oil is purified for obtaining products like petroleum and kerosene.
- Wind energy is harnessed through windmills for conversion into electricity.
Classification of Natural Resources:
Natural resources can be classified based on their state and origin.
- Based on the state, natural resources can be classified as—
- Based on the origin, natural resources are classified as—
a. Renewable resources: The resources that are inexhaustible and can be used repeatedly are called renewable resources.
Examples: Wind energy, solar energy, tidal energy, etc.
b. Non-Renewable resources:The exhaustible resources that cannot be used again once consumed are called non-renewable resources.
Examples: Coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
Water as a Natural Resource:
- Water covers almost 70% of the Earth’s surface.
- Water is vital for the existence of every living form on Earth.
- Water is widely used in industries and agricultural activities besides supporting life.
- Water is a renewable source of energy. Nowadays, advanced methods and technologies are used to recycle water, which aims to conserve water.
- Freshwater is available in a minimal amount on Earth; hence, it is necessary to use water judiciously and prevent it from getting contaminated with pollutants.
Air as a Natural Resource:
- Air surrounds the Earth in the form of the atmosphere, which makes the existence of life possible on Earth.
- Air contains life-supporting gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide, which animals and plants use.
- Moving air is called wind.
- The energy of wind is harnessed to produce electrical energy.
- Wind energy is a renewable form of energy.
Soil as a Natural Resource:
- Soil supports the growth of plants which are said to be the ultimate producers.
- Being at the base of the food chain, plants, directly and indirectly, provide food to all types of consumers on Earth.
- Soil also serves as the habitat of many microorganisms.
- Apart from these, the soil is the reservoir for many minerals and rocks which are exploited for commercial use.
Forest as a Natural Resource:
- A large area of land covered with trees is considered a forest.
- Forest covers 30% of the land on Earth.
- Forests can be divided into the following categories based on their distance from the Equator.
- Tropical Forests:
- These are closest to the Equator and do not experience winters.
- The temperature and humidity in these forests are high because they receive direct sunlight.
- So the rate of decomposition in these forests is high, making the soil extremely fertile.
- They receive high rainfall and are home to many plant and animal species.
- The main plants found in these forests are palms, orchids, ferns, mosses, etc.
- Temperate Forests:
- Temperate forests are located between the tropical and boreal forests.
- They receive a considerable amount of rainfall and experience all four seasons.
- One can find oak, maple, and birch trees in temperate forests.
- Animals found in these forests are adapted to sustain cold winters.
- Boreal Forests:
- These forests are located farthest from the Equator.
- They experience short summers and long winters.
- The main trees in boreal forests are deodar, pine, and oak.
Resources We Get from Forests:
Apart from being a home to a large number of animals and plants, forests provide a large number of resources that are used directly or indirectly in our daily lives.
- Honey is used both in cooking food and preparing medicines. Apiculture is practised in places adjacent to forests. The forests have many flower-bearing plants, providing ample space for the bees to gather nectar.
b. Fruits and Mushrooms:
- Though fruits and mushrooms can be harvested via agricultural practices, they are also collected from the forests in a considerable amount.
- People residing in forests use them for food and sell them to earn money.
c. Timber and wood products:
- Forests are a major source of timber and other types of woods.
- Timber is used as a raw material in both small and large-scale industries.
- Wood collected from the forest is majorly used for building houses and furniture.
d. Wood Pulp:
- The primary raw material used for the production of paper is wood pulp.
- Humans depend on forests to obtain wood pulp for making papers.
- A wide variety of trees and herbs that grow in forests has a significant role in synthesising medicines.
- Barks, roots, stems, leaves, and flowers of various plants are used for medicinal purposes.
f. Firewood:
- People in rural areas depend on the forest for collecting firewood that they use for cooking.
- Small plants and grasses in the forests are collected to use as fodder for animals.
- Wide different varieties of grass are found in forests.
h. Bamboo:
- It is also called ‘poor man’s timber’.
- Bamboo is widely used for making stilt houses in flood-prone areas.
- Also, bamboo leaves and stems are used for making baskets, flooring materials, and mats.
- Tribal people depend on the products made from bamboo plants for their livelihood.
i. Dyes and tannins:
- Forests provide around 2 lakh tonnes of dyes and tannins every year.
- A wide variety of flowers found in the forests are used as raw materials for producing dyes.
New Words
Supplements: A concentrated form of nutrients.
Equator: An imaginary line that divides Earth into two equal halves—Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Apiculture: The occupation of owning and breeding bees for collecting their honey; also called beekeeping.
Did You Know?
- Forests are also called the ‘lungs’ of our planet because they maintain oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
- 80% of the plant and animal species on Earth are found in forests. Cutting down trees forces some animal species to migrate to other places, and eventually, disappear.
