Resource Management

Question 1

The world’s natural resources

Answer 1

The world’s natural resources can be defined and classified in different ways but the environments in which they are found are at increasing risk from human exploitation.

Question 2

Types of natural resource

Answer 2

1. Biotic resources
   ○ Obtained from the resources
   ○ Capable of reproduction
   ○ Examples: animals, birds and plants
2. Abiotic resources
   ○ Obtained from the lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere
   ○ Examples: minerals, soil, sunlight and fresh water
3. Non-renewable resources
   ○ Combustible sources that can’t be ‘remade’
   ○ Formation takes millions of years
   ○ Examples: coal, oil, uranium and natural gas
4. Renewable resources
   ○ Potentially inexhaustible
   ○ Can be naturally replenished
   ○ Examples: wind, solar and hydro-electric power (HEP)

Question 3

Exploiting environments: oil extraction in Ecuador

Answer 3

○ 1960s Texaco discovers oil in Oriente region and build 350 oil wells.
○ 1000 open unlined pits filled with toxic sludge were left behind; 18 billion gallons of toxic water dumped into rivers, reducing water quality.
○ Local tribes rely on rivers for drinking, cooking, bathing and fishing.
○ Drinking polluted river water leads to increased reports of miscarriages and birth defects.

Question 4

Exploiting environments: overfishing in the North Sea

Answer 4

• fish in demand as source of protein
• fishing industry provides jobs
• cod numbers have declined in the last 100 years
• fish provide protein and employment
• unsustainable fishing practices - more caught than replaced
• length of fish: 2m in 1915; 35cm in 2012

Question 5

Deforestation in Cameroon

Answer 5

• Cameroon rainforests have high biodiversity - 600+ species of trees and bushes
• 70,000 hectares cleared or being cleared to make way for palm oil plantations - extensive soil erosion
• Biodiversity under threat - some of the oldest woodlands on Earth at risk.

Question 6

Variety and Distribution

Answer 6

Natural resources are not evenly distributed and you will need to know the variety and distribution of the world’s and UK’s natural resources.

Question 7

Agriculture and forestry: influence of latitude

Answer 7

• Higher precipitation and solar radiation near Equator. Very productive. TRF, forestry and plantation agriculture. Soil infertile: latosols.
• Colder and drier at the poles. Low productivity. Tundra/coniferous trees. Forestry. Soils leached. Type of soil is podsols.
• 30º N and S of Equator, high solar radiation, very low precipitation. Little or no vegetation. Nomadic herding. Irrigated crops. Desert sandy soils.

Question 8

The UK’s natural resources

Answer 8

1. Precipitation is higher in the north and west (low population density) compared to the south (high population density).
2. Types of agriculture depend on soil, climate and relief. East Anglia has flat land, fertile soils and warm summers so is suitable for arable farming, e.g. wheat. Sheep farming is located in upland areas like Scotland.
3. Oil and gas are extracted from the North Sea. Billions of barrels are produced each year.

Question 9

Global usage and consumption

Answer 9

Food, energy and water are vital for human survival, but their usage and consumption are not evenly distributed across the world.

Question 10

Differences in usage and consumption

Answer 10

○ Energy usage - high in technically advanced countries
○ Energy usage in North Africa - low in less developed countries, e.g. Sudan
○ Energy usage in Asia - rising rapidly in China

○ Water usage in Africa - water deficiency in North Africa as precipitation < evaporation
○ Water usage in South America - water surplus in tropical rainforest as precipitation > evaporation

○ Food consumption in America - high in wealthy countries like USA
○ Food consumption in Africa - people in Ghana, Africa, survive on fewer than 2000 calories per day