Natural Resource: Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form.

A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems. Natural resources are derived from the environment. This is currently restricted to the environment of earth yet the theoretical possibility remains of extracting them from outside the planet, such as asteroid belt. Many of them are essential for our survival while most are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources may be further classified in different ways. Eco-System: An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. These components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, they can come in any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces (although it is sometimes said that the entire planet is an ecosystem) Types: Major classes of relatively contained ecosystems are called Biomes. 1. Freshwater Ecosystems 2. Terrestrial Ecosystems 3. Ocean Ecosystems 1. Freshwater ecosystems: 2. Terrestrial Ecosystems: Many & diverse types of ecosystems. There are seven major types. Relatively small in area ~ 1.8% of earth's surface Support many species of life including fish, amphibians, insects and plants. Base of food-web is found in freshwater Plankton (small microscopic organisms)

 Types:

Location usually dependent on the latitude of the area, and amount of precipitation

2.1. Tropical Rain Forest Precipitation - 250cm/year Little temp. variation/abundant moisture Contains more species than other biomes.

2.2. Savannas Precipitation 90-150cm/year Open, widely spaced trees, seasonal rainfall Parts of Africa, South America & Australia

2.3. Deserts

Precipitation 20cm/year Dry, sparce vegetation; scattered grasses Parts of Africa, Asia, Australia, North America

2.4 Temperate Grasslands

Precipitation: 10-60cm/year Rich soil; tall dense grasses Central North America; Central Asia

2.5. Deciduous forests 75-250cm/year Warm summers, cool winters Europe; NE United States;Eastern Canada

2.6.Coniferous forest: 2.7. Tundra 3. Ocean Ecosystems: Very large amount of Earth is covered by ocean (~75%) 40% of all photosynthesis occurs in oceans. types of oceanic ecosystems Shallow ocean waters Deep ocean water Deep ocean surface. Photosynthetic plankton is base of food chain. Only occurs in Deep ocean surface & Shallow ocean ecosystems No photosynthesis can occur in deep ocean because light cannot penetrate deeply into water. 25cm/year Open; wind swept; dry; ground always frozen Far northern Asia; Northern North America 20-60cm/year Short growing season, cold winters. Northern Asia;Northern North America

Bio-diversity: Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas Polar Regions support fewer species.

Ecology: Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. The Ecology always includes the composition, distribution, amount (biomass), number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems. Environment: The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species. The concept of the natural environment can be distinguished by components: Complete ecological units that function as natural systems without massive human intervention, including all vegetation, microorganisms, soil, rocks, atmosphere, and natural phenomena that occur within their boundaries. Universal natural resources and physical phenomena that lack clear-cut boundaries, such as air, water, and climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge, and magnetism, not originating from human activity. Classification of resources on the basis of Origin: Main characteristics: Utility, Limited availability, Potential for depletion or consumption.

Resources have been variously categorized as Economic versus biological resources Biotic versus abiotic Renewable versus non-renewable Potential versus actual. Labor or human resources

Capital or infrastructure Tangible versus intangible resources.

1. Resources can be categorized on the basis of origin: Abiotic resources comprise non-living things (e.g., land, water, air and minerals such as gold, iron, copper, silver). Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere. Forests and their products, animals, birds and their products, fish and other marine organisms are important examples. Minerals such as coal and petroleum are sometimes included in this category because they were formed from fossilized organic matter, though over long periods of time. 2. Natural resources are also categorized based on the stage of development: Potential Resources are known to exist and may be used in the future. For example, petroleum may exist in many parts of India and Kuwait that have sedimentary rocks, but until the time it is actually drilled out and put into use, it remains a potential resource. Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined, and are being used in present times. For example, petroleum and natural gas is actively being obtained from the Mumbai High Fields. The development of an actual resource, such as wood processing depends upon the technology available and the cost involved. That part of the actual resource that can be developed profitably with available technology is called a reserve resource, while that part that cannot be developed profitably because of lack of technology is called a stock resource. 3. Natural resources can be categorized on the basis of renewability: Non-renewable Resources are formed over very long geological periods. Minerals and fossils are included in this category. Since their rate of formation is extremely slow, they cannot be replenished once they are depleted. Out of these, the metallic minerals can be re-used by recycling them, but coal and petroleum cannot be recycled. Renewable resources, such as forests and fisheries, can be replenished or reproduced relatively quickly. The highest rate at which a resource can be used sustainably is the sustainable yield. Some resources, like sunlight, air, and wind, are called perpetual resources because they are available continuously, though at a limited rate. Their quantity is not

affected by human consumption. Many renewable resources can be depleted by human use, but may also be replenished, thus maintaining a flow. Some of these, like agricultural crops, take a short time for renewal; others, like water, take a comparatively longer time, while still others, like forests, take even longer. 4. Natural Resources based on Availability: Inexhaustible natural resources - Resources which are present in unlimited quantity in nature and are not likely to be exhausted easily by 16 human activity are said to be inexhaustible natural resources. These include sunlight, air etc. Exhaustible natural resources - The amount of these resources are limited. They can be exhausted by human activity in the long run. Examples are coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc. Depletion of Natural Resources: Human Intervention Natural Agency focuses on Sustainable development. Conservation of natural resources is the major focus of natural capitalism, environmentalism, the ecology movement, and green politics. Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing and hunting and forestry are generally considered natural resource industries. What to do to have a sustainable environment: Minimizing use or waste of non-renewable resources (by minimizing the consumption of fossil fuels and substituting with renewable sources where feasible) Minimizing the waste (by reducing use, reusing, and recycling). Sustainable use of renewable resources (by using freshwater, soils, and forests in ways that ensure a natural rate of recharge) Keeping within the absorptive capacity of local and global sinks of wastes --- including the capacity of rivers to break down biodegradable wastes as well as the capacity of global environmental systems, such as climate, to absorb greenhouse gases.

Philippine Agenda 21 Part of the country's response to fulfill its commitments in the historic Earth Summit in 1992 where government and key sectors of society agreed to implement an action agenda for sustainable development, known as the Agenda 21 .The sustainable development program of the country conceptualized during the time of President Fidel Ramos Key Actors in Sustainable Development: Civil Society - Key actor in the realm of culture. The central social concern and process is the development of the social and spiritual capacities of human beings in order, among others, to advance the frontiers of knowledge, to achieve clarity and coherence of values and to advocate the public interest Government - Key actor in the realm of polity. The central social concern and process is participatory, democratic governance and rule making to secure the human rights of all citizens including justice and equity Business - Key actor in the realm of economy. The central social concern and process is the mutually beneficial production and distribution of goods and services to meet the physical needs of human beings.

Seven Dimensions of Sustainable Development: Human Being 1. Spiritual Development 2. Human Development Society 3. Social Development 4. Cultural Development 5. Political Development 6. Economic Development Nature 7. Ecological Development

Geological Period: A unit of geological time during which a system of rocks formed. (Or) The time of the physical formation and development of the earth (especially prior to human history). Also called geological era. Greenhouse Gas Effect: The greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface and the lower atmosphere, it results in an elevation of the average surface temperature above what it would be in the absence of the gases Or The greenhouse effect is a natural process by which some of the radiant heat from the Sun is captured in the lower atmosphere of the Earth, thus maintaining the temperature of the Earth's surface. The gases that help capture the heat, called greenhouse gases, include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and a variety of manufactured chemicals. Some are emitted from natural sources; others are anthropogenic, resulting from human activities. By their percentage contribution to the greenhouse effect on Earth the four major gases are: water vapor, 3670% carbon dioxide, 926% methane, 49% ozone, 37%

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