8.2 Resource Review

Resource Use in Society

Topic 8.2 Review​

Word Cloud

Brainstorm the ways in which you consume palm oil

Key Vocabulary

Natural Capital: These are natural resources that can be renewable or non-renewable.

Renewable: This is a natural resource that can be generated or replaced as fast as it is being used. It includes living species and ecosystems that use solar energy and photosynthesis, as well as non-living items, such as groundwater and the ozone layer.

Non-renewable: This is a natural resource that is either irreplaceable or can only be replaced over geological timescales; for example, fossil fuels, soil and minerals.

Natural Income: This is the yield (amount/volume) obtained from natural resources. This can be in the form of goods and/or services.

Goods: These are tangible products, e.g. a fish catch or timber.

Services: These are ecosystem services that have a value to humanity. This value may be aesthetic, cultural, economic, environmental, ethical, intrinsic, social, spiritual or technological, e.g flood prevention.

Sustainable: When the natural income from natural capital is used a rate that allows full replacement before it is used again.

can be generated and/or replaced as fast as it is being used. It includes living species and ecosystems that use solar energy and photosynthesis, as well as non-living items, such as groundwater and the ozone layer

Renewable natural capital

• restock themselves by growing

• Driven by solar energy “engine”

• Often (but not always) biotic components of ecosystems

​Renewable resources:

Renewable natural capital can be utilized sustainably or unsustainably. If renewable natural capital is used beyond its natural income this use becomes unsustainable.

​Natural income = growth or yield of natural capital. Examples:

-agricultural harvest

-growth of timber

-increase in herd size

Only exists as long as the original resource remains in place.

​ Renewable natural capital can be utilized sustainably or unsustainably. If renewable natural capital is used beyond its natural income this use becomes unsustainable.

The impacts of extraction, transport and processing of a renewable natural capital may cause damage, making this natural capital unsustainable.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is renewable natural capital?

• Stratospheric ozone

• Nuclear energy

• Gold

• Coal

Multiple Choice

Which condition would permit the population of farmed fish to increase?

• Harvesting some of the natural income

• Harvesting more than the natural income

• Harvesting some of the natural capital

• Harvesting all of the natural income

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is non-renewable natural capital?

• Soil

• Timber resources
• Hydro-electricity

• Solar energy

Multiple Choice

A forest has a volume of 800, 000 million m³ of timber. In one year, 150,000 m³ of timber are harvested and 100,000 m³ of timber are added by normal tree growth. 

• Harvesting exceeded the natural income by 100000 m³ of timber. 

• The natural income was 100000 m³ of timber.  

• The natural capital remaining was 750 000 m³ of timber. 

• The maximum sustainable yield was 800000 million m³ of timber. 

Multiple Choice

Expanding the national park systems in Africa to make them larger by connecting smaller ones and reducing fragmentation and the edge effect provides what kind(s) of valuation of natural capital?

• Ecological value

• Recreational value

• Intrinsic value

• All of these

Open Ended

Infographic on Example of the Dynamic Nature of a Resource

Choose an example of a resource whose value has changed over time. This change should be due to cultural, social, economic, environmental, technological and/or political factors.

Include the following information using as many graphical images as possible.

• Introduction to the resource - is it renewable / non-renewable; where does it come from; how is it collected / harvested.

• How has its value changed over time - what timescale are we talking about?

• What factors were important at the different times when it was seen differently?

• What were / are the implications for this change in value to society?

• What is the future of this resource, as far as you can estimate?