SEMINAR                                             

NATURAL RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION

Natural resources are resources that exist without actions of humankind. This includes all valued characteristics such as magnetic, gravitational, and electrical properties and forces. On earth it includes; sunlight, atmosphere, water, land (includes all minerals) along with all vegetation and animal life that naturally subsists upon or within the heretofore identified characteristics and substances.

Natural resources may be further classified in different ways. Natural resources are materials and components (something that can be used) that can be found within the environment. Every man-made product is composed of natural resources (at its fundamental level). A natural resource may exist as a separate entity such as fresh water, and air, as well as a living organism such as a fish, or it may exist in an alternate form which must be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, petroleum, and most forms of energy.

There is much debate worldwide over natural resource allocations, this is particularly true during periods of increasing scarcity and shortages (depletion and over consumption of resources) but also because the exportation of natural resources is the basis for many economies (particularly for developed countries).

Some natural resources such as sunlight and air can be found everywhere, and are known as ubiquitous resources. However, most resources only occur in small sporadic areas, and are referred to as localized resources. There are very few resources that are considered inexhaustible (will not run out in foreseeable future) – these are solar radiation, geothermal energy, and air (though access to clean air may not be). The vast majority of resources are theoretically exhaustible, which means they have a finite quantity and can be depleted if managed improperly.

The main natural resources are ;

• POND
• LAKES 
• RIVERS
• SEA

1. POND

A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or artificial, that is usually smaller than a lake.  Usually they contain shallow water with marsh and aquatic plants and animals. A few animals also make their home in ponds, including both alligators and beavers. The type of life in a pond is generally determined by a combination of factors including water level regime (particularly depth and duration of flooding) and nutrient levels, but other factors may also be important, including presence or absence of shading by trees, presence or absence of streams, effects of grazing animals, and salinity.

 A wide variety of artificial bodies of water are classified as ponds. Some ponds are created specifically for habitat restoration, including water treatment. Others, like water gardens, water features and koi ponds are designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural features. Fish ponds are designed for commercial fish breeding, and solar ponds designed to store thermal energy.  Nutrient levels and water quality in ponds can be controlled through natural process such as algal growth, or through artificial filtration, such as an algae scrubber.

Characteristics

One of the most important features of ponds is the presence of standing water, which provides habitat for wetland plants and animals. Familiar examples might include water-lilies, frogs, turtles and herons.

USES

1. Ponds are used for the provision of of fish and other wildlife including waterfowl which a source of food for humans. 
2. Ponds are also a major contributor to local ecosystem richness and diversity for both plants and animals. 
3. Waste stabilization ponds are used as a low-cost method for waste water treatment.
4. In agriculture, treatment ponds may reduce nutrients released downstream from the pond. They may also provide irrigation reservoirs at times of drought.

LAKE

A lake is an area of variable size filled with water, that is surrounded by land, apart from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean,  and are also larger and deeper than ponds, though there are no official or scientific definitions. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which are usually flowing. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams.

Natural lakes are generally found in mountainous areas.  In some parts of the world there are many lakes because of chaotic drainage patterns left over from the last Ice Age.

Many lakes are artificial and are constructed for industrial or agricultural use, for hydro-electric power generation or domestic water supply, or for aesthetic or recreational purposes or even for other activities .

USES

Many lakes are artificial and are constructed for hydro-electric power generation, aesthetic purposes, recreational purposes, industrial use, agricultural use or domestic water supply.

RIVER

A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of water. . There are no official definitions for the generic term river as applied to geographic features, although in some countries or communities a stream is defined by its size. 

USES

1. Rivers have been used as a source of water, for obtaining food, for transport, as a defensive measure, as a source of hydro power to drive machinery, for bathing, and as a means of disposing of waste.
2. Rivers have been a source of food .
3. They are often a rich source of fish and other edible aquatic life, and are a major source of fresh water, which can be used for drinking and irrigation. 
4.  Rivers also provide an easy means of disposing of waste water and, in much of the less developed world, other wastes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       SEA    

                                                                                                                                         A sea is a large body of salt water that is surrounded in whole or in part by land. The sea moderates Earth's climate and has important roles in the water cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle. Although the sea has been traveled and explored. . Deep-sea currents are produced by differences in salinity and temperature. Surface currents are formed by the friction of waves produced by the wind and by tides, the changes in local sea level produced by the gravity of the Moon and Sun. The direction of all of these is governed by surface and submarine land masses and by the rotation of the Earth.                                           These nutrient-rich waters teem with life, which provide humans with substantial supplies of food—mainly fish, but also shellfish, mammals, and seaweed—which are both harvested in the wild and farmed. The sea is an essential aspect of human trade, travel, mineral extraction, and power generation. 
USES

1. SEA MODERATE  THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WORLD
2. SEA PROVIDE ECOSYSTEM FOR MARINE LIFE
3.  INEXHAUSTIBLE STORE HOUSE FOR AGRICULTURE,COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES

SUBMITTED BY

KARTHIKA RAJAN P R