sustainability

• what is a sustainable resource?

  A renewable resource that can be replenished naturally at a rate equal to or greater than its rate of consumption.
• what are the general aims of sustainability?

  • preserve the environment
  • ensure resources are available for future generations
  • allow humans to live comfortably
  • enable less economically developed countries to develop though exploiting resources
  • to create an equal balance of consumption of these resources between less economically developed countries and more economically developed countries
• what is the benefit to using resources more efficiently?

  prevents finite resources from being used up so quick
• state two resources that can be used sustainably

  • sustainable timber production
  • sustainable fishing
• how is timber production used sustainably on a small scale?

  • coppicing- tree trunk cut close to the ground
  • new shoots form from the cut surface and mature
  • these shoots can be cut again to produce more shoots
  • these cut shoots have many uses- eg for fencing

  when sections of woodland are coppiced this is rational coppicing

  • woodland divided into sections
  • every tree in one section is coppiced before moving onto another
  • by the time you return to the first section you coppiced, the trees will have matured, and the cycle repeats
• how does rational coppicing maintain biodiversity?

  • trees never grow enough to block out light
  • therefore, succession can occur and more species survive
• what is pollarding?

  similar to coppicing, but the trunk is cut higher up so deer and other animals cannot eat developing shoots
• how is timber production used sustainably on a small scale?


  through felling. Trees felled are destroyed completely and don't regrow. To ensure production is sustainable, companies-

  • practise selective cutting- removing only the largest trees
  • replace trees through replanting and not waiting for natural regeneration
  • plant trees optimal distance apart to reduce competition
  • manage pests and pathogens to maximise yields
  • ensure that forest areas remain for indigenous people
• what are the disadvantages of felling?

  • habitats are destroyed
  • soil minerals are reduced
  • bare soil which is left is susceptible to erosion
  • by removing trees, soil doesn't bind together, water cannot be removed from soil and nutrient levels fail to be maintained because trees have a role in the carbon and nitrogen cycles
• how is fishing controlled in a sustainable way?

  agreements are made about the number of fish that can be caught to ensure that certain types of fish aren't overfished for and we can still have fish as a source of food in the future:

  • fishing quotas- provide limits on the numbers of certain fish species that are allowed to be caught in a particular area. aims to maintain natural population for fish to reproduce sufficiently
  • nets with different mesh sizes- mesh sizes made large enough so immature fish can escape, only mature fish are caught so breeding continues
  • fishing at certain times in the year- protects breeding seasons and allows fish population to increase in a sustainable way
  • fish farming- maintain supply of protein and preventing loss of wild species. Farming fish that can grow quick and have a simple diet is good
• state examples of techniques used to help maintain ecosystems

  • limiting areas tourists can visit
  • controlling the movement of livestock
  • introducing anti-poaching methods
  • replanting forests and native plants
  • limiting hunting through quotas and seasonal bans