Resource management

• Biotic resources


  Obtained from the biosphere, capable of reproduction, examples: animals, birds and plants
• Abiotic resources


  Obtained from the lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere, examples: minerals, soil, sunlight and fresh water
• Non-renewable resources


  Combustible sources that can't be 'remade', formation takes millions of years, examples: coal, oil, uranium and natural gas
• Renewable resources


  Potentially inexhaustible, can be naturally replenished, examples: wind, solar and hydro-electric power (HEP)
• Exploiting environments: overfishing in the North Sea


  • Fish in demand as source of protein
  • Fish provide protein and employment
  • Fishing industry provides jobs
  • Cod numbers have declined in the last 100 years
  • Unsustainable fishing practices, more caught than replaced
  • Length of fish: 2m in 1915; 35cm in 2012
• Exploiting environments: Deforestation in Cameroon


  • Cameroon rainforests have high biodiversity - 600+ species of trees and bushes
  • 70000 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
• 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
• Large-scale clearing of natural habitats for intensive monoculture farming


  Alters the environment by reducing biodiversity and may lead to species extinction
• Renewable energy resources are potentially inexhaustible and can be naturally replenished, while non-renewable energy resources are combustible sources that can't be 'remade' and take millions of years to form
• The world's copper resources are in Europe, Africa, Oceania, North America and South America, with South America having one of the highest copper reserves in a line along the west coast, and large amounts also in South Africa
• Minerals like gold tend to be found in past tectonically active areas, while fossil fuels like coal are found in sedimentary rock areas
• Higher precipitation and solar radiation near the Equator results in very productive tropical rainforests, forestry and plantation agriculture, with infertile latosol soils, while colder and drier areas at the poles have low productivity tundra/coniferous forests and leached podsol soils
• Precipitation is higher in the north and west of the UK (low population density) compared to the south (high population density)
• Types of agriculture in the UK depend on soil, climate and relief, with East Anglia having flat land, fertile soils and warm summers suitable for arable farming, and upland areas like Scotland suitable for sheep farming
• Oil and gas are extracted from the North Sea, with billions of barrels produced each year
• Average daily resource consumption is 90 kg per person in North America, but only 10 kg per person in Africa
• Rapid industrial development in countries such as China results in higher fuel use than areas where industrial development is very limited, such as most of Africa
• The UK's energy consumption is in the range of 100-200 Mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent)
• Non-renewable energy resource: coal


  Very productive resource that generates large amounts of energy, but burning releases greenhouse gases and mining is dangerous
• Renewable energy resource: wind energy

  Harnessing wind energy doesn't pollute the atmosphere, but energy is only produced when there is wind, installations can be unsightly, and it is relatively high cost to develop
• During the 1970s the UK's reliance on coal and petroleum was high at 91% of energy consumption, but by 2014 this had decreased with a significant rise in renewable energy sources
• The UK government has a target of 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020
• Reasons for changing global demand and supply of energy include rapid population growth, rising affluence allowing more people to afford fuel resources, and advances in technology leading to more electrical goods and the development of new energy resources
• Impacts of non-renewable energy resource development like coal, oil, natural gas and uranium can include mining causing subsidence, pollution of groundwater, and burning producing large amounts of CO2
• Demand and supply have changed in the past 100 years
• Factors causing global variations in the energy mix

  • Rapid population growth - particularly in countries like China and Brazil
  • Rising affluence - people more able to afford fuel resources
  • Advances in technology - more electrical goods, renewable energy harnessed, development of new energy resources
• The development of non-renewable energy resources like coal, oil, natural gas and uranium can have both positive and negative impacts on people and the environment
• Impacts of non-renewable energy resources on people

  • Coal - Mining can cause subsidence of buildings, miners at risk of illness and death
  • Oil - Leaks/spills expose people to harmful chemicals, extraction process creates jobs locally
  • Natural gas - Safe, lighter than air and dissipates
  • Uranium - High risk of exposing people to radiation, power stations expensive to build
• Impacts of non-renewable energy resources on the environment

  • Coal - Groundwater can become polluted, burning produces large amounts of CO2
  • Oil - Oil spillages = pollution of groundwater and drinking water, land cleared for oil extraction = loss of farmland
  • Natural gas - Burning releases greenhouse gases = global warming and climate change
  • Uranium - Waste highly radioactive = potential pollution from storing
• Fracking is not commercially carried out at present in the UK
• If a firm increases advertising

  Demand curve shifts right, increasing the equilibrium price and quantity
• Marginal utility


  The additional utility (satisfaction) gained from the consumption of an additional product
• If you add up marginal utility for each unit you get total utility
• The development of renewable energy like hydro-electric power (HEP), wind power and solar power has different positive and negative impacts on people and the environment
• Impacts of hydro-electric power (HEP) on people

  • Could generate tourism, providing jobs for local people as guides
  • Building dams displaces people from their homes
• Impacts of hydro-electric power (HEP) on the environment

  • HEP generates clean, non-polluting energy
  • Vegetation and forests may have to be removed in the construction process
• Impacts of wind power on people

  • Offshore wind farms can generate enough energy to power thousands of homes
  • Wind turbines installed on land can cause noise and visual pollution
• Impacts of wind power on the environment

  • Offshore wind farms help to save thousands of tonnes of CO2 each year
  • Wind farms can have an impact on migration patterns of birds
• Impacts of solar power on people

  • More governments are investing in developing solar energy, creating jobs
  • Potential reduction in farmland for farmers to grow crops on
• Impacts of solar power on the environment

  • Many solar parks built in the desert - can damage fragile ecosystems
  • Constructing solar panels uses toxic metals like cadmium - can harm the environment