Exploitation of Natural Resources

• Exploitation 


  Making use of and benefitting from resources, is necessary for people’s survival
• Overexploitation 


  When resources are used too quickly or too much, May result in resources becoming depleted or exhausted
• Sustainable exploitation 


  Using resources in way which they will be available and usable in the future
• Infinite 


  A renewable resource which cannot be used up
• Finite


  A non-renewable resource which can be used up
• Irrigation 


  The transport of water from area with a lot of rainfall to an area without a lot of rainfall
• Why is irrigation needed in NZ?

  NZ experiences 2000mm of rainfall a year, so they double their farmland once every 12 years, this has increased demand for water in certain areas rain doesn’t tend to fall (these areas experience drought)
• Sustainable exploitation of water in NZ

  Central plains in NZ has area of 600km2, get 750-1000 mm rain each year, two main rivers: Rakaia and Waimakariri, Central Plains Irrigation Scheme uses both these rivers to compensate for lack of rainfall
• Central Plains Irrigation Scheme 


  Pipes regularly repaired and upgraded to avoid leaks, weather conditions are checked ahead of time and if rainfall is forecasted, less irrigation/water is needed
• Records and Rules of NZ Irrigation

  NZ irrigation run by private company, each year they measure and record water used by irrigation scheme in country, if too much water is taken from natural resources, company is fined
• Overfishing 


  When fish are taken from the sea faster than they can reproduce
• Causes of overfishing

  • improved ships - super trawlers
  • improved technology- use echo sounder and sonar equipment to locate large groups of fish
  • motorised winch cranes
  • netting - monofilament nets are hard for fish to see
• Sustainable Fishing in Ireland

  • aquaculture helps to provide sustainable fish farming in Ireland -fish raised in enclosures
• Environmental positives and negatives of fishing

  • fish stocks recover and increase
  • farmed salmon could spread disease to wild salmon
• Economic positives and negatives of fishing

  • fishing worth hundreds of millions in Ireland each year
  • 2015 Irish seafood trade worth €891
• Social positives and negatives of fishing

  • 1,841 people employed by aquaculture
  • 3,217 people employed by fishery
• Threats to forestry : illegal deforestation 


  Occurs when trees are harvested (cut down) and resulting products are sold. Illegal logging means timber is sold more cheaply, threatening local communities who rely on legal forestry for income
• Coillte 


  An Irish organisation that owns/manages 7% of land in Ireland and has increased amount of forests covering Ireland from 1.5 to 11%
• Environmental value of forestry

  • trees convert harmful co2 and release o2
• Economic value of forestry

  • coillte contributes €4.2 billion to economy each year
• Social value of forestry

  • 12,000 people employed by coillte
• Soil exploitation and farming

  • soil is an essential natural resource
  • a non-renewable resource
  • farmers fertilise soil (natural or artificial) to maintain fertile soil
• Pollution of soil

  • fertilisation can be threat to soil
  • spreading of natural fertiliser (manure) must be done before October so can be washed away to rivers with increased rainfall
• Over-fertilisation of soil

  • artificial fertilisers must be used more often than natural
  • this risks over-fertilisation which can kill crops
• Sustainable management of farm soil

  • crop rotation means crops don’t grow in same field for two years in a row so fields can gain back nutrients
  • herbicides and pesticides protect land from weeds and insects but must be used at assigned times to prevent soil contamination