NATURAL RESOURCES (a. natural resources; n. naturliche Ressourcen; f. ressources naturelles; i. recursos naturales) - a set of objects and systems of living and inanimate nature, components of the human environment natural environment, used in the process of social production to satisfy the material and cultural needs of society.

Natural resources act as natural conditions for the existence of humanity, which is increasingly actively using natural resources, forming your needs, goals and methods of achieving them. The rapid development of productive forces, the involvement in the processing of huge masses of natural raw materials, the increase in emissions of non-recyclable waste from production and human activity into the biosphere make the issues of environmental management particularly relevant while maximizing the preservation of ecological balance on the planet as a whole and in its individual regions. Issues of protecting components and natural resources (see Environmental Protection) go beyond the capabilities of individual states and require coordinated actions of various countries in a single global strategy.

The use of a planned socialist economic system allows other socialist countries to overcome the negative factors of the global energy situation. Created in the USSR in 1988 State Committee on nature conservation.

In modern conditions, global problems of the use and protection of natural resources are associated with the solution of such the most important problems humanity, such as preventing wars and arms races; habitat conservation; providing energy, raw materials and food; overcoming the backwardness of developing countries.

Classification of natural resources and their significance. The totality of natural resources of the Earth's external geospheres is represented by interconnected components used or intended for use; substances included in the natural cycle or introduced in the process of human activity; constant or variable in mass; renewable (replenishable) and non-renewable in terms of mass and quality, taking into account the time factor; constant, decreasing or increasing in species diversity. A virtually inexhaustible natural resource is solar energy, a source of “environmentally friendly” energy amounting to about 5.10 20 kJ/year. In various countries, the first solar stations are being built to generate heat and electricity, projects of space power plants and methods of relaying electricity from orbit to Earth are being discussed. Solar energy is used through the products of photosynthesis (natural vegetation, agricultural products), or former biospheres (lignite, coal, oil, bituminous).

The fauna of natural ecological systems is a resource that is difficult to renew in terms of quality and species diversity. The USSR adopted a law on the protection and use of wildlife (1980), work is underway to preserve the gene pool, conditions are being created for restoring the numbers of some species (siberian cranes, etc.) and selectively restoring exterminated animal species (bison).

Landscape is a recreational natural resource, a habitat for living organisms, human settlements, industrial structures, roads, a reserve of biosphere reserves, nature reserves, etc. Under the UNESCO program "Man and the Biosphere" (1971), a project is being implemented to preserve natural areas and the genetic material contained in them. By 1984, 226 biosphere reserves—standards of natural landscapes—were created in 62 countries around the world. In the USSR, issues of protection and use of soil and landscape resources are regulated by the Fundamentals of Land Legislation USSR and Union republics (1968), laws on nature protection of the Union republics.

In addition to the above fundamental classification of natural resources on a utilitarian basis, energy, water, land, mineral, plant and other natural resources are distinguished, which is reflected in many classifications for single- and multi-purpose use of natural resources by various sectors of social production, healthcare, etc. Certain types of natural resources are considered potential; their use in the future depends on the achievements of science and technology, on the level of international cooperation and the environmental consciousness of mankind.

Stages of natural resource development. In the early stages of the historical development of mankind, hunting and fishing were of primary importance with little use of mineral resources (rocks, minerals as tools in the Paleolithic and Neolithic) with almost complete recycling of waste in natural ecosystems. In subsequent stages of pre-capitalist society, with the emergence and growth of agriculture and livestock farming, soil resources, vegetation, water for irrigation, and some energy sources (wind, water flows, animal draft power) began to be increasingly used; a culture of metals and alloys (, bronze, gold, iron, etc.), ceramics, natural stone (religious buildings, roads, engineering structures, sculpture, jewelry).

Under capitalism, the intensity of use of natural resources in general has increased sharply, incl. fuels and minerals If, according to estimates, man in ancient times used up to 19 chemical elements, then by the beginning of the 20th century - already 59, and in 1985 all chemical elements identified in the earth's crust were used. Natural resources were the subject of study by many naturalists of pre-revolutionary Russia (P. I. Rychkov, I. I. Lepyokhin, A. I. Voeikov, etc.). V.I. Vernadsky and formulated the most important thesis about humanity as a planetary force, geologically and geochemically transforming the world.

Since the first years of Soviet power, problems of natural resources have been in the center of attention of the state. In 1919, V.I. Lenin set the task: “In order to preserve the source of our raw materials, we must achieve compliance with scientific and technical rules” (Poln. sobr. soch., vol. 43, p. 174). Natural resources declared national property are studied by the Commission for the Study of Natural Production Forces and the Problem Commission of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the State Committee for Science and Technology "Natural Resources of the USSR". The enormous scale and accelerated pace of socialist construction received reliable resource support, which contributed to the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, helped to restore and successfully develop the national economy based on its own sources of raw materials.

The development of natural resources comes down to their identification, assessment, exploration, cadastration by type (forest taxation, land cadastre, water cadastre, calculation of mineral reserves, etc.), to the actual use, conservation and protection from depletion, maintaining productivity, and also restoration (reclamation of landscapes and soils, restoration and strengthening of sea coasts and large reservoirs, soil reclamation, afforestation, etc.). At all stages, the primary role is played by environmental, economic and social justification for the development of natural resources, both globally and regionally (natural resources of the Earth as a whole, land and its subsoil, the World Ocean and its parts, large regions, individual countries and areas, up to megacities and individual settlements, nature reserves, sanctuaries and natural monuments). The natural unevenness of the spatial distribution of natural resources on a global scale inevitably leads to the need to develop systems of geographical division of labor and integration of social production. The problem of natural resources is becoming a number of socio-economic problems of paramount importance in countries that serve as sources of natural raw materials for other countries.

The study of natural resources is constantly deepening and expanding. The most effective achievements of science and technology are successfully applied (remote sensing of the earth's surface from artificial Earth satellites and from aircraft, geophysical research systems, ultra-deep drilling, etc.). Scientifically based assessments of natural resources (cadastral, technological, economic, social, environmental) are a necessary condition for obtaining the maximum effect from the use of resources with a minimum level of negative consequences for nature and humans. According to the most general estimates, the annual extraction of various natural materials and products from the natural environment reaches 35-40 billion tons, when burning fuel, up to 15-20 billion tons of atmospheric oxygen are bound per year (the territory of the United States produces less oxygen than the country’s industry consumes it), water consumption in the world exceeds 600 billion tons in year. The sharp territorial unevenness in the consumption of natural materials in the modern world does not reflect the true needs of all humanity. In order for the entire population of the Earth to achieve in the future the level of consumption achieved by the most developed countries, it will be necessary to triple the total volume of natural resource production. At the same time, for certain types of natural resources (fuel, ores) it is necessary to increase production by 10-15 times. Population growth and the inevitable increase in per capita consumption of natural resources further exacerbates the problem. The problem of monitoring natural resources, developing a system for managing natural resources by type and in general is gaining universal importance. At the same time, the main emphasis is on the integrated use of natural resources, the development of waste-free and low-waste resource-saving production technologies, recycling water supply, recycling of gas and dust emissions from factories, thermal and power plants using mineral fuels, control of heat removal from nuclear power plants, etc. Since the growth of reserves of non-renewable natural resources has a limit, it is important to search for new types of raw materials, fuel, energy (solar, obtained on Earth or transmitted from space power plants; thermonuclear, heat from the earth’s interior, etc.). Inevitably, the full use of secondary resources, the involvement of renewable natural resources in economic circulation in place of acutely scarce types of raw materials, the introduction of new methods of mining, hydroponics in agriculture, etc. Similar problems of conservation and protection of natural resources remain with regard to renewable resources.

The part of the geographical envelope with which humanity interacts in the course of its life activity is called natural environment. Natural environment– natural conditions plus natural resources. – these are the components and properties of nature that are directly or indirectly related to human economic activity. Historically, the idea of ​​the relationship between natural conditions and natural resources has changed. The trend is this: an increasing number of components of nature are involved in human economic activity and thus become natural resources.

There are various classifications of natural resources. According to the principle of exhaustion All natural resources are usually divided into exhaustible and inexhaustible. To the inexhaustible natural resources include water, air, some energy sources: thermonuclear, solar, as well as wind energy, falling water, ebb and flow. Exhaustible Resources are divided into renewable and non-renewable. Non-renewable resources– those whose reserves may be exhausted in the near future at the current rate of use. Almost all minerals are non-renewable resources. Reserves renewable resources are restored faster than they are used, or are independent of whether they are used or not. The group of renewable resources includes forest, fishery, fishing and hunting resources, and soil fertility. Many resources that are considered renewable will in fact ever be depleted and will not be restored. For example, solar energy. Conversely, some non-renewable resources can be restored thanks to modern technologies. For example, metals can be reused.

Many types of mineral resources are being depleted. Based on the resources available for development, Scientists have calculated the timing of mankind's supply of various metals. Thus, aluminum will last for 570 years, iron – for 250, lead, zinc, tin, copper – for 30 years. According to some estimates, by 2050 humanity will use up most of its metals. Chemical energy carriers - coal, oil and gas - will last for approximately 150 years, and oil reserves will be exhausted before others. In such conditions, the task of integrated use of mineral resources is urgent. This not only saves raw materials, but also prevents pollution of nature with production waste. When extracting minerals, some of them, for one reason or another, remain underground and another deposit begins to be developed. For example, over the hundred-year history of the world oil industry, more than 20 billion tons of oil have been produced, while about 60 billion tons remain in the bowels of the earth. Therefore, from the standpoint of economical use of resources, it is important to extract them as completely as possible from the subsoil.

Biological resources are associated with the phenomenon of life and therefore, like all living things, they can reproduce and, therefore, be restored. At the same time, the main condition for the rational use of biological resources is strict adherence to scientifically based standards for their extraction. IN Lately Attempts are being made to reproduce some renewable resources (fish farming, forest planting, land reclamation).

Water and air are quantitatively inexhaustible resources, but their quality is exhaustible, therefore their rational use involves protection from pollution. At the same time, the construction of various treatment facilities does not solve the problem. More important is the integrated use of resources, improvement of production processes, and development of waste-free and low-waste technologies. Thermonuclear energy and alternative energy sources are truly inexhaustible resources, but at this stage of development of production forces, it is impossible to satisfy humanity’s needs for various types of energy only through them.

According to the nature of the use of the useful component, natural resources are divided into production (industrial, agricultural), potentially promising, recreational (natural complexes and their components, cultural and historical attractions, economic potential of the territory).

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Natural resources - natural components that are used or can be used in the process of social production to meet the material and cultural needs of society.

The 20th century is characterized by unprecedented growth in population and global social production. Rapid development in last years NTP has led to a particularly sharp increase in anthropogenic impact on the natural environment. The scale of human impact on the natural environment has become planetary. It affects all components of nature: relief, climate, water, soil, organic world etc. Human needs for raw materials are increasing. Rational use of all natural resources is an urgent task for humanity.

All natural resources are divided into exhaustible and inexhaustible. Exhaustible resources are subsoil and ecosystem resources that are exhausted during the production process.

They are divided into renewable and non-renewable. Renewable resources - capable of restoration (forest, plant, animal, land, water, etc.), i.e. they can be restored by nature itself, but their natural restoration (soil fertility, woody and herbaceous mass, number of animals, etc.) , etc.) often does not coincide with the rate of use. The consumption of renewable resources begins to exceed the extent of their natural restoration.

To prevent this from happening, you must:

Change the technology for processing exhaustible resources. Hydrocarbon resources will be increased through the production of synthetic liquid fuel. Expand involvement in the production of secondary raw materials. Thus, in developed countries, 30-40% of copper production is based on the recycling of secondary raw materials. Recycle valuable components that are emitted into the atmosphere by industrial enterprises. Apply waste-free technologies. Use fuel and energy resources economically: switch to diesel fuel and non-traditional energy sources. Increase oil production through the widespread introduction of modern production methods. Inexhaustible natural resources include those that cannot be exhausted during the production process. This is the energy of the Sun, tides, geothermal, wind, biological mass, sea waves, synthetic fuel, atmospheric precipitation etc. The use of inexhaustible natural resources does not lead to a general decrease in their reserves on Earth. Mineral, biological, water, climatic resources are raw materials for various sectors of the economy. Raw materials that are used in production are converted into economic resources of society. There are other types of economic resources - capital, labor, intellectual, management capabilities. Used natural resources, after certain technological processing, become means of labor and various material goods. Natural resources on Earth are distributed unevenly. Not only individual countries, but also large regions differ from each other in their level of resource availability. Resource availability is the relationship between the amount (i.e., reserves) of natural resources and the size of their production. It is expressed by the number of years for which a given raw material should last, or by its reserves per person. Resource availability = (reserves)/(production volume) = Number of years The resource availability indicator is influenced by the richness or poverty of the territory in natural resources. Therefore, for the economic development of the country, it is necessary to know about its territorial, natural and resource potential. The natural resource potential of a territory is the totality of its natural resources that can be used in economic activities, taking into account scientific and technological progress. PRI is characterized by two main indicators - size and structure, which includes mineral resources, land, water and other potentials. However, if there are few natural resources in a particular country, this does not mean that the country is doomed to poverty, because the economic resources of each country are measured not only by their quantity. Human resources and the availability of capital in the country are of great importance. An example would be the so-called “newly industrialized countries,” as well as Japan, which achieved high economic results with a limited natural resource base.

Natural resources, their classification, assessment and accounting

Due to the dual nature of the concept of “natural resources”, reflecting their natural origin, on the one hand, and economic significance, on the other, several classifications have been developed and widely used in the specialized and geographical literature.

1. Classification of natural resources by origin

Natural resources (bodies or natural phenomena) arise in natural environments (water, atmosphere, plant or soil cover, etc.) and form certain combinations in space that change within the boundaries of natural-territorial complexes. On this basis they are divided into two groups: resources of natural components and resources of natural-territorial complexes.

1. Resources of natural components.

According to their belonging to the components of the landscape shell, resources are distinguished: 1) mineral, 2) climatic, 3) water, 4) plant, 5) land, 6) soil, 7) animal world. This classification is widely used in domestic and foreign literature.

When using the above classification, the main attention is paid to the patterns of spatial and temporal formation of individual types of resources, their quantitative, qualitative characteristics, features of their regime, and the volume of natural replenishment of reserves. Scientific understanding of the entire complex of natural processes involved in the creation and accumulation of a natural resource makes it possible to more correctly calculate the role and place of a particular group of resources in the process of social production, the economic system, and most importantly, makes it possible to identify the maximum volumes of resource withdrawal from the natural environment, preventing its depletion or deterioration in quality. For example, an accurate idea of ​​the volume of annual wood growth in the forests of a certain area makes it possible to calculate permissible cutting rates. With strict control over compliance with these standards, depletion of forest resources does not occur.

1. Resources of natural-territorial complexes.

At this level of subdivision, the complexity of the natural resource potential of the territory is taken into account, resulting from the corresponding complex structure of the landscape envelope itself. Each landscape (or natural-territorial complex) has a certain set of various types of natural resources. Depending on the properties of the landscape, its place in the overall structure of the landscape envelope, and the combination of types of resources, their quantitative and qualitative characteristics change very significantly, determining the possibilities for the development and organization of material production. Conditions often arise when one or several resources determine the direction of economic development of an entire region. Almost any landscape has climatic, water, land, soil and other resources, but the possibilities for economic use are very different. In one case, favorable conditions may arise for the extraction of mineral raw materials, in others - for the cultivation of valuable cultural plants or for the organization of industrial production, a resort complex, etc.

On this basis, natural resource territorial complexes are distinguished according to the most preferred (or preferred) type of economic development.

They are divided into: 1) mining, 2) agricultural, 3) water management, 4) forestry, 5) residential, 6) recreational, etc.

Using only one classification of types of resources according to their origin (or “natural classification”, as defined by A.A. Mints) is not enough, since it does not reflect the economic significance of resources and their economic role. Among the systems of classification of natural resources, reflecting their economic significance and role in the system of social production, classification according to the direction and forms of economic use of resources is more often used.

2. Classification by type of economic use.

The main criterion for subdividing resources in this classification is their assignment to various sectors of material production. On this basis, natural resources are divided into resources of industrial and agricultural production.

1. Industrial production resources.

This subgroup includes all types of natural raw materials used by industry. Types of natural resources are differentiated as follows:

1) energy, a) combustible minerals (oil, coal, gas, uranium, bituminous shale, etc.); b) hydropower resources - the energy of freely falling river waters, tidal wave energy of sea waters, etc.; c) sources of bioconversion energy - the use of fuel wood, the production of biogas from agricultural waste; d) nuclear raw materials used to produce atomic energy;

2) non-energy, a) minerals that do not belong to the group of caustobiolites; b) water used for industrial water supply; c) lands occupied by industrial facilities and infrastructure facilities; d) forest resources supplying raw materials for the wood chemicals and construction industry; e) fish resources belong to this subgroup conditionally.

1. Agricultural production resources.

They combine the types of resources involved in the creation of agricultural products: a) agroclimatic - resources of heat and moisture necessary for the production of cultivated plants or grazing; b) soil and land resources - land and its upper layer- soil, which has the unique property of producing biomass, is considered both as a natural resource and as a means of production in crop production; c) plant feed resources - resources of biocenoses that serve as a food supply for grazing livestock; d) water resources - water used in crop production for irrigation, and in livestock farming - for watering and keeping livestock.

3. Classification based on exhaustibility.

All natural resources are divided into two groups according to their exhaustibility: exhaustible and inexhaustible.

As a result of economic activity, natural resource reserves are inevitably depleted. Based on the intensity and speed of natural formation, resources are divided into subgroups:

1. Non-renewable, which include:

a) All types of mineral resources or minerals.

b) Land resources in their natural form.

2. Renewable resources, which include: a) resources of the plant and b) animal world. Both are restored quite quickly, and the volumes of natural renewal are well and accurately calculated.

3. Relatively (not completely) renewable . Although some resources are restored over historical periods of time, their renewable volumes are significantly less than the volumes of economic consumption. a) productive arable soils; b) forests with mature tree stands; c) water resources from a regional perspective. .

4. Inexhaustible resources

Among the bodies and natural phenomena of resource significance, there are those that are practically inexhaustible. These include climatic and water resources.

4. Classification by degree of replaceability

A) Fungible natural resources - These are resources that can be replaced now or in the foreseeable future. For example, it is possible for humans to replace mineral fuels with solar, wind energy, etc. in the future.

b) Irreplaceable natural resources accordingly, they cannot be either practically or even theoretically ever replaced by others. For example, oxygen and water are irreplaceable for living organisms.

5. Classification according to usage criteria

A) Production(industrial, agricultural).

b) Potentially promising.

V) Recreational(natural complexes and their components, cultural and historical attractions, economic potential of the territory)

Natural recreational resources are a complex of physical, biological and energy-informational elements and forces of nature that are used in the process of restoration and development of a person’s physical and spiritual strength, his ability to work and health. Almost all natural resources have recreational and tourist potential, but the degree of its use varies and depends on recreational demand and the specialization of the region.

Natural resource assessment

The assessment of natural resources, in its essence, is predominantly economic in orientation, predicting the rate and approximate period of depletion of a deposit, or the need to develop a new one.

Currently, there are two directions in the assessment of natural resources: the assessment of already developed and the assessment of undeveloped resources. By the way, the concept of “natural resources” can include everything that a person takes from nature for his economic activities. The assessment of natural resources that have already been developed involves carrying out a whole range of activities (depending on the type of resource), including all of them that are possible today. For example, land cadastral registration.

Natural resource assessment is a complex and specific process that requires taking into account many different factors. These include economic factors, environmental, geographical, social, technological and many others. The cost of natural resources is greatly influenced by their location, the size of the deposit, properties, composition and quality of the useful resource, operating conditions; thickness of layers and conditions of occurrence; economic importance; annual production volume and much more.

Natural resource accounting

Natural resource accounting is a natural identification of the quantity and quality of natural resources. When accounting, resources can be inventoried according to some classification within its gradation. Accounting is necessary for assessing natural resources and the degree to which the country's territories are provided with them, analyzing the dynamics of resource use, assessing their condition, planning and forecasting use and reproduction, feasibility studies for the development and location of production, etc.

There are two types of accounting: detailed (conducted by user enterprises) and state (one-time throughout the country). State accounting differs in frequency - as a rule, it is carried out every 3-5 years to plan and forecast the use of resources in economic development.

Accounting indicators are: quantity, quality, mass, productivity of a resource, the degree of its knowledge, the direction of application of resources according to their users. The result of resource accounting is the drawing up of balances of use and reproduction, which reflects the volume of resource involvement in production, the volume of its consumption, dispersion, etc.

Inexhaustible natural resources are those resources whose quantity does not noticeably decrease during the process of even prolonged consumption or use.

These resources are divided into the following groups:

• Conditionally inexhaustible resources.
• The planet's inexhaustible resources.

Conditionally inexhaustible resources

1. 1. Climatic. The term “climate” refers to the combination of light and thermal radiation and energy that provides living organisms on the planet with optimal conditions for existence and have a certain territorial location. The resource is important for humanity because weather directly affects the maturation of plants and determines the number of their species. The destruction or exhaustion of climatic conditions cannot occur, but a deterioration in their quality indicators may occur. This happens as a result of atomic explosions, environmental disasters, improper conduct of recreational activities, pollution of territories.

1. 2. Water. include fresh waters and ocean waters. The situation with this resource is the same as with the climate: it cannot be destroyed, but its quality can be significantly reduced through thoughtless use. The result may be a significant reduction in the non-saline volume of technical water and clean drinking water, taking into account the fact that the volume of fresh water on Earth accounts for only 4% of the total volume of moisture (including ice).

The planet's inexhaustible resources

1. 1. Sun (solar energy). This resource is a huge accumulation of energy, daily emitted into outer space in the form of radiation exceeding the needs of people by several tens of thousands of times. Human use of this resource occurs through the creation of solar and photovoltaic installations.
3. 2. Wind (wind force). Wind is a derivative of the solar resource, as it is formed as a result of uneven heating of the earth's surface. The creation of wind pumps and power plants is a promising industry.
5. 3. Tides (energy of ebb and flow). This type of resource includes the power of the waves of the oceans and seas. Used by humans in the operation of tidal power plants and dams.
7. 4. Soil and intraterrestrial heat. The inexhaustibility of this resource is relative. Today people are sufficiently provided with it, but due to the deterioration of the ecological state of the planet, the renewability of the soil cover may cease. The results of human activity negatively change the qualitative and structural properties of soils: erosion occurs, acidity and salt content increase.

That part of the Earth’s nature with which humanity interacts in its life and activities is called natural, or environment.

The material basis for the development of human society is the wealth of nature. All components of nature can be considered depending on the degree of their involvement in material production, either as natural conditions or as natural resources.

Elements of nature that are directly used (or can be used) by man in his production activities, are called natural resources. Natural resources that cannot be completely exhausted are called inexhaustible. These include solar energy, wind, tides, rivers, nuclear energy; natural resources that can be completely exhausted are called exhaustible. Exhaustible natural resources include renewable (biological, land and water) and non-renewable (mineral) resources.

Those elements of nature that are not directly used by man in his production activities, but significantly influence his development, are called natural conditions. These primarily include relief, geological structure and climate.

The line separating concepts natural conditions And Natural resources, very conditional. For example, wind acts as an important natural condition that influences such elements of human economic activity as water and air transport, agriculture, etc. At the same time, it is also an important resource, primarily for energy production. As society developed, natural conditions and natural resources had different meanings, others were simply not used by humans, because there was no need for them. Natural resources are a historical category associated with changes in the needs and capabilities of society, the development of science and technology at different historical stages. For example, in the era of scientific and technological revolution, the importance of non-ferrous metal ores and energy resources increased sharply.

There are different approaches to the classification of natural resources (Table 4). By origin, mineral, water, ocean resources, land, biological, climatic, and space resources are distinguished. According to exhaustibility, exhaustible and inexhaustible are distinguished. By method of use: agroclimatic, energy, recreational, etc.

Table 4

Resource availability is the relationship between the amount of (explored) natural resources and the extent of their use. It is expressed either by the number of years for which a resource should last, or by its reserves per capita at current rates of extraction or use. According to experts, general geological reserves of mineral fuel should be sufficient for more than 1000 years.

There are two ways to assess a country's endowment with a certain type of natural resource. The first is to divide the reserves of a given resource by the current production volume per year and get the number of years for which this resource should last. The second is to divide the amount of reserves of a given resource by the population of the country and find out how much of this resource is per capita. By quantitatively assessing a country's resource availability, it is possible to draw conclusions about the degree of its provision with this resource.

Of course, the indicator of resource availability is primarily influenced by the richness or poverty of a territory in natural resources. But since resource availability also depends on the scale of their extraction (consumption), this concept itself is not natural, but socio-economic.

Scientifically based economic assessment of natural resources is of great importance in the process of environmental management. Its components are exploration, identification, inventory, as well as quantitative and qualitative assessment of natural resources.

Resource availability around the world, taking into account the current level of production:

– coal – more than 3000 years;

– iron ore – 460 years;

– gas – 50 years;

– oil – 36 years.

The distribution of natural resources around the planet is characterized by unevenness. There are noticeable differences between countries and large regions of the modern world in the level and nature of their provision with natural resources.

Accommodation mineral resources is explained by differences in climatic and tectonic processes on Earth and different conditions for the formation of minerals in past geological eras.

Fossil fuels are of sedimentary origin and usually accompany the cover of ancient platforms and their internal and marginal troughs.

More than 3.6 thousand coal basins are known on the globe, which together occupy 15% of the earth's land area. Of the total coal reserves, 40% is brown coal and 60% is hard coal. Proven reserves account for 8% of the total. More than 90% of all coal resources are located in the Northern Hemisphere - Asia, North America, Europe.

The ten largest coal basins in the world: Tunguska, Lensky, Kansko-Achinsky, Kuznetsk, Ruhrsky, Appalachian, Pechora, Taimyrsky, Western, Donetsk.

The majority of both total and proven reserves are concentrated in economically developed countries (Table 5).

Table 5. Countries that stand out in terms of proven coal resources (2007)

Oil and gas bearing More than 600 basins have been explored, 450 are being developed. The main reserves are located in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in Mesozoic deposits. An important place belongs to the so-called giant fields with reserves of over 500 million tons and even over 1 billion tons of oil and 1 trillion m3 of gas each. There are 50 giant oil fields (more than half are located in the countries of the Near and Middle East), 20 gas fields (they contain over 70% of all reserves, such fields are most typical for the CIS countries).

Largest oil and gas basins: Persian Gulf, Maracaiba, Orinoco, Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Illinois, California, Western Canada, Alaska, North Sea, Volga-Ural, West Siberian, Datsin, Sumatra, Gulf of Guinea, Sahara.

Global oil reserves amount to about 170 billion tons, including:

Foreign Asia – 108 billion tons;

America – 26 billion tons;

Africa – 15.6 billion tons;

Foreign Europe – 2.1 billion tons;

Australia and Oceania – 2.3 billion tons.

Table 6. Countries that stand out in terms of proven oil resources (2007)

In the CIS - 16.0 billion tons, of which: in Russia - 66%, in Kazakhstan - 30%, in Azerbaijan - 2%, in Turkmenistan - 2%. Global gas reserves amount to 135 trillion m3. In terms of natural gas reserves, two regions are distinguished: the CIS (Western Siberia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) and the Middle East (Iran). They are distributed by country as follows:

Table 7. Countries that stand out in terms of proven gas resources (2007)

Uranus(nuclear raw materials) is very widespread in the earth's crust, but it is economically profitable to develop only deposits containing at least 0.1% uranium (1 kg - $80). According to the IAEA, the following countries stand out in terms of uranium reserves: Australia, South Africa, Niger, Brazil, Namibia, and Russia.

Ore minerals usually accompany the foundations and overhangs of ancient platforms, as well as folded areas. In such areas they often form huge ore (metallogenic) belts - Alpine-Himalayan, Pacific, etc.

The largest reserves of iron ore are concentrated in the USA, China, Russia, India, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Liberia, and Sweden. About 1,100 million tons of iron ore are mined annually.

The most common of non-ferrous metals is aluminum, the content of which in the earth's crust by mass is 10%. Aluminum ore deposits are mainly located in tropical and subtropical zones. There are several bauxite-bearing provinces:

– Mediterranean: France, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania;

– Coast of the Gulf of Guinea: Guinea, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon;

– Caribbean coast: Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Suriname;

- Australia.

There are also reserves in the CIS and China.

Key Resources copper ores are concentrated in Zambia, Zaire, Chile, USA, Canada, Peru, and the Philippines; With lead-zinc ores - in the USA, Canada, Australia; tin ores - in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bolivia, Brazil, Thailand.

Non-metallic minerals– these are mineral chemical raw materials (sulfur, phosphorites, potassium salts), building materials, refractory raw materials, graphite, etc. They are quite widespread.

Land resources. Land is one of the main resources of nature, sources of life. Land resources are necessary for people's lives and for all sectors of the economy. There are as many of them on the planet as there is land, making up 29% of the earth's surface.

Land resources are the surface of the Earth on which various economic objects, cities and other populated areas can be located. These are largely territorial resources. But when assessing the territory, from the point of view of the possibilities for the development of agriculture and forestry, it is important to consider the quality of the land - its fertility, since land in this case is the main means of production. Humanity's provision of land resources is determined by the global land fund, which amounts to 13.4 billion hectares. Of the individual large regions, the largest land fund is in Africa (30 million km2) and Foreign Asia (27.7 million km2), and the smallest is in Foreign Europe (5.1 million km2) and Australia and Oceania (8.5 million km2). However, if we consider the provision of regional land resources per capita, the result will be the opposite: for each resident of sparsely populated Australia there is 37 hectares of land (the maximum), and for a resident of foreign Asia - only 1.1 hectares, approximately the same in foreign countries. Europe. The structure of the land fund shows how land resources are used.

The greatest value is cultivated lands(11%), which provide 88% of the food needed by humanity and are mainly concentrated in forest, forest-steppe and steppe zones of our planet. Of considerable importance meadows And pasture lands(23% together), which provide 10% of food intake. Agricultural land – cultivated land, meadows, pasture land. Forests and shrubs occupy 30%. Urbanized areas – 2%. Unproductive and unproductive lands – 34%.

In the CIS, African countries and North America The share of cultivated land is close to the world average. For foreign Europe this figure is higher (29%), and for Australia and South America– less high (5 and 7%). The countries of the world with the largest amounts of arable land are the USA, India, Russia, China, Canada. Cultivated lands are concentrated mainly in forest, forest-steppe and steppe natural zones. Natural meadows and pastures dominate over cultivated lands everywhere (in Australia by more than 10 times), except in foreign Europe. Globally, on average 23% of land is used for pasture. The resource availability of land is determined on a per capita basis. In terms of land reserves per capita, Australia ranks first. Largest sizes cultivated lands - in the USA, India, Russia, China. The main tracts of arable land are in the Northern Hemisphere: Europe, Southern Siberia, Eastern, Southeast and Southern Asia, the plains of Canada and the USA. Countries with the lowest provision of arable land per capita are China (0.09 hectares), Egypt (0.05 hectares).

The polar spaces in Greenland, northern Russia, Canada, and Alaska are unsuitable for processing; desert regions of Central Australia, highlands of Central Asia, the Sahara Desert, etc. Processes are occurring: desertification - the sands of the Sahara, the deserts of South-West Asia, North and South America are advancing; destruction of land by quarries, filling with dumps, flooding by created reservoirs.

However, the structure of the land fund does not remain unchanged. It is constantly influenced by two processes of opposite nature:

– on the one hand, land expansion and development of virgin lands is underway (Russia, USA, Kazakhstan, Canada, Brazil). Land-poor countries are attacking coastal areas (the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Portugal, Japan, Canada, Singapore, etc.);

- on the other hand, there is deterioration and depletion of land all the time. It is estimated that due to erosion, waterlogging, and salinization, about 9 million hectares are lost from agricultural production annually. Cities are growing, and in arid regions, desertification threatens to reach 3 billion hectares.

That's why the main problem of the world land fund - degradation of agricultural lands, as a result of which there is a noticeable reduction in cultivable land per capita, and the “load” on them is constantly increasing.

Water resources. These are waters suitable for economic use: rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs, groundwater, soil moisture, glacier water. Relatively recently, water was considered one of the free gifts of nature and water resources were classified as inexhaustible.

However, fresh water resources account for 2.5% of the hydrosphere's volume. As its consumption increases, shortages begin to be felt in many regions of the Earth. In addition, as a result of pollution of rivers and lakes, their waters become unsuitable for human use. Therefore, water resources are considered finite.

Most of the fresh water is “conserved” in the glaciers of Antarctica, Greenland, in the ice of the Arctic, in mountain glaciers and is still practically inaccessible for use.

The main source of fresh water is rivers. Of all the river waters on the planet (47 thousand km3), only half can actually be used. Lake water is classified as static reserves due to slow water exchange, although a small share of reserves (on average 1.5-2% of their total volume, and in Lake Baikal - 0.3%) is renewed annually.

Fresh water consumption is about 5 thousand km3 per year and is constantly growing, while river flow resources remain unchanged. This creates a threat of fresh water shortage. The main consumer of fresh water is agriculture, where its irrecoverable consumption is high (about 89%). Thus, irrigation accounts for 69% of consumption. Industry consumes 21%; utilities – 6%; reservoirs – 4%.

To solve the problem of water supply, projects for economical water consumption, construction of reservoirs, desalination of sea water, and redistribution of river flow are used; iceberg transportation projects are being developed. Countries have different levels of water resources. About 1/3 of the land area is occupied by the arid belt, which is home to 850 million people. Countries with insufficient water resources include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany; with average income – Mexico, USA; with sufficient and excess security - Canada, Russia, Congo.

Fresh water reserves on Earth are distributed extremely unevenly. In the equatorial belt and in the northern part temperate zone it is available in abundance and even in abundance.

The availability of water resources is calculated as the amount of river flow per capita.

The most water-rich countries are those where per capita there is more than 25 thousand m3 per year ( New Zealand, Congo, Canada, Norway, Brazil). In the arid zone of the Earth, which covers about 1/3 of the land area, water shortages are acute. Here are the most water-scarce countries, where per capita there is less than 5 thousand m3 (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, China, India, Germany, Poland).

Only 1/3 of the population uses good-quality water, 1/3 is insufficiently provided with it, and another 1/3 uses poor-quality drinking water. In Africa, 10% of the population is provided with regular water supply, in Europe - more than 95%.

There are several ways to solve humanity's water problem. Perhaps the main one is reduction of water intensity of production processes And loss reduction water. Of great importance construction of reservoirs(USA, Russia, China) regulating river flow. Numerous projects have been implemented or are being designed in the USA, Canada, Australia, India, Mexico, China, Egypt, CIS countries territorial redistribution of river flow by transferring it. In the countries of the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean, in Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea it is used seawater desalination. There are projects iceberg transportation from Antarctica. Maybe stop resetting industrial, agricultural and municipal wastewater into inland waters and seas. A significant amount of water can be obtained collection in underground storage facilities rain and melt water. Great resource - The groundwater, readily available in many areas of the planet, such as the Sahara. Freshwater resources can be increased by using closed circulating economy.

River flow is also used to generate electricity. China, Russia, the USA, Zaire, Canada, and Brazil have the greatest hydropower potential. The extent to which hydropower potential is used depends on the level of development of the country.

Forest resources– one of the most important types of biological resources. Forests provide a variety of human needs. They not only serve as a raw material base for the forestry and wood processing industries, but are also one of the main elements of recreational potential, a human habitat, regulate and purify water runoff, effectively prevent erosion, preserve and increase soil fertility, most fully preserve the genetic diversity of the biosphere, and enrich the atmosphere oxygen and protect the air basin from pollution, and largely shape the climate. The flora of forests is a unique supplier of wild fruits and berries, nuts and mushrooms, valuable types of medicinal herbs and specific technical raw materials for various industries. At the threshold of the emergence of agriculture, according to existing estimates, forests covered 62 million km2, or more than 2/5 of the land surface of our planet, and taking into account other types of forest vegetation, this area was 75 million km2.

World forest resources are characterized by two important indicators: the size of the forest area (4 billion hectares) and standing timber reserves. Forest resources are renewable. But since forests are reduced for arable land, construction, and wood is used as firewood, as a raw material for woodworking and other types of industry (paper production, furniture, etc.), the problem of reducing forest resources and deforestation of territories is quite acute. For the rational use of forest resources, it is necessary to comprehensively process raw materials, not cut down forests in an amount exceeding their growth, and carry out reforestation work.

The world's forests are unevenly distributed. They form two forest belts approximately equal in area and timber reserves - northern and southern. Northern - in the zone of temperate and partly subtropical climate. The most forested countries in the northern zone are Russia, the USA, and Canada. Finland, Sweden. The southern zone is in the zone of tropical and equatorial climates. Main forest areas of the southern belt: Amazonia, Congo Basin, Southeast Asia, countries: Congo, Brazil, Venezuela.

Forest resources (forests) are called the “lungs” of the planet; they play a huge role in the life of all humanity. They restore oxygen in the atmosphere, preserve groundwater, and prevent soil destruction. Mixing tropical forests The Amazon is disrupting the “lungs” of the planet. Forest conservation is also necessary for human health.

The provision of forest resources in individual countries is calculated per capita. For every inhabitant of the planet there is less than 1 hectare of forests, in Canada - more than 8, in Finland - 4, in Russia - 5.3; and in the USA - only 0.8 hectares. The world average standing timber reserves per capita are 65 m3, in Canada – more than 570 m3, in Russia – 561 m3, in Finland – over 370 m3 and in the USA – about 83 m3.

Biological resources of land. They belong to the category of exhaustible renewable (but exhaustible) natural resources. The total number of currently known species of life on Earth is about 2 million, and their actual number most likely exceeds 10 million (mainly due to not yet open views tropical forests).

wild Live nature forms the basis for agriculture and forestry, fishing, hunting and other crafts, for the whole variety of economic and social activities of the population.

Resources of the World Ocean. These resources must be considered comprehensively, because they include: biological resources; seabed mineral resources; energy resources, sea water resources.

The state of stocks of aquatic biological resources and their effective management are becoming increasingly higher value both to provide the population with high-quality food products, and to supply raw materials to many industries and agriculture (in particular, poultry farming). Available information indicates increasing pressure on the world's oceans. In the 1980s, leading scientists predicted that by 2025, world fisheries production would reach 230-250 million tons, including 60-70 million tons from aquaculture. In the 1990s, the situation changed: marine catch forecasts for 2025 decreased to 125-130 million tons, while forecasts for the volume of fish production through aquaculture increased to 80-90 million tons. At the same time, it is considered obvious that the growth rate of the Earth's population will exceed the growth rate of fish production.

Biological resources– fish, shellfish, crustaceans, cetaceans, algae. About 90% of the commercial species produced are fish. The shelf zone accounts for more than 90% of the world's catch of fish and non-fish species. The majority of the world's catch comes from temperate and high latitudes Northern Hemisphere. Of the oceans the biggest catch is given Pacific Ocean. Of the seas of the World Ocean, the most productive are the Norwegian, Bering, Okhotsk, and Japanese.

Mineral resources The world's oceans contain solid, liquid and gaseous minerals. Coastal sea placers contain zirconium, gold, platinum, and diamonds. The depths of the shelf zone are rich in oil and gas. The main oil production areas are the Persian, Mexican, and Guinea Gulfs, the coast of Venezuela, and the North Sea. There are offshore oil and gas bearing areas in the Bering and Okhotsk seas. Iron ore (off the coast of Kyushu, in Hudson Bay), coal (Japan, Great Britain), and sulfur (USA) are mined from underwater subsoil. The main wealth of the deep ocean floor is ferromanganese nodules.

Sea water is also a resource of the World Ocean. It contains about 75 chemical elements. About 1/3 of the world's table salt, 60% of magnesium, 90% of bromine and potassium are extracted from sea waters. Sea waters in a number of countries are used for industrial desalination. The largest producers of fresh water are Kuwait, USA, Japan.

Of the energy resources of the World Ocean, tidal energy is used mainly. There are tidal power stations in France at the mouth of the Rhone River, in Russia - Kislogubskaya TPP on the Kola Peninsula. Projects for using the energy of waves and currents are being developed and partially implemented.

With the intensive use of the resources of the World Ocean, its pollution occurs as a result of the discharge of industrial, agricultural, household and other waste, shipping, and mining into rivers and seas. A particular threat is posed by oil pollution and the burial of toxic substances and radioactive waste in the deep ocean. The problems of the World Ocean require concerted international measures to coordinate the use of its resources and prevent further pollution.

Recreational resources. Recreational resources include: 1) objects and natural phenomena that can be used for recreation, tourism and treatment; 2) cultural and historical attractions.

The first group includes sea coasts with a favorable climate, banks of rivers and lakes, mountains, forests, mineral springs, and healing mud. In areas with such recreational resources, resort areas, recreation areas, nature reserves, and national parks are created.

The second group includes monuments of history, archaeology, architecture and art. Most of the ancient cities of Europe and Russia are rich in cultural and historical attractions; the Egyptian pyramids and temples of Luxor, the Taj Mahal mausoleum in India, and the remains of ancient Mayan and Aztec cities in Latin America are world famous.

The richest recreational resources are found in countries where favorable natural conditions are combined with cultural and historical attractions. First of all, these are the Mediterranean countries - Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, European countries such as France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, as well as Mexico, India, Thailand.

Nature management is a set of measures taken by society in order to study, protect, develop and transform the environment.

Rational environmental management– this type of relationship between human society and the environment, in which society manages its relationship with nature and prevents the undesirable consequences of its activities. An example is the creation of cultural landscapes; the use of technologies that allow for more complete processing of raw materials; reuse of industrial waste, protection of animal and plant species, creation of nature reserves, etc.

Irrational environmental management is a type of relationship with nature that does not take into account the requirements of environmental protection and its improvement (consumer attitude towards nature). Examples of such an attitude are excessive grazing of livestock, slash-and-burn agriculture, extermination of certain species of plants and animals, radioactive and thermal pollution of the environment. Also harming the environment is caused by rafting of timber along rivers with individual logs (moth rafting), draining swamps in the upper reaches of rivers, open-pit mining, etc. Natural gas as a raw material for thermal power plants, it is a more environmentally friendly fuel than coal or brown coal.

Currently, most countries are pursuing a policy of rational environmental management, special environmental protection bodies have been created, and environmental programs and laws are being developed. It is important for countries to work together to protect nature and to create international projects that would address the following issues:

1) assessing the productivity of stocks in waters under national jurisdiction, both inland and marine, bringing fishing capacity in these waters to a level comparable to the long-term productivity of the stocks, and taking timely appropriate measures to restore overfished stocks to a sustainable state, as well as cooperation in in accordance with international law to take similar measures with respect to stocks found on the high seas;

2) conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components in aquatic environment and, in particular, preventing practices leading to irreversible changes, such as the destruction of species by genetic erosion or large-scale habitat destruction;

3) promoting the development of mariculture and aquaculture in coastal marine and inland waters by establishing appropriate legal mechanisms, coordinating the use of land and water with other activities, using the best and most suitable genetic material in accordance with the requirements for the conservation and sustainable use of the external environment and the conservation of biological diversity, application of social and environmental impact assessments.

Environmental pollution and environmental problems of humanity. Environmental pollution- this is an undesirable change in its properties, which leads or may lead to harmful effects on humans or natural complexes. The most well-known type of pollution is chemical (the release of harmful substances and compounds into the environment), but such types of pollution as radioactive, thermal (uncontrolled release of heat into the environment can lead to global changes in the natural climate), and noise pose no less potential threat. Environmental pollution is mainly associated with human economic activity (anthropogenic environmental pollution), but pollution is possible as a result of natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, meteorite falls, etc. All shells of the Earth are subject to pollution.

The lithosphere (as well as the soil cover) becomes polluted as a result of the influx of heavy metal compounds, fertilizers, and pesticides into it. Up to 12 billion tons of waste from large cities alone are removed annually. Mining developments lead to the destruction of natural soil cover over vast areas. The hydrosphere is polluted by wastewater from industrial enterprises (especially chemical and metallurgical enterprises), runoff from fields and livestock farms, and domestic wastewater from cities. Oil pollution is especially dangerous - up to 15 million tons of oil and petroleum products enter the waters of the World Ocean every year.

The atmosphere is polluted mainly as a result of the annual burning of huge amounts of mineral fuel and emissions from the metallurgical and chemical industries. The main pollutants are carbon dioxide, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, and radioactive compounds.

As a result of growing environmental pollution, many environmental problems both at the local and regional levels (in large industrial areas and urban agglomerations), and at the global level (global warming, decrease in the ozone layer of the atmosphere, depletion of natural resources).

The main ways to solve environmental problems can be not only the construction of various treatment plants and devices, but also the introduction of new low-waste technologies, repurposing production, moving them to a new location in order to reduce the “concentration” of pressure on nature.

Specially protected natural areas (SPNA) belong to objects of national heritage and represent areas of land, water surface and air space above them, where natural complexes and objects are located that have special environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, recreational and health significance, which are withdrawn by decisions of authorities state power wholly or partially from economic use and for which a special protection regime has been established.

According to estimates from leading international organizations, there are about 10 thousand large protected areas in the world. natural areas all kinds. The total number of national parks was close to 2000, and biosphere reserves - to 350.

Taking into account the peculiarities of the regime and status of environmental institutions located on them, the following categories of these territories are usually distinguished: state nature reserves, including biosphere; National parks; natural parks; state nature reserves; natural monuments; dendrological parks and botanical gardens; medical and recreational areas and resorts.

1. Which of the following countries has the largest proven coal reserves?

1) Algeria 3) South Africa

2) Pakistan 4) Peru

The answer is 3.

2. Which of the listed types of natural resources are classified as exhaustible and non-renewable?

1) copper ores 3) soil

2) peat 4) forest

The answer is 1.

3. On the coast of which gulf are large oil and gas fields being developed?

1) Bengal 3) Great Australian

2) Mexican 4) Hudson

The answer is 2.

4. Which of the following countries has the greatest hydroelectric potential?

1) Brazil 3) Netherlands

2) Sudan 4) Australia

To successfully answer questions of this type, you should apply knowledge about what the hydropower potential of rivers is and what it depends on (the number of rivers, their full flow and the terrain - the greater the slope of the river, the higher its hydro potential. In this case, there are many deep rivers in Brazil rivers flowing across the plateaus. Sudan is located in the Sahara, there are no rivers there. In the Netherlands there are rivers, but they are smaller in depth and length than in Brazil, in addition, the slope of the rivers is small, since the territory of the country does not have large differences in elevation , it is quite flat. Australia is a country of deserts. There are rivers only in the east - they originate in the mountains of the Great Dividing Range, have a sufficient slope. But their hydropotential is significantly lower than the rivers of Brazil, because they are less deep.

The answer is 1.

5. Which of the following has the greatest negative impact on the state of the natural environment?

1) construction of high pipes at thermal power plants

2) use of brown coal as fuel at thermal power plants

3) use of solar energy to heat homes

4) land reclamation

The answer is 2.

6. Which of the following cities has the highest level of air pollution?

1) Tambov 3) Rostov-on-Don

2) Petrozavodsk 4) Chelyabinsk

To answer questions of this type, you need to apply knowledge about which industries pollute the air to a greater extent and about which industries are developed in the listed cities. Thus, the largest air polluters are metallurgy enterprises (ferrous and non-ferrous), thermal power plants operating on brown or hard coal. Of the listed cities, Chelyabinsk has full-cycle ferrous metallurgy enterprises.

The answer is 4.

7. As a result global warming climate, the territory of which of the following countries may decrease?

1) Netherlands 3) Switzerland

2) Turkmenistan 4) Sudan

These types of questions test the ability to apply knowledge about the effects of global warming and geographical location countries to solve a specific problem. As a result of global warming, sea levels are rising. Accordingly, the low-lying coastal areas of countries with access to the coast of the World Ocean may be flooded. Of the countries listed in the text of the assignment, only the Netherlands has access to the ocean, and part of the coast is lowland. As a result of rising sea levels, part of the country will be flooded.

The answer is 1.

8. Which of the following industries pollutes inland waters the most?

1) shoe 3) food

2) textile 4) pulp and paper

The answer is 4.

9. In which of the territories indicated on the map will water erosion of the soil layer develop most intensively?

1) A 2) B 3) C 4) D

Questions of this type require the ability to apply knowledge about the causes of the development of water soil erosion to analyze the possibility of its development in certain areas. It must be remembered that the development of water erosion depends on the topography, the composition of rocks, the degree of soil consolidation by vegetation, the amount of precipitation, etc. With leveled low-lying terrain, erosion develops with less intensity. To answer correctly, you need to remember what kind of relief is typical for the territories shown on the map. Thus, territory A is located approximately within the Central Russian Upland, and the rest are within the lowlands, which are characterized by swampiness.

The answer is 1.

10. Using the data from the table below, compare the availability of fresh water resources among countries. Arrange countries in order of increasing resource availability.

To answer such questions, you should remember what resource availability is and calculate it for the countries presented in the table. Resource availability is the relationship between the amount of (explored) natural resources and the extent of their use. It is expressed either by the number of years for which the resource should last, or by reserves per capita at current rates of extraction or use. In this case, the table shows freshwater resources and population, therefore, it is necessary to compare indicators of resource availability per capita. To do this, divide the amount of fresh water resources, given in km3, by the population of the country, given in million people. and find out how much of this resource is available per capita. You can calculate the indicators and compare them. Or you can not count exactly, but roughly compare which countries will have the highest and lowest indicators. In this task, Canada will clearly have the highest indicator, and Bangladesh will have the lowest.

A typical mistake is an answer written in the opposite sequence to that required in the task. For example, you need to arrange the countries in order increase indicator of resource availability, and students write down the answer in the order decrease, because they first identified the country with the highest rate. To avoid making such mistakes, you should carefully read the text of the assignment, and, having determined the indicators of all countries, look again in what order they should be written down in the answer. Answer: BVA.

11. What features of agriculture in the Azov Sea basin have caused the increase in salinity and pollution of the waters of the Azov Sea in recent decades?

The Sea of ​​Azov is small and shallow. It is connected to the Black Sea by the narrow Kerch Strait. Of the large rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Azov, the Don and Kuban stand out. The fresh waters of the rivers desalinate the salty waters of the sea.

A large amount of river water is withdrawn for irrigation,

because agriculture is developing in irrigated lands. Less fresh river water enters the sea, and the salinity of sea waters increases. Sea water pollution is increasing

due to the fact that many chemical fertilizers are used in crop production, and some of them, together with river and

underground water flows into the sea.

1. Which of the listed types of natural resources are considered inexhaustible?

1) energy of ebbs and flows

2) coal

3) natural soil fertility

4) tin ores

2. Which of the following cities has the highest level of air pollution?

1) Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 3) Blagoveshchensk

2) Smolensk 4) Kemerovo

3. In which region of Russia may problems arise due to the fact that permafrost is thawing as a result of global warming?

1) Krasnoyarsk region 3) Primorsky Krai

2) Rostov region 4) Republic of Karelia

4. Which of the listed sectors of the economy pollutes the atmosphere the most?

1) air transport

2) railway transport

3) thermal power engineering

4) nuclear power industry

5. Which of the following countries have rivers with the greatest hydroelectric potential?

1) Mauritania and Panama 3) Iran and Niger

2) Mongolia and Pakistan 4) DR Congo and Canada

6. Greenhouse effect in the Earth's atmosphere increases with increasing content in it

1) nitrogen 3) hydrogen

2) oxygen 4) carbon dioxide

7. In which of the territories indicated on the map will wind erosion of the soil layer develop most intensively?

8. Establish a correspondence between each of the natural resources and the species to which it belongs.

NATURAL RESOURCES TYPES OF NATURAL RESOURCES

A) forest 1) inexhaustible

B) wind energy 2) exhaustible renewable

B) fuel 3) exhaustible non-renewable

D) metal ores

Write down the numbers corresponding to the selected answers in the table.

9. Using the data from the table below, compare the provision of regions with fresh water resources. Arrange the regions in order of increasing resource availability.

Write down the resulting sequence of letters in the table.

10. Using the table, compare the resource availability of countries with oil. Arrange countries in order of increasing resource availability.

Answers

Write down the resulting sequence of letters in the table.

11. Explain why during anticyclones in cities the concentration of exhaust gases in the surface layer of air sharply increases? Give two reasons.

12. What are the features of the nature of the Yamal Peninsula on its territory? List two features.

13. Why in the tundra zone on the West Siberian Plain are changes associated with anthropogenic human activity less than in natural area steppes?

14. Why is the Laptev Sea less polluted than the Black Sea? Give two reasons.

Answers

11. During an anticyclone there is no wind or its strength is very small. Exhaust gases remain in the ground layer of air. In addition, during anticyclones, downward air movement is observed, thus, exhaust gases are “pressed” to the surface of the earth.

12. The Yamal Peninsula is characterized by the spread of permafrost; in addition, there are swamps there. Winters are very harsh low temperatures air. All this makes construction difficult, because... it is necessary to use special technologies and special equipment.

13. The tundra zone of the West Siberian Plain began to be intensively changed by humans not so long ago - in connection with the discovery and start of exploitation of gas and oil fields. Agricultural production is not developed. And in the steppe zone, development has been going on for a long time - it was populated earlier, the population density here is higher. In the south of the West Siberian Plain, the degree of agricultural development of the territory is high - large areas of land are plowed, natural vegetation is reduced.

14. We can name one reason related to human activity and one related to the characteristics of nature. Economic activity people on the Laptev Sea coast contribute little to its pollution. There are few cities on its shores, and transport routes along its waters are not used intensively. The shores of the Black Sea have been inhabited for a long time; there are many cities and towns, railways and roads on its coast. Numerous cargo and transport ship routes pass through its waters. Agricultural activities of the population on the coasts of the sea and in the river basins flowing into it also contributed to the pollution of the sea. Also, the Laptev Sea is less polluted, because it is marginal, and the waters of the sea mix freely with the waters of the Arctic Ocean. The Black Sea is inland, and water exchange processes here are very slow.