Natural resources are raw materials we use to make other products.
These include trees, minerals, aquatic life, gravel, coal, and many
others. How can businesses remove these resources from an area and
still maintain a working landscape? Responsible businesses know that
they can make money producing products or gathering natural resources
while they minimize the damage to their surroundings. Take a look
at some products and possible damage from forestry, mining, and aquaculture.
The forest industry is made up of businesses involved in the growing
and harvesting of trees and other plant life from forests.
lumber or timber for building houses, boats, decks, and furniture.
a large block of trees exposes ground, which is vulnerable to
pulp to make paper and paper products.
may result in logs piling up and blocking the natural flow of
cut, and sell Christmas trees.
landscapes are degraded. Who wants to visit a forest with no
trees, or a river clogged with trees?
our landscaping needs with trees and plants.
may not be planted. Forests are not renewable resources unless
trees are planted to replace the trees cut down. This also displaces
Mining is the process
or business of removing ore, soil, rock, and minerals from the ground
or from mountains.
and currently used as money.
Reclamation means restoring land that has been altered. Mining
pits must be reclaimed after mining operations cease. Poor
mining practices can destroy the environment and cost taxpayers
a lot of money in clean-up.
Animal are destroyed and is compromised.
Mining , called tailings, can pollute our air and
the value of currency.
fuel by burning.
are often used in vitamins.
materials used in construction like aluminum and concrete.
diamonds and other precious stones provide material for jewelry.
is used to build roads and is mixed into cement to form concrete.
Aquaculture is the business of raising marine or freshwater fish
or shellfish under controlled conditions.
Areas of waterways that are lined off by nets; these result
in large quantities of waste (just like other forms of intensive
are often released directly into natural
bodies of water.
Many fish are carnivorousthey eat meat. The food provided
in fish farms may not contain meat protein. The fish who eat
this food do not possess the same amount of protein as their
natural counterparts. This can result in a less healthy fish.
Fishing operations (shrimp farms in particular) have damaged
mangrovestrees and shrubs forming buffering boundaries
between land and saltwater environments. (This is an important
ecosystem along coastlines.)
Uses a Part of a Working Landscape
Trees can be replanted every time trees are removed. Paper and aluminum
can be recycled. Recycled materials can be used in place of lumber
for building materials.
businesses can devote some of their profits to the of
landscapes they damage.
wide variety of technologies and practices are available to make
facilities more environmentally friendly, and many of
these are now used on commercial fish farms.
Sustainable use of natural resources such as forest harvesting,
mining, and aquaculture considers the economic, ecological, and
social elements that are part of a working landscape.
the Missing Loess Hill
for fill dirt and limestone, is a controversial topic in the Loess
Hills. Most residents believe the heart of the Hills is the front
facethe west side. It's the most visible and the most fragile.
A Natural Resource
is perhaps the most familiar product developed from natural resources.
In the southeast
United States, states like Tennessee are taking issue with logging.
Some loggers have switched from selective loggingcutting down
the largest and most valuable treesto clear cutting entire
what outdoor enthusiasts, property owners, loggers, and local politicians
have to say about it.
a rock used in insulation and potting soil, was mined in Libby,
Montana. Unfortunately, so was asbestosa mineral that causes
Learn how the residents of Libby are dealing with the fallout.
The University of Minnesota provides some ways to use forestry on
Office of Surface Mining
This is a slideshow of former mines that have been reclaimed.
DNR Energy and Geological Resources Division
Visit the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Energy and Geological
Resources Division for information on Iowa's geology and natural
resources. Be sure to check out their Browse
Area featuring links to information, photographs, and maps related
to Loess Hills geology, national status, erosion and more!