Natural resources are those resources that occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind and in a natural form. Natural resources include land, fish, wildlife, biota, air, water, ground water, drinking water supplies, and other such resources belonging to, managed by, held in trust by, appertaining to, or otherwise controlled by the United States, any State or local government, or any foreign government.
Natural resources are essential for our survival while others are used for satisfying our wants. Natural resources are derived from the environment and shall be classified in different ways. It can be classified on the basis of origin and shall be divided into biotic and abiotic resources.
On the basis of their stage of development, natural resources shall be divided into potential resources, developed resources, stock, reserves, and actual resources. On the basis of renewability, natural resources can be classified into renewable and non-renewable resources. With respect to their availability, they can be categorized as inexhaustible natural resources and exhaustible natural resources.
Conservation of natural resources is the major focus of natural capitalism, environmentalism, the ecology movement, and green politics. There are many statutes relating to natural resources. Conservation laws, Public Property laws, Public Health laws, and Public Land laws deal with natural resources.
Mining, petroleum extraction, fishing, hunting, and forestry are generally considered natural-resource industries. Agriculture is considered a man-made resource. Habitat conservation is the practice of land management that seeks to conserve, protect, and restore habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species and prevent their extinction, fragmentation, or reduction in range.
