Maharashtra Board Class 6 Geography Chapter 8 Natural Resources PDF Download

Natural Resources

We see many things on the earth. Some of these are quite familiar to us. However, we do not necessarily use all of them. We have learnt to use some of the things that are available in nature, for example, water. The natural things that man uses are called natural resources. Man fulfils his needs using these natural resources. Air, water, soils, land, minerals, plants and animals are all natural resources. Most of the natural resources are limited in nature. Therefore they are invaluable.

Of these, 'air' is such a resource that it is available in plenty. This resource never depletes. However, its quality can change. We need air for various purposes right from breathing to burning.

Figures 8.2 to 8.13 give us an idea about how we use some of the natural resources.

Observe And Think

Observe and think about the pictures given in figure 8.1 and answer the following questions:

What do you see in the pictures?

How many of these animals or plants do you know?

Which of these things have you seen in reality?

Have you ever used these things or seen them being used?

Which of our needs do some of these fulfil?

What probable use of the unused things can you think of?

Find more information about the things you could not identify.

Teacher's Note

Natural resources are things from nature that we use every day. For example, farmers use soil to grow rice and wheat in India.

Exam Trick

Remember: Natural resources = Air, Water, Soil, Land, Plants, Animals, Minerals. These are all things from nature that we use.

Points to Remember

Natural resources are things that come from nature.
Most natural resources are limited and very important.
Air is one resource that is always available in plenty.
We use natural resources to meet our needs for food, water, and shelter.
We must use natural resources wisely.

How We Use Natural Resources

Observe all the figures from 8.2 to 8.13 and discuss them in the class. It is necessary that each of the things shown is considered. For this, use the following points.

What different activities are the individuals in the pictures engaged in?

What things will they obtain through these activities?

What are the animals in the pictures doing?

What is the use of the tall device in figure 8.12 raised on the ground?

What is being loaded in the truck? What are we going to get from it?

Where are all these human activities being performed other than fishing?

Explanation

In some of the figures man is shown doing different tasks. Each of the tasks is related to some resource. Let us consider each of these resources.

Soil And Agriculture

In figure 8.2, man is seen ploughing the land. The farmer ploughs the soil layer and makes the land cultivable. In this cultivable land, he grows various crops and fulfils his own and others' need for food. For this purpose, he uses the 'soil' that is naturally available on land as a resource. Soil is used all over the world and therefore, soil is a very important resource for agriculture.

Soil formation mainly depends on the original rock, climate, organic components, slope of the land and time. According to the types of rocks and climates in different regions, different types of soil are formed. A long period is required for the formation of mature soil, as it is a very slow process. A period of about a thousand years may be required for development of a 2.5 cm thick layer of soil.

Teacher's Note

Soil is very important for farming. In India, farmers work hard to make good soil for growing wheat, rice, and vegetables.

Exam Trick

Remember: It takes 1000 years to make just 2.5 cm of soil. So we must protect soil and never waste it.

Points to Remember

Soil is made from rocks, climate, and dead plants.
Soil is used for growing food crops.
Different regions have different types of soil.
Soil formation is a very slow process.
Farmers use ploughs to prepare soil for planting.

Water As A Natural Resource

Figures 8.3 and 8.5 show a man catching fish and another drawing water from a well. In these pictures, man is seen using the natural resource water for fulfilling his needs. Right from the time we get up in the morning, we keep on using water till we go to bed at night. This shows how important water is as a natural resource. The entire living world depends on this resource. See figure 8.9. It shows how we obtain salt from sea water. We make use of salt in our day-to-day life.

Water is available in huge quantities on earth. Of this, a large quantity is salty. Only some quantity of the total water is usable. A very meagre quantity (0.003%) of water is available for use. However, even this much water is sufficient for all of us.

Teacher's Note

We use water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. In India, many families collect water from wells and rivers every day.

Exam Trick

Remember: Only 0.003% of all water on Earth is good for drinking. Most water in the ocean is salty. We must save water!

Points to Remember

Water is used for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
Only a small amount of water on Earth is good for us to use.
Most water on Earth is salty sea water.
We get salt from sea water.
Every living thing needs water to live.

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