The concept of natural resource gathers all the resources naturally present in nature, recognized like necessary to the essential needs, direct and indirect of the human activity, today and for the Future generations. It can be a question of Raw material (Minéral E, Chimique, Biologique) possibly Fossile (Pétrole, Charbon, Natural gas, Tourbe).
Une resource, renewable on human scale of time, has a particular place although it is the only one with being external with the Biosphère; it is the Sun (associate with the solar energy) and with the Vent (associate with the wind energy), but which is also at the origin of the majority of the other natural resources, either in fossil form, or contemporary via the Photosynthèse in particular.

Since the years 1970, this concept evolves/moves and tends to be extended to the resources useful for the whole of the ecosystem S and produced by them.
Dans the framework of the calculation of the ecological Impressed, the resource spaces of it “bioproductif” (volumes of water, surfaces grounds.) available for the man or the remainder of alive takes an increasing importance (these resources regressing, and being threatened by the advanced deserts, the Pollution, the rise in the sea level, phenomena of Périurbanisation and intensive agriculture, or cultures of Agrocarburant S who worsen also the Déforestation and contribute to the ecological Fragmentation of the landscapes). for these reasons, the Naturalité and its corollary the ecological Intégrité - as conditions of good performance of the ecosystem - take also an increasing importance. Thus for example DCE (Parent directive on water) does not aim it simply any more the access to drinking water for all Europeans, but the “good state ecological” of the resource which in is a condition first.

History of the concept

The concept of natural resource (expressed in this form specifies) seems relatively recent. It moreover evolved/moved much since the years 1970 accompanying the projections by the scientific knowledge and the technological advancement (diversity thus became a news a resource, for the genetic engineering, resource developed by the brevetage of alive, in addition very discussed for reasons ethical and of risk ecotechnologic).

One initially regarded as natural resources the useful biomass and the “raw materials”, then the forms of energy useful for the men and in particular for agriculture, sylviculture and fishing, then with industry (firewood, animal haulage, windmills and with water, then containing hydrocarbon fossils and finally nuclear power).
For example, of the Antiquité at the industrial era, the salt had a great value, not because it was rare on planet, but because it was vital for health, and not very accessible far from the sea, and that he was the subject of important taxes. The Pétrole (still unknown) then had much less value.
Ces values was reversed with XIXème and XXème century or the fossil resources became vital for industry, fishing and agriculture, but also for the building, transport and of many services. And if the Coltan has a value so much for the Européen technologically advanced S, Americans and other countries, but also for certain underdeveloped African areas, it is because the commercial reports/ratios put them in contact.

Little by little the value of Aménité of the certain resources appeared; more difficult to quantify, but quite real, translated for example by the engagement of many personalities and currents for the protection of the Naturalité (Wilderness) in the USA and by romantic Europeans, of which the painters of the school of Barbizon who obtained the classification of the Forest of fontainebleau close to Paris). The current increase in the prices of the grounds to the accesses of the natural environments and remarkable landscapes is another demonstration. The amenities are also and for example in France taken into account by the LOADDT (Law Voynet).

At the end of the XXème century with the appearance and the rapid diffusion of the concept of Sustainable development, in reaction in particular to degradation and rarefaction or disappearance of number of the natural resources, the concept of functionality ecological and ecological service widened that of natural resource to the resources useful or essential not only with the Man, but also with the whole of the ecosystems. A new paradigm appears then clearly: the planetary resources are limited, they render services essential even irreplaceable, but especially, they seem the product of the ecosystems and more generally of the biodiversity, which as such become themselves of the vital resources to protect to be able to exploit them durably or so that they continue to produce their “free” services, in particular to produce oxygen, water, the grounds, which are vital for us. This approach was in particular specified by Millenium ecosystems assesment, first world evaluation of the health condition of the ecosystems and their functionality)

One now qualifies an element écopaysager of natural resource when it can satisfy one of the needs for the human being, but also of the ecological communities which constitute the ecosystems. The natural habitats, resulting to some extent of the activity from the species which live there, themselves are thus regarded as natural resources.

Classification or hierarchisation of the resources

Holding of the traditional economic approach consider that a raw material of natural origin will be regarded as being a natural resource of value as from the moment or this one will have acquired an economic value and marchande.

The resources known as natural can also be classified according to certain their characteristics more or less vital Resources (ex: the air and in particular oxygen resulting from photosynthesis are particularly vital; while being a resource still very common).
La biodiversity is sometimes described as " resource of the ressources" as it is the source first of many vital resources such as the air, drinking water and all that we eat, as well as most of the energy sources (fossil and biomass), drugs, textile or paper fibers, etc;

Renouvelabilité: Ainsi the resources can be classified as being “not, little, with difficulty, expensively or slowly renewable” or according to a “replaceable/irreplaceable” Critère of the type.
Plus simply, the natural resources are frequently classified in 2 categories:

• renewable Resources
• nonrenewable Resources (or fossil resources)

Advantages: One speaks thus about physical or ecological advantage offered by certain natural resources, via the ecosystems; such as a microclimate (scrap-metal, wooded area, meadows.) or proximity of a river or a lake (for the irrigation), tablecloth or sea (for fishing and tourism), etc

rendered Services: an ecosystem can have a value of service (and thus of resource), even if it is not exploited, These ecological services are still mals evaluated (quantativement and in term of equivalence in economic value), but they take a great importance, in particular for the function of well of carbon which the seas, grounds and forests in the cycles play which stabilize retroactively the Climat.

Exploitation of the natural resources

The Exploitation of the natural resources is a constant and vital activity for all to be Vivant. When a resource is limited (naturally, following a natural disaster (fire, flood.), or with a human action), there can be Surexploitation, then possible disappearance of the resource. The phenomena of overexploitation seem very rare in nature where they are controlled by ecological loops of feedbacks (a species which overexploits its environment is weakened fault of resource, its populations regress, which leaves with its resources time to reconstitute itself, or the individuals encounter reactions of the exploited species (ex: production of bitter tannins by the plants consumed by herbivores)

The Homme seems to be become a particular case, which from its multitude and its capacities, considerably developed the Exploitation of the natural resources in activities Industrielle S (organized for) of the type Extraction of the Pétrole or Minerai S, the fishing or the Exploitation of the Bois.

The majority of the primary activities (except services, except for tourism which to some extent “develops” the natural environments) are directly associated with the exploitation primary or secondary (transformation, recycling) of the natural resource

• agriculture, fishing, sylviculture, culture or exploitation of mushrooms, fruits wild, etc
• production of fibers of origin animal and vegetable
• exploitation of mineral materials
• activities of exploitation of primary energies (more or less fossil and renewable)
• the Extraction or the purification of water.
• valorizations technological, biotechnological and industrial of alive the

etc

Rarefaction of the natural resources

One of the very great stakes of the 21e century is the reduction in the natural resources available compared to the needs for the human beings.
Les water resources becomes insufficient in certain areas of the world.

The fish sailor resource is already put at evil. At the end of this century, several nonrenewable resources should be exhausted or quasi-exhausted if their rate/rhythm of extraction continues. It is thus oil, but also gas and uranium. The plutonium produced by the nuclear reactors can nevertheless be re-used in other types of engines.

Economic vision

By extension of the notion of the Ground like Factor of production as well as the Capital , the work and the To know, the economist S speak about Capital naturalness for the natural resources.

See too

• Resources and world power consumption
• Natural solar energy
• , Naturalité, ecological Amenity
• Impressed
• Philosophy of nature

External bond

• natural Stock management, (OECD)

durable Use of the natural resources

Simple: Natural resource

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