Managing Natural ResourcesChapter 4

Natural Resource Conservation

Mr. Ham

GHS AgriScience

Objective 4.1Explain the importance of Natural Resource conservation

• Natural Resource Conservation: the wise use of natural resources

• Reasons for Conservation– Meet demand- people need natural resources

to live– Maintain standard of living- running water,

electricity, gasoline for automobiles

Examples of Conservation

(group list of ways to conserve Natural Resources)

Examples

• Cropping Practices– No till– Contour plowing– Mulching– Crop rotation

• Recycling• Reusing

– Pallets– Irrigation water

• Preventing damage– Prevent pollution that would injure other

organisms

• Taking no more than needed– Buffalo– Black bear in Arkansas

• Avoid waste– Wash dishes, not disposable plates and cups– Long showers

The Ecosystem

• Interdependent relationship: all organisms depend on each other

• Symbolic relationship: species live together and benefit from each other

Objective 4.2Identify major sources of Natural Resource damagePollution: they cause• Disease

– Fecal matter

• Reduced growth– Abnormal leaves, stems and flowers– Defects of animals

• 2 headed calf• 2 tail fish• Missing parts

• Reproduction– Sterile (DDT, pesticide)– Thin or no shell on bird eggs

• Death– Toxic to organism– Animal becomes entangled in debry

Objective 4.3Distinguish between Point and Non-Point sources of pollution

• Point Source Pollution: the pollutant in discharged at places that can be seed or determined by laboratory testing– They are easy to locate a pinpoint– Raw sewer into a stream

• Non-Point Source Pollution: sources that cannot be directly identified

– Sources are often scattered over a wide area• i.e. residential use of pesticides• No single source of pollution

Objective 4.4Trace major events in the history of Natural Resource conservation.

Selected Events in U.S. History Conservation

• 1862 Morrill Act passed—set up a system of colleges to teach agriculture and related areas (Today, these schools teach and research many areas of conservation and environmental technology.)

• 1872 Yellowstone Park established—to preserve natural feature and scenic beauty of the area (first national park in the world)

• 1900 Lacey Act passed U.S. Congress– made transporting illegally killed wildlife across state lines a federal crime

• 1903 First wildlife refuge established at Pelican Island, Florida

• 1911 Weeks Lay passed by Congress– provided for multiple use of national forests and other public lands

• 1917 Smith-Hughes Act passed– provided federal funds local schools to use in teaching agriculture (Many schools have taught and continue to teach areas related to natural resources and the environment.)

• 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps established– workers planted trees, built dams to control floods, fought forest fires and constructed areas for viewing wildlife and nature

• 1933 Tennessee Valley Authority created– purpose war to conserve the resources of along the Tennessee River and promote hydroelectric power

• 1935 Soil Conservation Service established– purpose was to work with landowners in designing and promoting plans to conserve soil and water resources (Later changed to the Natural Resource Conservation Service.)

• 1937 Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act passed– levied a tax on sporting arms and ammunition to support wildlife management

• 1963 Clean Air Act passed– as initially passed and later amended, the Act set emission standards for automobiles and industry and set standards for air quality

• 1969 National Environmental Policy Act passed– required consideration of the environment in construction, including the preparation of impact statements

• 1970 Environmental Protection Agency created– sets and enforces rules and standards in pollution control

• 1973 Endangered Species Act passed– provided protection for threatened and endangered species of wildlife

• 1977 Department of Energy created– purpose was to promote conservation in use of fossil fuels and seek alternative sources of energy

• 1985 Conservation Reserve Program initiated– provided incentives for landowners to remove marginal land from production and use conservation practices

• 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement adopted– opened trade with Mexico and Canada; some consumers question conditions under which imported food crops are grown

• 1998 Federal deadline for replacing underground fuel tanks reached on December 22; new-type tanks that prevent fuel leaks required; thousands of gas stations failed to meet deadline

Objective 4.46 New Technologies• Global Positioning

• Genetic engineering

• Biological pest control

• Minimum/ no-tillage cropping

• Wind and solar power

• Pesticide container reclamation

• Remote sensing

Objective 4.5Identify leaders in the Natural Resource conservation movement• John Muir (1838-1914):

– Major explore of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks in California

– Encouraged President Theodore Roosevelt to take action to conserve the forest areas

– Founded the Sierra Club in 1892

• Theodore Roosevelt (1859-1919)– President (1901-1909)– Set up first wildlife refuse at Pelican Island,

Florida in 1903– Added millions of acres of forests to the

Nations reserves

• Aldo Leopold (1886-1948)– Pioneered the use of ecology in studying

wildlife– Setup professional training in wildlife

management

• Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946)– Headed the agency in the Federal

government that is now the Forestry Service

• Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)– Pushed legislation to protect natural

resources– Encouraged all state legislatures to enact

conservation laws– Established an agency for soil and water

within the USDA

• Hugh H. Bennett (1881-1960)– Known as the “Father of soil conservation”– First head of soil conservation service

• Rachel Carson (1907-1964)– Informed the public about the risk of

pesticides– Wrote Silent Spring