Natural Resources Management

Lecturer: Joaquin Magaña M. Sc.

Our Natural Resources
 What is a Natural Resource?
 Objects people use.

 Any form of energy that can be used by

humans.

 Objects, materials, creatures or energy

found in nature that can be used by
humans.
Usefulness Changes
 Many things affect our definition of
usefulness.
 The usefulness of many things
change over time.
 Many things in the past were not
considered as natural resources.
 Our situation changed too.
Soil Resources
Land Use:
 22,000 km2 land area (8,867 square
miles - 2,296,000 ha) (Chomitz and Gray, 1996).
 17% or less used for agriculture (Meerman

and Sabido, 2001 ) .

 65% broadleaf forest (Meerman and Sabido, 2001) .
 Less than one percent Urban (Meerman and

Sabido, 2001) .
Soil Resources

 Soil’s major enemy - erosion.

 Studies in the US. have shown a loss of
one-third of their topsoil to erosion.
 Conversion of agriculture.
 Urban Expansion, industrialization,
construction and other alternative use of
land.
 Very important to manage our soil
and land resources.
Water Resources
 70 % of the earth surface is covered by
water.
 There is a big difference between water
and usable water.
 Most of our usable water is on its way to
the sea.
 There is plenty of water in this country –
problems are: control, quality and
distribution.
Fish and Wildlife Resources
 Nondomesticated animals, either game
or nongame, and uncultivated plants.
 Sometimes considered as renewable
resource.
 A new aspect of fish and wildlife
management has begun to emerge.
 Decrease in species population can lead
to extinction.
Forest Resources
 69% forest & wooded areas (Central Statistics

.
Office, 2004)

 61.3% Broadleaf forest & 3.5 % Pine

forest (Central Statistics Office, 2004).
 Commercial & Noncommercial Forest?
 Commercial Forests – "capable" and "available"

for growing trees for harvest.

 Noncommercial Forest – includes reserved
forest lands, unproductive forests, and urban forests.
Forest Resources
 Mature Forests: When you think of the
term forest, what do you think of?

www.mainexmastree.com National Geographic

Forest Resources
 Forests begin to grow slowly – 1 ft x yr.
 When a forest is undisturbed for
centuries – becomes a mature forest.
 Produces little wood.
 Young forest produce more wood.
 Good management trees are
renewable.

Cut million trees

Still have more

Other Resources

Energy Sources:
 Directly or indirectly from the sun.
 Humans have used the force of moving
air, wind, to move our goods and to pull
water.
 Sun-charged energy resource is oil.
 Natural gas – a clean efficient fuel
 Coal – very plentiful.
Other Resources

Minerals:
 Most widely used are: Fe, Zn, Cu, Al, Mg,
Ph, Sn, Ur and Mo.
 Geologists agree that undiscovered
mineral reserves far exceed what we
have already found.
 Future technology advances or
possibilities of mining lower-grade ore.
Other Resources
Recreational Resources:
 As nations become richer, changes place

pressures on time and mental capacities.

 People need to relax, enjoy life and

enjoy nature.
 Recreational resources include: forests,

lakes, beaches, mountains, parks, game

animals and fish.
 Closely guard the quality of our
ecosystems.
Reference:
 Camp, William G. and Daugherty, Thomas B.. 1997. Managing Our
Natural Resources. Third Edition. Delmar Publishers. 3-11
 Central Statistics Office. 2004. Environmental Statistics: At a Glance.
Government of Belize, Belmopan.
 Chomitz, Kenneth M. and Gray, David A. .1996. Roads, Land Use, and
Deforestation: A Spatial Model Applied to Belize. The World Bank
Economic Review, vol. 10, NO. 3: 487–512
 Meerman, J. C. and Sabido, W.. 2001. Central American Ecosystems
Map: Belize. Program for Belize. Vol. 1

WebPages:
7. www.mainexmastree.com
8. www.nationalgeographic.com