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Natural Resources & Conservation in South Africa: Natural Resources
NATURAL RESOURCES What are Natural Resources? A natural resource is anything that people use that comes from nature and occurs naturally in the environment. People do not make natural resources, but gather them from the Earth. Examples of natural resources include air, water, crude oil, natural gas, coal, the Sun, wind, animals, trees, plants, forests, mineral resources, soil and land.
Coal is a Natural Resource
Wildlife is a Natural Resource
South Africa’s Natural Resources South Africa is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. These include: Minerals Gold, chromium, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, diamonds, platinum, and copper are mined in South Africa.
Diamonds
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Iron Ore
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In terms of minerals and ores, South Africa is a leading supplier of minerals (55 different types) and mineral products, which are exported to 87 countries. South Africa is the largest producer in the world of platinum, the 3rd largest producer of gold and the 4th largest producer of diamonds. The South African economy is heavily dependent on its mineral resources and one day these will be depleted. China has already taken over South Africa as the world’s number one gold producer. For more information on Minerals and Coal Resources in South Africa, go to this link: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/get-smart/geography/grade-5/mineral-and-coalresources Biodiversity One of South Africa’s main natural resources is its biodiversity, which means the wide variety of plants and animals found in the country. South Africa has the 3rd greatest biodiversity in the world, with two biodiversity ‘hot spots’, i.e., the Cape Floral Kingdom and the Succulent Karoo.
Cape Floral Kingdom
Bat Eared Fox in the Succulent Karoo
South Africa has 10,000 species of plants and animals, of which 12% are endemic, i.e., are found nowhere else in the world.
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In terms of mammals, nearly 300 species are found in South Africa, and these include endemic species such as:
Cape grysbok Cape elephant shrew Speckled African dormouse Riverine rabbit Three types of golden moles Cape springbok Cape mountain zebra
Cape Grysbok
Cape Mountain Zebra
Extinct endemic animals include:
Quagga Blue antelope
Quagga
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Blue Antelope
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Over 800 bird species are found in South Africa. Birds found in South Africa and nowhere else in the world include:
Black bustard Cape francolin Knysna woodpecker Protea canary
Black Bustard
Cape Francolin
370 species of reptile live in South Africa. Endemic species include the following:
Geometric tortoise Speckled padloper Spotted harlequin snake Augrabies flat lizard Knysna dwarf chameleon Giant girded lizard Southern adder
Geometric Tortoise
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Knysna Dwarf Chameleon
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Amphibians that are endemic to South Africa include:
Table Mountain ghost frog Spotted snout-burrower Cape mountain rain frog Knysna spiny reed frog
Table Mountain Ghost Frog
Cape Mountain Rain Frog
There are over 80,000 species of insects in South Africa, including many that are endemic. There are 220 species of freshwater fish and over 2 000 species of marine fish in South Africa’s waters. Marine life is a very important natural resource, that has been depleted by overfishing. For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on Overfishing: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/resource-depletion/overfishing Over 20,000 species of flowering plants are found in South Africa. Endemic plants include:
Bird of paradise flower Red disa Rhinoceros bush Keurboom Silver tree Buck bay vygie Cape strawflower Belladonna lily Forest lily King protea (our national flower)
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Bird of Paradise Flower Wikimedia Creative Commons; Flickr.com Attribution Share-Alike: Tim Green
Cape Strawflower Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike: Abu Shawka
Red Disa Wikimedia Creative Commons; Flickr.com Attribution Share-Alike: Elena Gaillard
Fynbos Proteas
For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on Biodiversity: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/plants-and-animals/biodiversity Forests The forestry industry is an important economic sector in South Africa and contributes around 1,2% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It employs over 200 000 people. The value of exports from forestry was R3,9 billion in 2009. South Africa has vast plantations of timber in Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. There are over 500 000 hectacres of indigenous or natural forests in South Africa, mainly along the southern and eastern escarpment, the coastal belt and in sheltered ravines. The timber industry uses mainly planted trees, so that natural forests are maintained.
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These forests provide medicines, building materials, wood for fuel and food.
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Various trees are protected every year under the National Forests Act. These are trees considered to be a conservation priority. These listed trees include:
Tsitsikamma big tree, Garden Route Post Office milkwood tree, Mossel Bay Sagole baobab, Limpopo
Tsitsikamma Big Tree, Garden Route Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike: NJR ZA Nick
Post Office Milkwood Tree Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike: Schavda
Sagole Baobab, Limpopo Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike: Scott Davies
Unless trees are re-planted, there will not be enough timber to supply our planet’s needs in the future. Trees also help to clean the air and provide food and homes for animals. Forests play a major role in why life on earth exists. Many forms of life could not survive without trees and wood. Racoons in Forest Habitat
For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on Deforestation: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/resource-depletion/deforestation
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Coal, Oil and Natural Gas These are natural resources that are used to provide energy. South Africa’s main challenges with regards to natural resources and the South African economy as a whole, include lack of water and energy. Electricity consumption has grown by 20% in the last decade, causing a power crisis. South Africa uses more energy than it produces. The majority of energy in the country is supplied by coal. South Africa has large reserves of coal and holds 95% of the coal reserves in Africa. We are the 5th largest coal exporter in the world. There are very limited oil reserves in South Africa and most of the crude oil is imported. Natural gas is also imported from Mozambique.
Sources of Energy in South Africa Wikimedia Public Domain
For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on The Energy Crisis: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/resource-depletion/energy-crisis
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Water In terms of water supply, South Africa’s freshwater resources are almost fully used up. Water will increasingly become the most scarce resource.
Water is a Scarce Resource
For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on Water Conservation: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/resource-depletion/waterconservation Air The Earth’s atmosphere is a layer of gases that surround Earth and are held there by gravity. The boundary between the atmosphere and space is about 120 km from Earth’s surface.
The Earth’s Atmosphere
The atmosphere is very thin. It is made up of layers that protect Earth and its living organisms from the Sun’s radiation and the vacuum of space. It also reduces extremes of temperature. The atmosphere becomes thinner as altitude increases.
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Air is the atmosphere that humans and animals use for breathing and that plants use for photosynthesis. Air is composed of:
78% nitrogen 21% oxygen 0,9% argon 0,04% carbon dioxide, as well as other trace elements and water vapour.
Oxygen is needed by animals and humans to breathe. The carbon dioxide in the air is used by plants to help them with photosynthesis.
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There are several distinct layers in the atmosphere as shown in the diagram below:
The troposphere is the layer nearest to Earth and extends 9 to 17 km from Earth. It is the only layer that can support life, as the other layers have filtered out harmful radiation from the Sun before they reach the troposphere. The troposphere contains water vapour and the clouds are formed here.
Clouds Forming
People, plants and animals need this layer of gases to breathe. Therefore, we need to look after this layer and not pollute it. The next layer is the stratosphere, which extends about 50 km from Earth. Aeroplanes fly in this layer. There is a large temperature variation in this layer from around 0° C to around -60° C. The stratosphere is where the ozone layer is found.
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Aeroplanes Fly in the Stratosphere
The ozone layer is a protective layer of naturally occurring ozone gas that is found around 20 to 30 kilometres above the Earth’s surface. The ozone layer protects life on Earth because it acts as an umbrella and shields us from 97 to 99% of the Sun’s dangerous Ultraviolet (UV) rays. By blocking out these rays, the ozone layer stops them from reaching the Earth’s surface. For more information on the ozone layer, go to Save Your Planet module on The Ozone Layer: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/climate-change/ozone-layer The mesosphere is on top of the stratosphere, about 80 to 85 km from Earth. It is the coldest layer in the atmosphere with temperatures as low as -100 °C. The next layer is the thermosphere, which contains energy from solar radiation. The temperatures are very high here, up to 1 500 °C. The International Space Station orbits in this layer.
International Space Station
The exosphere is the outermost layer of the atmosphere and is made up mainly of helium and hydrogen. This is the layer that is closest to space. Satellites circle the Earth in this layer. We often take the air around us granted, but without air, there would be no life on Earth. Air is therefore a precious resource and air quality is very important to health.
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South Africa faces a number of air pollution issues. As fuel is often burned in households, as well as in industry, the levels of sulphur dioxide in the air are too high in some urban areas. The burning of fuel in residential areas is estimated to result in the greatest health risks, accounting for approximately 70% of all respiratory hospital admissions due to fuel-burning exposure. The growth in the number of vehicles on the roads has also led to increased air pollution in the country.
Levels of Nitrogen Dioxide over South Africa Source: European Space Agency
The image above shows the levels of nitrogen dioxide in South Africa. Nitrogen dioxide is a toxic gas which is produced from vehicle emissions and power plants and has adverse affects on the respiratory system. As can be seen, high levels are found in the Highveld area where large cities and industries are concentrated. These levels are similar to pollution levels in Europe, eastern North America and south-east Asia. Due to the westerly and north westerly winds, the air pollution is transported over a large area. For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on Air Pollution: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/climate-change/air-pollution
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Soil Soil is necessary to sustain life on Earth. It is needed to grow crops, trees and plants, which provide us with food, timber, paper, medicines, metals and minerals and clothes. Soil is lost through erosion, which is when it is washed or blown away. This happens when land is cleared for development, as well as when droughts or floods occur.
Soil Erosion
Although it seems like our soil will be with us forever, the soil that we see around us has taken millions of years to form. It takes 300 to 400 years to make just 1 cm of soil!
We need Soil to Grow Crops, Plants and Trees
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Medicines
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Soil provides a habitat for many insects and animals, as well as anchoring plants in the ground. Plants also need soil to provide them with the nutrients and water that they need to grow.
Soil Provides Habitats for Animals
Soil Anchors Plants into the Ground
As the world’s population grows, people need more crops, more firewood, more timber, more paper, more medicines, more animals, etc. This leads to overgrazing and over-cultivation of land. Bare soil is the result of this. Eventually desertification occurs and the Earth will no longer be able to supply us with the resources that we need. Top soil is therefore a precious natural resource that must be conserved. In South Africa, annual soil loss is estimated at 300 to 400 million tonnes, nearly three tonnes for each hectare of land. Only around 13,5% of land in South Africa is considered suitable for agriculture. If degradation of soil continues at its present rate, there will be not enough soil to produce food for the growing population in the future.
Barren Land
For more information, go to the Save Your Planet module on Soil Erosion and Desertification: http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/man-and-environment/soil-erosion http://www.mycyberwall.co.za/save-your-planet/man-and-environment/desertification
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The Sun The Sun is a natural resource that is a source of heat and light.
Light from the Sun
Heat from the Sun
The Sun’s rays, which reach Earth in the form of radiation, are the main source of energy for everything on Earth. The Sun supports life in the following ways:
It enables plants to make their own food through photosynthesis. These plants are then eaten by herbivores and humans. The herbivores are eaten by carnivores. The Sun helps water to evaporate and this is the first stage in the water cycle. The Sun supplies plants with heat and light which they need in order to grow. It supplies animals and humans with heat and light which they need to survive.
Most areas in South Africa receive around 2 500 hours of sunlight per year.
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The southern African region, and in fact the whole of Africa, has sunshine all year round. The annual 24-hour global solar radiation average is about 220 W/m2 for South Africa, compared with about 150 W/m2 for parts of the USA, and about 100 W/m2 for Europe and the United Kingdom. This makes South Africa's natural resource of the Sun, one of the highest in the world.
Renewable and Non Renewable Resources There are two types of natural resources, i.e. renewable and non-renewable: Renewable Resources These are resources that grow again or come back after we use them. They are usually living things. Some of these are continuously available, like air, water and wind and their quality is not affected by human consumption. However, many of these renewable resources can be depleted by humans although they can be replenished, for example, water. Some, like crops, take a short time to renew, but others like water, take longer. Forests, for example, take many years to grow back.
Water
Air
Wind
Non-Renewable Resources These are resources that do not grow or come back or take a very long time. For example, coal is formed over very long geographical periods and cannot be recycled. One day there will be no more coal left. It is therefore important to conserve these non-renewable resources because if we use them all up, there will not be any for future generations.
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Coal
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Abuse of Natural Resources For the past 150 years, the demand for natural resources, in the form of power and materials has risen at an alarming rate. Protecting and conserving our natural resources is of great importance, as they are very valuable to humans. When you use a piece of paper, for example, you are using a natural resource from the Earth. Nowadays, if we don’t have enough paper, we just cut down more trees and so forests are disappearing. Forests are cut down to make more room for agriculture and housing.
Deforestation
Imagine if one day there was no more trees to make paper? Soil is a natural resource that also needs to be taken care of, so we have land to live and grow crops on. Soil has been abused by over-grazing and clearing land for development. Without soil, our landscape would be barren and unable to support any living thing.
Soil
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Wildlife is a natural resource which has been used and abused by humans. Wildlife is being poached every day in South Africa and we are destroying the habitat and fragile ecosystems that support the food chain.
Wildlife
Our water supply is the same as it was billions of years ago but the population explosion has made it in short supply. As we cannot get any more water, it is essential that we conserve it. We all use natural resources every day and as our population grows, we will eventually have no natural resources left. A good reason to use renewable, natural resources is that if they are managed properly, they will not run out.
Conserve Water
Conserve Our Natural Resources
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