Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

There are two kinds of natural resources.

• Nonrenewable resources can never be replaced. Some examples are oil, natural gas, and coal. The earth has a limited supply of these resources. When these resources are gone, they are gone for good.
• Renewable resources can be replaced. This means that certain amounts of these resources can be used with no danger of running out. An example of a renewable resource is timber. New trees can be planted as existing trees are cut down. However, people must be careful not to cut down all the trees—only a certain amount can be harvested. Enough trees must remain for future harvests.

Like all wildlife, furbearers are a renewable resource. This means we can take a conservation attitude and regulate the use of these resources in a sustainable way. For example, it is okay to trap a limited number of beavers. The beaver population can reproduce and replace these numbers. However, it is not okay to trap too many beavers. We must regulate beaver trapping because if too many beavers are harvested, the beaver will become extinct.