Which term means a resource that cannot be replenished by natural processes?

Which term means a resource that cannot be replenished by natural processes?

• A. Nonrenewable resource
• B. Renewable resource
• C. Biodiversity
• D. ATP

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is whether a resource can be replenished by natural processes. A resource that cannot be replenished on a human timescale is nonrenewable. These resources exist in finite amounts and form very slowly, so once they’re used, they aren’t replaced quickly enough to meet ongoing demand. Fossil fuels and many minerals are classic examples. By contrast, renewable resources are replenished naturally or through management, such as sunlight, wind, and sustainably grown forests. Biodiversity is about the variety of life in ecosystems, not a category of renewal for a resource. ATP is a cellular energy molecule that is continually recycled within organisms, not a resource type defined by renewal on ecological timescales.

The concept being tested is whether a resource can be replenished by natural processes. A resource that cannot be replenished on a human timescale is nonrenewable. These resources exist in finite amounts and form very slowly, so once they’re used, they aren’t replaced quickly enough to meet ongoing demand. Fossil fuels and many minerals are classic examples. By contrast, renewable resources are replenished naturally or through management, such as sunlight, wind, and sustainably grown forests. Biodiversity is about the variety of life in ecosystems, not a category of renewal for a resource. ATP is a cellular energy molecule that is continually recycled within organisms, not a resource type defined by renewal on ecological timescales.