Biotic and Abiotic Natural Resources
There are several ways to classify natural resources, including where they come from and if they are renewable or not. If natural resources come from living things or organic materials, then they are considered biotic resources. Biotic resources include plants, animals, and fossil fuels. The three fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are classified as biotic resources because they were formed from the decay of organic matter over millions of years. On the other hand, abiotic resources originate from nonliving and inorganic materials. For example, air, sunlight, and water are abiotic natural resources. Minerals (gold, copper, iron, diamonds) are also considered abiotic.