Our environment physical resources-air ,water and …

Water, air, and soil are three natural resources that we cannot live without. The Forest Service strives to protect, maintain, and restore these valuable assets now and into the future. Water is one of the most important natural resources flowing from forests. The Forest Service manages the largest single source of water in U.S., with about one-fifth originating from 193 million acres of land which provides drinking water to 180 million people every day. Soil provides nutrients, water, oxygen and heat to natural land areas. Understanding the ability and capacity of soil to support an ecosystem plays an important role in land management decisions. Air is a third critical resource for humans, plants, animals and all other organisms within a natural area. Air must be monitored in order to control and lower pollution levels, control smoke caused by wildland fires, and to monitor air quality. The Forest Service monitors the effects of air pollution that may impair visibility, harm human health, injure trees and other plants, acidify or cause unnatural fertilization of streams and lakes, leach nutrients from soils, and degrade cultural resources, like archeological sites and historical buildings. Forest activities that can affect air quality such as prescribed burning, ski areas, and mining are also monitored to ensure compliance with air regulations for human health and to monitor possible impacts to natural resources.