| Preface | vii |
| Acknowledgements | xi |
| 1. The Character of Natural Resources | 1 |
| 2. The Evaluation of Natural Resources | 13 |
| 3. The Increasing Use of Natural Resources | 29 |
| 4. Wind and Water Power | 39 |
| 5. Coal | 59 |
| 6. Oil and Gas | 79 |
| 7. Nuclear Energy | 99 |
| 8. Other Sources of Energy, and Our National Energy Dilemma | 111 |
| 9. Nonfuel Minerals | 125 |
| 10. Water Supply for Industrial and Private Uses | 169 |
| 11. The Nature of Forests and the History of Their Growth | 199 |
| 12. The Management and Use of Forests | 213 |
| 13. The Origin and Depletion of Soil | 237 |
| 14. The Extent of Our Soil Resources | 251 |
| 15. Soil Conservation on Farms and Ranches | 265 |
| 16. The Use of Vegetative Cover in Soil Conservation | 281 |
| 17. Strip Cropping, Contouring and Terracing in Soil Conservation | 299 |
| 18. Crop Rotations and Other Practices in Soil Conservation | 319 |
| 19. The City and Natural Resources | 337 |
| 20. Why Wildlife Is Importand and How to Save It | 359 |
| 21. Providing Wildlife Habitat | 385 |
| 22. Natural Resources from the Seas | 399 |
| 23. The Ecological Approach to Natural Resources | 415 |
| 24. Conservation--Everybody's Opportunity | 431 |
| 25. The Human Body and Natural Resources | 457 |
| 26. Careers in the Environmental Sciences and Conservation | 471 |
| Glossary | 497 |
| Recommended General Sources for Environmental Information | 507 |
| Index | 509 |