Virginia Resources

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Virginia Resources

• SOL 4.8

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SOL 4.8 The student will investigate and
understand important Virginia natural resources

• Watershed and water resources
• Animals and plants
• Minerals, rocks, ores, and energy sources and
• Forests, soil, and land

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Virginia Resources

• Virginia is rich in a wide variety of natural
  resources including forests, farmable land, coal,
  sand and rocks, wildlife and aquatic organisms,
  clean water and air, and beautiful scenery.

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Virginia Forests

• Forests are a widespread resource in
  Virginia. They provide thousands of wood
  products, provide habitat for wildlife, and help
  cleanse the air.

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Virginia Farm Land- Plants

• Virginia farms produce a wide variety of
  products. These include tobacco, peanuts,
  cotton, soybeans, and corn.

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Virginia Farm Land-Plants

• Soybeans are used for oil, animal feed, ink,
  crayons, and as a source of protein in many foods.

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Virginia Farm Land- Aquatic

• Virginia fishermen harvest oysters, blue crab,
  and millions of pounds of fish!

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Virginia Farm Land-Animals

• Chickens are Virginias most valuable
  agricultural product, and Virginia hams and pork
  products are famous around the world! Only hams
  produced in Smithfield, VA can be called
  Smithfield hams.

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Virginia Farm Land-Animals

• Virginia has 1.7 million head of cattle. Beef
  is the second leading commodity in the
  commonwealth. Dairy cows provide Virginias
  third largest commodity.

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Virginia Soil

• Pamunkey soil is the state soil of Virginia.
  The James River crosses the entire state and
  carries soil from all areas, which it deposits on
  what are called the flood plains, or low -lying
  areas. These soils are made up of sediments from
  all over the state.

James River
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Virginia Soil

• The soil is called Pamunkey soil after the
  Pamunkey River, which in turn was named after an
  Indian tribe that lives along the river to this
  day.

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Virginia Soil

• Pamunkey soils were first identified on a farm
  near Jamestown, VA which is known as the oldest
  tilled farm in the United States.

Pamunkey River
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Virginia Coal

• Virginia coal is a sedimentary rock made from
  the compaction of ancient plant material. It is
  known as a fossil fuel. It provides heat and
  energy.

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Virginia Coal

• The first coal mines in Virginia were
  developed in the early 1700s, as the Richmond
  area was settled by European immigrants.

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Virginia Coal

• Now much of Virginias coal is mined in the
  Appalachian Plateau and is shipped by train to
  power plants on the Ohio River, or to three major
  ports -Charleston, South Carolina, Norfolk, or
  Newport News.

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Virginia Coal

• Short trips are less expensive, and for the
  mines in far southwestern Virginia near
  Cumberland Gap, Charleston is closer than the two
  Virginia ports.

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Virginia Minerals

• Virginias mineral resources include
  limestone, granite, and sand and gravel, as well
  as coal.

Limestone
Granite
Sand and Gravel
Coal
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Virginia Minerals

• Limestone and Granite are used for
  construction purposes.

Limestone
Granite
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Virginia Minerals

• Sand and gravel have also been used as
  construction materials in concrete, road base,
  and as fill.

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Virginia Watersheds

• A watershed is an area over which surface
  water (and the materials it carries) flows to a
  single collection place. The Chesapeake Bay
  watershed covers approximately half of Virginias
  land area.

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Virginia Watersheds

• The other two major watershed systems are the
  Gulf of Mexico and the North Carolina Sounds.

North Carolina Sounds
Gulf of Mexico
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Virginia Watersheds

• Virginias water resources include
  groundwater, lakes, reservoirs, rivers, bays and
  the Atlantic Ocean

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Virginia Resources

• Virginias soil and land support a great
  variety of life, provide space for many economic
  activities, and offer a variety of recreational
  opportunities.

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End