自然资源问题历来受到人们的重视。本文从人类利用的角度，进一步剖析了自然资源的定义和本质，导出自然资源能否持续利用是资源短缺问题的关键，归纳出造成资源短缺的四个主要原因。最后，以人类活动与地理环境相互作用为出发点，提出资源科学是以自然资源系统为研究对象的学科体系。

Great attention has been paid to the issue of natural resources all along. After further analysing the nature and definition of natural resources,the author deduces that whether the sustained use of natural resources can be made or not is the key to avoiding the scarcity of them and sums up four major reasons which cause the scarcity of natural resources in this paper. namely, physical limits, geo-political aspects, economics and environment. At last. in view of the interaction between human activities and geographical environment,the author point out that resource science is a disciplinary system which takes the system of natural resources as its object of study.