Showing posts with label ancient history. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ancient history. Show all posts

Monday, 30 January 2023

13. Animal Husbandry and its Importance

Animal Husbandry

Definition:

    Animal husbandry is the agriculture department worried about animals raised for meat, fiber, milk, or different merchandise. It includes routine care, selective breeding, and the elevating of cattle.



Simple Introduction:

    Husbandry has an extended history, beginning with the Neolithic Revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, predating farming of the primary vegetation. By the point of early civilizations along with ancient Egypt, livestock, sheep, goats, and pigs were being raised on farms.



Ancient History:

    In historical Egypt, farm animals have been the most crucial farm animals, and sheep, goats, and pigs have been additionally saved; chickens which include geese, ducks, and pigeons became captured in nets and bred on farms, in which they have been force-fed with dough to fatten them. The Nile furnished an ample source of fish. Honey bees have been domesticated from as a minimum the antique state, providing honey and wax. In historic Rome, all the farm animals recognized in historical Egypt were to be had. In addition, rabbits were domesticated for food by using the primary century BC. To assist in flushing them out from their burrows, the polecat changed into domesticated as the ferret, its use described through Pliny the Elder.

Medieval husbandry:

    In northern Europe, agriculture and animal husbandry declined while the Roman empire collapsed. Some factors consisting of the herding of animals continued during this period. By the eleventh century, the economic system had recovered and the geographical region changed again effectively. The Domesday ebook recorded every parcel of land and each animal in England: "there was no longer one unmarried cover, nor a backyard of land, nay, moreover ... Now not even an ox, nor a cow, nor a swine became there left, that became now not set down in writ." as an instance, the royal manor of Earley in Berkshire, one in all heaps of villages recorded in the e-book, had in 1086 "2 fisheries well worth 7s and 6d and 20 acres of meadow. Forest for 70 pigs." The enhancements of animal husbandry inside the medieval length in Europe went hand in hand with different tendencies. Upgrades to the plow allowed the soil to be tilled to an extra depth. Horses took over from oxen as the principal vendors of traction, new thoughts on crop rotation have been advanced and the developing of crops for winter fodder received ground. Peas, beans, and vetches became commonplace; they accelerated soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, permitting more livestock to be kept.

Modern History:

    Because the 18th century, humans have come to be increasingly more involved approximately the welfare of farm animals, and laws and standards are extensively enforced in reaction. In terms of lifestyle, animal husbandry frequently has an idyllic photo, offered in youngsters’ books and songs, wherein glad animals stay in the pretty countryside. A similar picture can be projected by petting farms and through ancient farms that provide farm remains to pay site visitors.

Role of Animal Husbandry in Human welfare:

  • Dairy merchandise-generating animals like cows, sheep, and goats are the essential sources of milk and milk products which include butter, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, and many others.
  • Many animals along with hens, goats, ducks, pigs, and buffaloes are used for their meat because of their exceptionally nutritious fee.
  • Farm animals are used to govern the increase of weeds on agricultural land because the dry shrubs which can be vulnerable to fire are eaten up by using diverse animals. This reduces the danger and damage that may be confronted with unparalleled situations. So, it is critical for land control.
  • Wool and leather are fiber-using products from animals like sheep and camels. While these animals are reared in great quantity, the products may be obtained in large part too.
  • The significance of animal husbandry also lies in the fact that the excreta, bones, and blood of animals can be used as manure or fertilizers via composting. Those can be unfolded on fields to decorate crop yield.
  • Animals are useful for plowing fields, military functions, and transporting items from one vicinity to other. Example: Horse, yak, and donkey.

Types of Animal Husbandry:

  1. Poultry Farming
  2. Dairy Farming
  3. Aquatic Farming
  4. Bee Farming



Importance of Animal Husbandry:

  • Animal rearing is critical for humans as they reap a wide range of meals and merchandise with excessive nutrient values. They meet the industrial requirements of excessive calls for meals together with dairy needs from cows, goats, and buffaloes. They are known as milch animals as they provide us with milk which is complete with protein and other nutrients and minerals.
  • The importance of animal husbandry extends to another set of animals that are important to human beings for eggs and meat together with hens, ducks, geese, goats, fish, and many others. They may be additionally bred for beef that's rich in protein, iron, fats, vitamin B12, and Zinc. These vitamins are crucial to beautify metabolic rate, sell fullness, and decreasing starvation. Marine animals like fish also are believed to keep a person happier and healthier as those have Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin d.
  • Animal husbandry is a big-scale commercial enterprise that looks after the control and breeding of animals  A farm or a selected location is built for supplying refuge, meals, and assignment culturing techniques. It additionally involves apiculture i.e. Bee agriculture and aquaculture i.e. Marine animal culturing.

References:

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12. Environmental sciences and its Importance

 Environmental Sciences

Definition:

Environmental technological know-how is an interdisciplinary academic field that attracts ecology, geology, meteorology, biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics to look at environmental troubles and human impacts on the environment.


    By visiting this video link you can easily understand further detail about Environmental Sciences(1)

History

Ancient History:

The historic situation for environmental problems is nicely documented in files around the sector. Ancient civilizations have been specifically worried about what is now known as environmental technological know-how insofar as it is associated with agriculture and herbal sources. Students believe that early hobby in the environment started around 6000 BCE while historic civilizations in Israel and Jordan collapsed due to deforestation. As a result, in 2700 BCE the primary legislation limiting deforestation changed into installed in Mesopotamia. Two hundred years later, in 2500 BCE, a network residing in the Indus River Valley determined the nearby river system on the way to enhance sanitation. This concerned manipulating the go with the flow of water to account for public health. In the Western Hemisphere, numerous ancient primary American town-states collapsed around 1500 BCE because of soil erosion from intensive agriculture.

        The ones remaining from these civilizations took a greater interest in the effect of farming practices on the sustainability of the land and its stable meal production. Moreover, in 1450 BCE the Minoan civilization on the Greek island of Crete declined due to deforestation and the resulting environmental degradation of herbal resources. Pliny the Elder particularly addressed the environmental worries of historical civilizations in the textual content Naturalis Historia, written between 77 and 79 ACE, which supplied a top-level view of many related subsets of the area.

Even though battle and disorder have been the number one concern in historic society, environmental issues performed a critical role in the survival and power of different civilizations. As greater communities recognized the significance of the herbal world to their long-term fulfillment, an interest in reading about the environment got here into existence.

Modern History:

        Many niche disciplines of environmental science have emerged through the years, although climatology is one of the most recognized topics. In the reason that 2000s, environmental scientists have targeted modeling the results of weather trade and encouraging global cooperation to minimize capability damages. In 2002, the Society for the surroundings as well as the Institute of Air excellent management was founded to share expertise and broaden answers around the sector. Later, in 2008, the UK have become the first USA to bypass legislation (the weather exchange Act) that pursuits to reduce carbon dioxide output to a specified threshold. In 2016 the Kyoto Protocol became the Paris Agreement, which sets concrete goals to lessen greenhouse fuel emissions and restricts Earth’s upward push in temperature to a 2 degrees Celsius maximum. The agreement is one of the maximum expansive worldwide efforts to limit the results of worldwide warming to this point.

        Most environmental disasters in this period involve crude oil pollutants or the results of rising temperatures. In 2010, BP turned into liable for the most important American oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon spill, which killed a number of the agency's employees and launched large amounts of crude oil into the water. Moreover, this century, tons of the world have been ravaged by sizable wildfires and water shortages, prompting policies for the sustainable use of natural resources as decided with the aid of environmental scientists.

        The twenty-first century is marked by sizable technological improvements. New technology in environmental science has transformed how researchers accumulate records approximately diverse topics within the field. Studies in engines, gas performance, and reducing emissions from motors since the instances of the commercial Revolution have decreased the amount of carbon and other pollutants in the surroundings. Furthermore, investment in getting to know and developing clean power (i.e. Wind, sun, hydroelectric, and geothermal electricity) has significantly improved in the latest years, indicating the beginnings of the divestment from fossil fuel use. Geographic records structures (GIS) are used to examine assets of air or water pollutants through satellites and virtual imagery evaluation. This era lets in for advanced farming techniques like precision agriculture as well as monitoring water utilization to set marketplace prices. Inside the area of water satisfaction, advanced traces of herbal and artificial bacteria contribute to bioremediation, the remedy of wastewater for destiny use. This method is greener and less expensive than guide cleanup or remedy of wastewater. Most substantially, the enlargement of pc technology has allowed for big records collection, advanced analysis, historic archives, public recognition of environmental issues, and international scientific communication.

Goals of Environmental Sciences:

  • To learn how the natural world works.
  • To recognize how people interact with their surroundings.
  • To locate methods to deal with environmental problems and live more sustainably.

Scope of Environmental Sciences:

  • Industries: Industries want to expose compliance with several environmental norms. For this reason, environment experts are needed to manual the industries for adopting clean technology,  controlling pollutants, disposing of wastes,  and wearing out environmental audits.
  • Consultancy:  Environment consultancies are employed using governments, industries,  and  NGOs for wearing out extraordinary sorts of laboratory-primarily based analyses or field-based research,  which are regularly required in environmental effect assessment  (EIA)  and other compliance approaches.
  • Research and development  (R&D):  R&D  opportunities in this location consist of studying special styles of pollution and their causes and consequences. It also includes the improvement of smooth and green technology for the future.  Scientists,  researchers,  and  analysts  are  some  of  the not-unusual career  profiles,
  • Academics:  Environmental science is taught at almost every level of education, that is,  from school to university level.  A  large number of teachers or academicians are required to fulfill this need.
  • Green marketing:  Skilled manpower is required to promote eco-friendly products in the market. Environmental quality certifications like ISO-14000  are also being incorporated into a marketing strategy—this creates additional career opportunities.
  • Green media: To generate awareness about the environment, there is an immense need for skilled manpower in the field of print and electronic media.  Several magazines and newspapers regularly publish articles on environmental themes, for example, Down to Earth, a  magazine published by the Centre for  Science and  Environment.
  • Green advocacy:  Environmental lawyers are emerging as major players in ensuring the proper implementation of environmental norms, laws,  and programs.  Public  Interest  Litigation  (PIL)  empowers a common man to fight against any anti-environment activity.



Importance of Environmental Sciences:

  1. The environment belongs to all dwelling beings and accordingly is crucial for all. Each one is suffering from environmental problems like global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, dwindling wooded area, power resources, loss of global biodiversity, and so forth.
  2. Environment study deals with the analysis of the techniques in water, air, land, soil, and organisms that cause pollution or degrade the environment. It helps us to set up a general for a secure, smooth, and healthful natural atmosphere.
  3. It additionally offers essential issues like safe and smooth consuming water, hygienic dwelling conditions and easy and fresh air, fertility of the land, healthful food, and development.
  4. Sustainable environmental law, environmental protection, control, and environmental engineering are emerging as dimensions in environmental protection and control.



References:

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Saturday, 28 January 2023

10. Forestry

 Forestry:

Definition:

    The forestry profession includes the science and practice of establishing, managing, using, and conserving forests, trees, and related resources sustainably to fulfill desired goals, needs, and values.



By visiting this link you can easily understand the career and scope of forestry: 1

Ancient history:

At least 750,000 years ago, Homo erectus was thought to have used wood for fire. The Kalambo Falls site in Tanzania contains the earliest indication of the use of timber for building, which dates to about 60,000 years ago. Scattered trees along riverbanks were used just like they are today: for fuel, construction, and handles for tools. These early structured towns were situated along streams that flowed across the dry regions of India, Pakistan, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. The Hebrew Bible's authors frequently discuss the use of wood. Images of the wooden plow and other wooden instruments being used to prepare the soil for sowing can be seen in Egyptian tombs. Wooden boats were constructed by carpenters and shipbuilders as early as 2700 BCE.

The Romans were very interested in trees and brought tree seedlings from all over the Mediterranean and Germany, creating groves that were similar to those in Carthage, Lebanon, and other places. When the Roman Empire fell, conservation efforts in the Mediterranean region came to an end, and unrestricted sheep and goat grazing, fires, and cutting, which led to the devastation of the forests, returned. In turn, this led to significant soil erosion, the silting of streams and harbors, and the transformation of the forest into the maquis, a scrubby brush cover.

The modern development in the field of Forestry:

Formal education in forestry began about 1825 when private forestry schools were established. These were the outgrowth of the old master schools such as Cotta Master School, which developed into the forestry college at Tharandt—one of the leading forestry schools in Germany. The National School of Forestry was established in Nancy, France, in 1825.

German foresters had such a strong reputation in the 19th century that they were employed throughout the majority of continental European nations. Early American foresters received their education in European institutions, including the famed conservationist Gifford Pinchot. The philosophy of responsible control, however, had to struggle against timber traders looking for rapid riches. In China, although woods originally covered over 30% of the country's area, decades of overlogging, overgrazing, and fires have brought this proportion to a low of only about 7%. China has made significant efforts to improve land usage, including the building of reservoirs and a massive program of forest planting that expanded wooded areas to 20% by 2015.

Occurrence and distribution:

Closed forests of broad-leaved and coniferous species and open forests or savannas encompass around 4,000,000,000 hectares or about one-third of the world's total land area. Because different tree species have different traits, local factors largely affect the type and distribution of forests around the world. There is an odd alliance of trees and other vegetation that is best suited to compete with other plants for that site for each combination of temperature, rainfall, and soil. With forest along streams and scatted single trees or tiny groves, the open forest is typically a tropical grassland that has been disturbed by fire. Closed thorn forests frequently surround savannahs.

In particular, in heavily populated areas, trees outside of areas designated as forestland, such as those in windbreaks, along rights-of-way, or around farm fields, are valuable resources. For instance, farmers in Rwanda maintain woodlots and pastures with trees on about 20% of the country's farmland. The aggregate area of the nation's natural forests, state plantations, and municipal plantations is greater than these dispersed tree areas. Over 90% of the farms in Kenya's Kakamega District have scattered trees that are kept trimmed for fuelwood and animal fodder. Even in France, where wood for fuel is not commonly used, trees outside of forests cover over 883,000 hectares.

Importance of Forestry:



1. It is bringing back forests:

Forests used to be cut down and left untended. Currently, 1.7 billion seedlings are planted worldwide on average each year. This translates to six saplings being planted for each tree that is harvested.

2. Maintain water quality:

Watersheds are managed carefully by foresters. These are the places where we get our drinking water, as well as riparian zones, which are the lands that border lakes, rivers, and streams. Foresters in these places place a high priority on protecting the purity of the water. Forests contribute to the natural processes that clean water so that it is safe for us to drink. These processes involve the trees, soil, and microorganisms. The soils that are essential for water retention, filtration, and quality are protected and nurtured by forest cover.

3. Remove air pollution:

A mature tree can take in roughly 13 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. This indicates that a forest removes 1.47 tonnes of carbon dioxide for every tonne of wood it produces.

4. Helps wildlife:

Different methods are used by foresters to help wildlife. For instance, thinning and harvesting foster the development of numerous food sources.

5. Good for soil maintenance:

For the growth and management of forests, forestry professionals and managers of natural resources rely on soils. The ability of foresters to understand soil qualities, match species with soils, and prescribe practices that not only promote forest growth but also increase and protect soil productivity and minimize soil erosion are all essential to successfully growing forests and producing forest products.

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40. Production Technology of Stevia

Stevia  Introduction:      Stevia is a plant species native to South America, particularly Paraguay and Brazil. It is a member of the sunfl...