Topic 6: System and Factors Affecting World Animal Agricultural Structure PDF

System and Factors Affecting World Animal Agricultural Structure  Learning Objectives Learning outcome, you should be able to: – explain the process of adaptation. – list the five major categories of environmental stressors and tell how animals react to them. – desc...

System and Factors Affecting World Animal Agricultural Structure  Learning Objectives Learning outcome, you should be able to: – explain the process of adaptation. – list the five major categories of environmental stressors and tell how animals react to them. – describe the climatic environments of the world. – summarize how climate and natural vegetation are tied together. – explain how social and cultural differences affect agriculture. – integrate information on levels of economic and agricultural development to explain how they are linked.  Introduction To understand how animals are useful to humanity, we must understand the factors that influence where and how animals live. Various social and cultural norms have a tremendous influence on what people value, tolerate, and eat. A successful domesticated species has adapted to its environmental conditions (natural and man- made) and has been of some use to humans.  Adaptation Adaptation is the sum of the adjustments occurring in an organism that promotes its welfare and favors its survival in a specific environment. The environment is all of the combinations of conditions under which an organism must live.  Adaptation Agricultural animals must have the ability to adapt to the natural environment and artificial environment imposed by humans. This ability to adapt to a symbiotic relationship with humans and the stresses imposed by that association is a key to domestication.  Adaptation The natural environment is important because agriculture must always be practiced within its constraints and refers to climate, geography, altitude, feed, and other such factors. The artificial environment to which agricultural animals must is a mixture of factors linked to the economic level and culture of a given society, as well as the steps taken to control the natural environment.  Distribution Stress affects the distribution and utilization of the agricultural animals of the world. The stresses of the natural and/or artificial environment may be classified as: – climatic stresses, – nutritional stresses, – internal stresses, – geographical stresses, – and social stresses.  Type of Stress in Animal Climatic Stress – Stress related to long-time pattern of meteorological factors which determined such weather as immediate condition in a given area. – The most important parameters affecting animal comfort and performance: ambient temperature precipitation solar radiation relative humidity and, wind  Nutritional Stress – Stress related to the quantity and quality of available feedstuffs and are usually determined by climatic conditions such as temperature and rainfall.  Internal Stress – These are the stresses that affect an individual animal by gaining entrance into the body; common internal stresses are pathogens and toxins.  Geographical Stress – These are the nonclimatic stresses associated with a particular geographic location including altitude and the terrain.  Social Stress - These are stresses associated with the interactions of an animal with other animals including those within the same species; the most important social stresses are associated with humans.  Artificial Environments Humans create artificial environments to make animals best serve us, and the specific nature of the artificial environment depends on the service demanded from the animals. This service is usually the maximum production of some useful product such as food or body covering but can also include work, transportation, or religion.  Artificial Environments Pandas at Zoo Negara within their artificial environment  Adaptive Changes The adjustments (changes) that occur in individual animals adapt to specific environments are of three types: – Morphological or anatomical changes are changes in form and structure. – Physiological changes are primarily changes in the biochemistry of the body. – Behavioural changes can be genetically induced behaviours or learned responses to the environment. Morphological adaptation Morphological adaptation is a structural change which gives an organism a greater chance of survival in its habitat. Eg: desert animals; fennex fox and camel, flying animals; bats etc. Physical adaptations Camouflage: shape, colour or pattern that helps an organism blend in with the environment Protective colouration: color blends with environment, eg: snow animals Protective resemblance: match the shape,colour and texture of environment,eg: walking stick insect Behavioural adaptation The way an animal acts that helps them survive in their particular ecosystem. Eg: wolf; they are a pack that helps them hunt and protect each other.  Climatic Environments of the World Tropical Climates – Tropical climates are located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. – The major climatic variation from season to season in the tropics is the amount and distribution of rainfall. – The tropical climates are classified into humid and subhumid areas based on the length of the rainy season.  Climatic Environments of the World Tropical Climates – The humid tropics are covered in dense rain forests and are only slightly used for agriculture. Major problems exist with any attempt to produce agricultural animals in these areas including: – extreme heat stress – and diseases and parasites. Diseases and parasites make it difficult to introduce nonadapted animals to grade up local livestock. – The subhumid tropics are the major portions of the tropics used for agriculture.  Climatic Environments of the World Deserts – Two major problems limit livestock production in the semiarid regions of the world. These problems are: seasonal and limited rainfall; and stress caused by the heat. – The semiarid tropics contain parasites and insects but not to the extent of the humid tropics. – Another problem in the drier areas of the world is high winds causing erosion in very dry, overgrazed areas and contributing to desertification.  Climatic Environments of the World Cold Environments – In the world’s cold climates, livestock production is hampered by cold stress and food availability. Temperate Climates – The world’s temperate environments are the most productive agricultural regions of the world. – All developed countries have a temperate climate in at least part of their boundary.  Social and Cultural Differences Religion – Effects of Religion on Agriculture Three of the great religions of the world affect the numbers and utilization of livestock. Islam forbids all contact with swine. Judaism also considers pork unclean and forbids consumption. Under Hinduism the cow is protected and can neither be slaughtered nor sold for slaughter.  Social and Cultural Differences Religion – Food and Religion Some religious law dictates selection and judgment of the quality of food before the gods will approve it. Religious food laws frequently reflect a commonsense approach to the prevention of food contamination and foodborne disease. For instance, halal & kosher food inspection and certification were in place long before modern food inspection.  Social and Cultural Differences Levels of Agricultural Development – The three levels of agricultural development are developed, subsistence, and primitive. – The livestock systems in a developed agriculture are further subdivided. Intensive systems are usually small, labour- intensive farm units. Extensive systems are usually large range units.  Social and Cultural Differences Levels of Agricultural Development – A developed agriculture is usually associated with: A very small proportion (usually less than 10%) of the total population engaged in farming. A highly specialized agriculture in which each unit producing only one or two products. A highly mechanized agriculture with little or no animal or hand labour. A high per capita income and literacy rate for the total population.  Social and Cultural Differences Levels of Agricultural Development – Subsistence agriculture is usually associated with: Approximately half of the total population engaged in farming. Each farm family produces roughly what it consumes with only a small surplus for sale or barter. Little mechanization and much hand and animal labour. A relatively low per capita income and literacy rate for the entire population.  Social and Cultural Differences Levels of Agricultural Development – Primitive agriculture is usually associated with: Almost the entire population involved in producing their own food because no one produces a surplus. Generally a scarcity of food and a low nutritional level. No mechanization and very little animal power is used in farming. Extremely low per capita income and literacy rate for the entire population. System Classification  Commercial Farming Type of activity where the farmers have intention to produce their agricultural fresh produces or/and secondary products for them to sell in the marketplace Big scale commercial farming types include mixed crop and livestock farming, ranching, dairying, and large-scale grain production; mainly practices in developed countries.  Commercial Farming Mixed Crop and Livestock – Most of mixed farm’s income farming comes from sale of its animal – Involves a farm that grows crops products and raises animals Reduces farmer’s dependence on seasonal crops – Most crops grown on mixed Devotes nearly all land to crops farms are used to feed the but 3/4ths of income comes from sale of animal products farm’s animals Provides manure fertilizer for sale as well as goods – Exists widely throughout Europe and Eastern Northern America Usually farms are near large, urban areas – Most mixed farms practice crop rotation  Commercial Plantation Plantation agriculture uses large land holdings and labor-intensive practices to produce a single crop for the commercial market. – Crops include various fruits, coffee, tea, spices, sugar, fiber, cacao, rubber, vegetable-oil products, and tobacco. Most plantations are owned by governments or large corporations; profit is the objective of this system of agriculture.  Urban Agriculture As urbanization of the population of the world continues, many of new city dwellers have brought farming practices with them to their urban/city homes. – With this is a newly developed type of agriculture referred to as urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is practiced in backyards, along roadsides and waterways, on rooftops, and in some public areas; some even practice hydroponics. Livestock integrated fish farming In this integrated farming the excreta of ducks, chicks, pigs and cattle are used directly in ponds to increase plankton production which is consumed by fish or serve as direct food for fish. Cattle-Fish integrated farming For 1 ha pond 5-6 cows can provide adequate manure. A healthy cow excretes over 4,000-5,000 kg dung, 3,500-4,000 litre urine annually. Fish production - 3,000-4,000 kg fish/ha/year Milk production – 9000 litres/Year Poultry-Fish integrated farming Chicken droppings are rich in phosphorus and nitrogen For 1ha fish pond 25,000 chicks can be reared From poultry 90,000 to 1,00,000 eggs and 2500 kg meat can be produced 3000 – 4500 kg of fish is produced Duck-Fish integrated farming Ducks provide a safe environment to fish by consuming juvenile frogs, tadpoles and dragonfly in the pond The duck dropping contain 25 per cent organic and 20 per cent inorganic substances To fertilize 1 ha fish pond number of ducks required is between 100 and 3000  Summary and Conclusion Agricultural animals must adapt to a wide variety of stresses if they are to be of uses to humans. Our domestic animals and improved varieties of plants are influenced by a wide variety of factors, including cultural issues, economic development, and religion. Levels of economic development and economic institutions influence the different levels of agricultural development.  Summary and Conclusion Understanding the various agricultural systems throughout the world gives us better knowledge of our own systems by providing a frame of reference. This understanding assists us in knowing how to help other achieve higher levels of development. Understanding how others live and practice agriculture, given the constraints they are under, offers us an opportunity to appreciate their ways of doing things.