#148 The human influences on the ecosystem

The use of modern technology resulted in increased food production.

• Increasing use of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides  à ↑ levels of nutrients in the soil, kill insect pests, kill weeds à ↑ crop yields.

• Use of modern machinery (tractors, combined harvesters) à manage land and crop more efficiently.

• Artificial selection to produce varieties of plants suited to particular climates and soil types, and breeds of animal for specific purposes (optimum meat, milk, wool production).

• Use of yeast and bacteria in the large-scale production of breads, beer and wine, yoghurt and cheese. Single-cell protein and fungi are used to produce meat substitutes.

• Use of medicines such as antibiotics, hormones and artificial insemination techniques in intensive animal rearing.

• Use of plant hormones in plant growing and fruit production.

• Use of genetic engineering and cloning techniques to produce organisms to produce hormones…

• Development of systems to water plants in greenhouses automatically and to grow plants in nutrient solutions (hydroponics).

• Use of satellites to monitor crop development, observe crop diseases and assess the need for additional fertilizer.

• Development of intensive farming and automated feeding mechanisms.