Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems

Homo sapiens is the world's most successful species, filling a niche which reaches from the polar regions to tropical islands. The four basic categories of human ecological nice -- hunting and gathering, pastoralism, traditional agriculture, and industrial agriculture -- are described, and the role of biosphere reserves in maintaining and enchancing these systems is discussed. The first three systems still have much to contribute to human welfare if they are allowed to continue, biosphere reserves provide an ideal mechanism for ensuring their survival. Industrial agriculture has supported a considerable increase in human population. However, it is very expensive in energy terms, often consuming about ten times the energy (in caloric terms) that it produces. Should the energy subsidy of modern agriculture be withdrawn, or become so expensive that it can no longer be a significant factor in the human ecosystem, we may have either a new "golden age" based on sustainable sources of energy and sustainable agro-ecosystems or else a total breakdown of industrial agriculture with a return to traditional ways of life (and traditional population levels?). No matter what happens, biosphere reserves can play an important role in developing sustainable human ecosystems. If a golden age is to come, which is clearly the option of choice, then science must focus on developing new ways and means of controlling agricultural pests, producing fertilizers, and developing sustainable cropping systems. Biosphere reserves can be the site of genetic resource conservation, research on new agro-ecosystems, and experimentation on sustainable human ecosystems. Sicen traditional human ecosystems can provide important insights into sustainability of resource use, biosphere reserves where traditional people continue to flourish will be important sources of information for the maintenance of sustainable systems.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: 92543 McNEELY, J.A., 1187 UNESCO, París (Francia), 15962 PNUMA, Nairobi (Kenia), 31511 1. International Biosphere Reserve Congress Minsk, Byelorussia (URSS) 26 Set - 2 Oct 1983
Format: biblioteca
Published: (URSS) 1984
Subjects:POBLACION HUMANA, RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA,
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id KOHA-OAI-BVE:60462
record_format koha
institution IICA
collection Koha
country Costa Rica
countrycode CR
component Bibliográfico
access En linea
databasecode cat-sibiica
tag biblioteca
region America Central
libraryname Sistema de Bibliotecas IICA/CATIE
topic POBLACION HUMANA
RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA
POBLACION HUMANA
RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA
spellingShingle POBLACION HUMANA
RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA
POBLACION HUMANA
RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA
92543 McNEELY, J.A.
1187 UNESCO, París (Francia)
15962 PNUMA, Nairobi (Kenia)
31511 1. International Biosphere Reserve Congress Minsk, Byelorussia (URSS) 26 Set - 2 Oct 1983
Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
description Homo sapiens is the world's most successful species, filling a niche which reaches from the polar regions to tropical islands. The four basic categories of human ecological nice -- hunting and gathering, pastoralism, traditional agriculture, and industrial agriculture -- are described, and the role of biosphere reserves in maintaining and enchancing these systems is discussed. The first three systems still have much to contribute to human welfare if they are allowed to continue, biosphere reserves provide an ideal mechanism for ensuring their survival. Industrial agriculture has supported a considerable increase in human population. However, it is very expensive in energy terms, often consuming about ten times the energy (in caloric terms) that it produces. Should the energy subsidy of modern agriculture be withdrawn, or become so expensive that it can no longer be a significant factor in the human ecosystem, we may have either a new "golden age" based on sustainable sources of energy and sustainable agro-ecosystems or else a total breakdown of industrial agriculture with a return to traditional ways of life (and traditional population levels?). No matter what happens, biosphere reserves can play an important role in developing sustainable human ecosystems. If a golden age is to come, which is clearly the option of choice, then science must focus on developing new ways and means of controlling agricultural pests, producing fertilizers, and developing sustainable cropping systems. Biosphere reserves can be the site of genetic resource conservation, research on new agro-ecosystems, and experimentation on sustainable human ecosystems. Sicen traditional human ecosystems can provide important insights into sustainability of resource use, biosphere reserves where traditional people continue to flourish will be important sources of information for the maintenance of sustainable systems.
format
topic_facet POBLACION HUMANA
RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA
author 92543 McNEELY, J.A.
1187 UNESCO, París (Francia)
15962 PNUMA, Nairobi (Kenia)
31511 1. International Biosphere Reserve Congress Minsk, Byelorussia (URSS) 26 Set - 2 Oct 1983
author_facet 92543 McNEELY, J.A.
1187 UNESCO, París (Francia)
15962 PNUMA, Nairobi (Kenia)
31511 1. International Biosphere Reserve Congress Minsk, Byelorussia (URSS) 26 Set - 2 Oct 1983
author_sort 92543 McNEELY, J.A.
title Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
title_short Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
title_full Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
title_fullStr Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
title_full_unstemmed Biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
title_sort biosphere reserves and human ecosystems
publisher (URSS)
publishDate 1984
work_keys_str_mv AT 92543mcneelyja biospherereservesandhumanecosystems
AT 1187unescoparisfrancia biospherereservesandhumanecosystems
AT 15962pnumanairobikenia biospherereservesandhumanecosystems
AT 315111internationalbiospherereservecongressminskbyelorussiaurss26set2oct1983 biospherereservesandhumanecosystems
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spelling KOHA-OAI-BVE:604622020-02-03T21:26:33ZBiosphere reserves and human ecosystems 92543 McNEELY, J.A. 1187 UNESCO, París (Francia) 15962 PNUMA, Nairobi (Kenia) 31511 1. International Biosphere Reserve Congress Minsk, Byelorussia (URSS) 26 Set - 2 Oct 1983 (URSS)1984Homo sapiens is the world's most successful species, filling a niche which reaches from the polar regions to tropical islands. The four basic categories of human ecological nice -- hunting and gathering, pastoralism, traditional agriculture, and industrial agriculture -- are described, and the role of biosphere reserves in maintaining and enchancing these systems is discussed. The first three systems still have much to contribute to human welfare if they are allowed to continue, biosphere reserves provide an ideal mechanism for ensuring their survival. Industrial agriculture has supported a considerable increase in human population. However, it is very expensive in energy terms, often consuming about ten times the energy (in caloric terms) that it produces. Should the energy subsidy of modern agriculture be withdrawn, or become so expensive that it can no longer be a significant factor in the human ecosystem, we may have either a new "golden age" based on sustainable sources of energy and sustainable agro-ecosystems or else a total breakdown of industrial agriculture with a return to traditional ways of life (and traditional population levels?). No matter what happens, biosphere reserves can play an important role in developing sustainable human ecosystems. If a golden age is to come, which is clearly the option of choice, then science must focus on developing new ways and means of controlling agricultural pests, producing fertilizers, and developing sustainable cropping systems. Biosphere reserves can be the site of genetic resource conservation, research on new agro-ecosystems, and experimentation on sustainable human ecosystems. Sicen traditional human ecosystems can provide important insights into sustainability of resource use, biosphere reserves where traditional people continue to flourish will be important sources of information for the maintenance of sustainable systems.Homo sapiens is the world's most successful species, filling a niche which reaches from the polar regions to tropical islands. The four basic categories of human ecological nice -- hunting and gathering, pastoralism, traditional agriculture, and industrial agriculture -- are described, and the role of biosphere reserves in maintaining and enchancing these systems is discussed. The first three systems still have much to contribute to human welfare if they are allowed to continue, biosphere reserves provide an ideal mechanism for ensuring their survival. Industrial agriculture has supported a considerable increase in human population. However, it is very expensive in energy terms, often consuming about ten times the energy (in caloric terms) that it produces. Should the energy subsidy of modern agriculture be withdrawn, or become so expensive that it can no longer be a significant factor in the human ecosystem, we may have either a new "golden age" based on sustainable sources of energy and sustainable agro-ecosystems or else a total breakdown of industrial agriculture with a return to traditional ways of life (and traditional population levels?). No matter what happens, biosphere reserves can play an important role in developing sustainable human ecosystems. If a golden age is to come, which is clearly the option of choice, then science must focus on developing new ways and means of controlling agricultural pests, producing fertilizers, and developing sustainable cropping systems. Biosphere reserves can be the site of genetic resource conservation, research on new agro-ecosystems, and experimentation on sustainable human ecosystems. Sicen traditional human ecosystems can provide important insights into sustainability of resource use, biosphere reserves where traditional people continue to flourish will be important sources of information for the maintenance of sustainable systems.POBLACION HUMANARESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA