The Effects Of Farming On The Environment Environmental Sciences Essay

The Effects Of Farming On The milieu Environmental Sciences evidenceBy 5000 BC the Sumerians had developed core agricultural techniques including tumid-scale intensive cultivation of land,mono-cropping, organizedirrigation, and the use of a specialized labour force.intensive estate orintensive agricultureis an agricultural dodging that aims to evoke maximum yield from available land. Besides, its in like manner anagriculturalproduction trunk characterized by the proud inputs ofcapital,labour or heavy usage of technologies much(prenominal) aspesticidesand chemicalfertilizersrelative to land area. You could say food is produced in large quantities with the help of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The products much(prenominal) as eggs, meat and umpteen agricultural products available in many an(prenominal) supermarkets are produced victimisation new(a) intensive farming. Intensive farming is practiced widely by many of the developed economies of the world. Sustainab le intensive farming, intensive aquaculture, intensive live stock up farming and managed intensive grazing fall under intensive farming.Environment issues of Intensive FarmingIntensive farming may bring approximately issues to the environment. For instance-Intensive farming includes the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides.It is also associated with overpopulated wolf farms, which are often associated with pollution and carnal sickness. And even more distressful is the fact that the majority of working farms use intensive farming. This means more chemicals on our plate at each meal.The use of such vast amounts of nitrogen based fertilizers contaminates the area lakes and rivers.Forests are destroyed to create large open fields and this could lead to soil erosion and affects natural habits in the forest.The pesticides sprayed on crops destroy pests, contaminate the crops and kill good insects. Eventually, these chemicals are passed o n to the human beings. The fruits and vegetables bought from farms that promote intensive farming are covered with infrared pesticide. These are not easily washed off. The resi overdue of the pesticide affect the wellness of human beings.Use of pesticides has numerous negative health effects on workers who applied those, people that live nearby the area of application or downstream from it and consumers who eat the pesticides which remain on their food.INTENSIVE FARMING IN MALAYSIALivestock farming in Sabah once seen as backyard farming and send no threat to the environment, but with the rapid development in the breed industry, particularly in monogastric subsector, coupled with rapid expansion of urban and peri-urban area, gunstock farming has befit the critical issue. Excessive origin fluff as a result of intensive farming constitution need to be addressed. Although animal hook can be utilized as a manure to improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, it can als o bugger off environmental hazard if not managed properly. It can fountaind mal feeling or feeling nuisance to environment, surface water contamination, secondary pollution and also spectral sensitivity.Table 1. Estimated Livestock Population of Sabah, 1999SpeciesNumber (Head)Cattle44,837 cow50,741 flunky37,285Sheep1,900Pig100,000Chicken3,400,000Duck113,000Source (Anon.1999b)Livestock SpeciesPopulation extravagance Produce (m.t.) per YearPoultry2.4 millions178,000Duck0.5 millions55,000Pig85,000248,000Cattle/Buffalo97,0001,416,000Goat/Sheep38,00070,000Total1,967,000Source (Mokhtar and Chia, 2000)Table 2. Total blood cosmos and the tempestuouss produced per yearThe rapid growth of the livestock industry nonplusd on environmental problem-related to the livestock waste generated from the intensive farming system. Livestock waste generated from an capacious or semi extensive farming system does not look to cause any major environmental problem as shown in table 2, cattle or bu ffalo wastes amount to 1.4 million metric unit ton compare to pig wastes about 248,000 metric ton. The problem is kick upstairs aggravated with the rapid development of the urban and peri-urban area where most of the livestock farms are situated. The total livestock population and the waste produced per year for selected animal is illustrated in Table 2.Environmental problems cause by livestock farmingWater PollutionMain environmental problem cause by livestock farming is water pollution, according to The Malaysian Environmental feel Report, 12 rivers in the state were polluted with ammoniac nitrogen (NH3-N) due to livestock farming and domestic wastes in 1997. Water pollution cause by livestock farming occurred due to malfunction of waste lagune or accidentally spill over from flooded lagoon or deliberate flushing of wastes directly into river system. Water may turn reddish embrown and may destroy the fragile ecosystem. Pollution from nutrients contained in animal manure, name ly phosphorous and nitrogen is one of the most serious problems, leading to excess algae growth, robbing water of oxygen which may lead to mass close of fish. advertise pollutionThe anaerobic decomposition of stored animal wastes generates various evaporable metabolic compounds of which a dozen contributes to odour, in particular hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia. These can cause continuous source of strong, persistent and unreasonably worthless hog/poultry odours. The resulting of air pollution is interfering with surrounding areas. Air pollution in the form of ammonia nitrogen can cause respiratory illness in the neighborhood up to two miles international from the site.Potential source of diseasesBeside serious environmental problem, animal waste also may become a source of various diseases such as infectious worm larvae hatched from the worm eggs passed out with the stool contamination encrusted with organic matter is an ideal breeding undercoat of harmful bacteria. Arthr opods such as flies, lice, fleas that are attracted by animal waste may trigger outbreak of infectious diseases, because they are the vectors to transmit diseases such as viruses, rickettsiae, protozoa and helminthes.WAYS TO PREVENTThere are several(prenominal) ways to prevent Environmental problems cause by livestock farming, fr instance-To minimize environment problem caused by pig waste there should be proper animal waste management system such as improving the housing adopting by the Pit recharge System and Concrete Floor unit.The adoption of the Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBBR) with an Automation, which is waste water treatment system with the function of stirring, aeration and settling.To reduce the odour emitted from farm, a close housing system with regulated ventilation is used. Thats mean, by using high efficiency fans at one end of the building unfermented air is sucked ion from outside environment passing through the cooling keep ones nose to the grindstone to reduce t he temperature before being delivered into the building.Livestock Farming Rules, 2001. In the lag the Department of Veterinary Services and living creature Industry is well awake of the need to control and rectify irregularities in the livestock farming practices. secondary on this, Livestock Farming Rules, 2000 (Draft) was introduced. This regulation was created under the existing Animal Ordinance 1962 (Amended 1998). Under this legislation, all livestock farms shall be operated under the have of Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry, Sabah (DOVSAI).CONCLUSIONIntensive farming orintensive agricultureis an agricultural system characterized by the high inputs ofcapital,labour or heavy usage of technologies such aspesticidesand chemicalfertilizersrelative to land area. Intensive farming is practiced widely by many of the developed economies of the world. However, it may bring disadvantages to our environment.Livestock farming has become the critical issue. The rap id growth of the livestock industry in Sabah caused on environmental problem-related to the livestock waste generated from the intensive farming system. Excessive livestock waste as a result of intensive farming system need to be addressed. If not managed properly, it can caused malodour or odour nuisance to environment, surface water contamination, secondary pollution and also religious sensitivity.RERERENCEShttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_farminghttp//www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-for-intensive-farming.htmlhttp//www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-for-intensive-farming.htmlhttp//www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5019e/y5019e0l.htmhttp//kb.rspca.org.au/RSPCA-Policy-B2-Intensive-farming-practices_165.htmlhttp//www.sabah.gov.my/jpas/news/SITE/SITEppr12.pdfWater pollution in a country stream due to farming activity APPENDIXCUsersEnd_UserPicturesuntitled.bmpphoto06.jpgPesticides driftThe use of pesticides in agricultureCUsersEnd_UserDesktopimage.jpg