86 Ecology and Applied Environmental Science
impact began to be significant when fire, man’s first technological achievement, was discovered. Palaeolithic hunters began to exert intense pressure on
the natural ecosystems. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the use of fire,
with the purpose of scaring off or trapping prey, laid bare the primary forests
in the areas where human populations developed. Later, fire and axe became
the tools for extended deforestation by nomad shepherds with the purpose
of creating pastures or expansion of open areas where the wild herbivorous
animals develop better. Those activities coincide with a significant decrease
of the wild fauna in the corresponding areas, and many species, especially
large mammals and birds, disappeared, hunted by Palaeolithic man.
Systematic intervention to the natural environment began during the
Neolithic era, 8000–10,000 years ago, when man settled in a certain
location and started agricultural exploitation. The successive technological inventions led to the agricultural revolution. The invention of pottery
rendered product storing possible, and at the same time paved the road
for metallurgic techniques. Domestication of certain herbivorous animals
enabled the development of livestock farming and necessitated the conversion of large stretches of land to pastures. The development of agriculture
and livestock farming led to the extinction of lowland forests in almost all
the regions of Earth, because they were turned to agricultural areas. The
thoughtless exploitation of the lands brought about erosion and desertification in many cases. The increase of available food quantities enabled a significant demographic increase, which in turn caused further expansion of
cultivations and pastures to the detriment of the natural environment. The
necessary land became available through the natural ecosystems retreat
and the substitution of primary vegetation in very large areas.
As centuries went by, the performance of agricultural techniques
improved; as a result, the necessary for nutrition per capita land surface
decreased. However, agricultural production was expanding in every available space due to various historical developments, mainly because of the
human population increase. The cultivation of marginal lands, deforestation of areas with a marked relief or vulnerable soil, unsuitable irrigation
of friable earth, over-grazing of the natural vegetation and use of fire were
widely applied practices that had disastrous consequences. Even traditional
shifting agriculture caused serious degradation, transforming forests to
savannahs in many areas.
The environmental impacts of the agricultural civilization were significant but did not cause major disturbances to biosphere function. Natural
cycles and the energy flow in the biosphere were not substantially affected;
thus the self-regulating capability of the global environment remained
intact. On the contrary, industrial civilization disturbed the functions of
the biosphere to a great extent and led to destabilization conditions. The
course that began from the end of the 18th century, took shape during the
19th century and reached its peak during the 20th century was associated
impact began to be significant when fire, man’s first technological achievement, was discovered. Palaeolithic hunters began to exert intense pressure on
the natural ecosystems. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the use of fire,
with the purpose of scaring off or trapping prey, laid bare the primary forests
in the areas where human populations developed. Later, fire and axe became
the tools for extended deforestation by nomad shepherds with the purpose
of creating pastures or expansion of open areas where the wild herbivorous
animals develop better. Those activities coincide with a significant decrease
of the wild fauna in the corresponding areas, and many species, especially
large mammals and birds, disappeared, hunted by Palaeolithic man.
Systematic intervention to the natural environment began during the
Neolithic era, 8000–10,000 years ago, when man settled in a certain
location and started agricultural exploitation. The successive technological inventions led to the agricultural revolution. The invention of pottery
rendered product storing possible, and at the same time paved the road
for metallurgic techniques. Domestication of certain herbivorous animals
enabled the development of livestock farming and necessitated the conversion of large stretches of land to pastures. The development of agriculture
and livestock farming led to the extinction of lowland forests in almost all
the regions of Earth, because they were turned to agricultural areas. The
thoughtless exploitation of the lands brought about erosion and desertification in many cases. The increase of available food quantities enabled a significant demographic increase, which in turn caused further expansion of
cultivations and pastures to the detriment of the natural environment. The
necessary land became available through the natural ecosystems retreat
and the substitution of primary vegetation in very large areas.
As centuries went by, the performance of agricultural techniques
improved; as a result, the necessary for nutrition per capita land surface
decreased. However, agricultural production was expanding in every available space due to various historical developments, mainly because of the
human population increase. The cultivation of marginal lands, deforestation of areas with a marked relief or vulnerable soil, unsuitable irrigation
of friable earth, over-grazing of the natural vegetation and use of fire were
widely applied practices that had disastrous consequences. Even traditional
shifting agriculture caused serious degradation, transforming forests to
savannahs in many areas.
The environmental impacts of the agricultural civilization were significant but did not cause major disturbances to biosphere function. Natural
cycles and the energy flow in the biosphere were not substantially affected;
thus the self-regulating capability of the global environment remained
intact. On the contrary, industrial civilization disturbed the functions of
the biosphere to a great extent and led to destabilization conditions. The
course that began from the end of the 18th century, took shape during the
19th century and reached its peak during the 20th century was associated