The Vital Roles of Bamboo

There is an imperative need not just for Tambopata, but all of Peru to increase its economy and enable the access of basic needs to its citizens. While the area of Tambopata has many arguments for its potential use, sustainable soybean cultivation is the best approach to improve Peruvian infrastructure, economy and future preservation of natural areas.

     Since the beginning of the human race mankind has depended on the natural resources in their environment for survival. They utilized the available flora to nourish their body, heal their wounds, comfort their ailments and to create products to ease their daily lives. Many of the same plants utilized thousands of years ago by the indigenous people have been integrated into modern day medicines. The scientific interest and knowledge of plants for nourishment, healing, and practical uses is called ethnobotany.

Nobody denies that the need for more food grows with the global population. Factory farms seem to be a solution to this problem since they produce mass quantities of food for cheap compared to their organic counterparts, which are forty-seven percent more expensive (Consumer Reports). The factory farming business, however, is not the best way to feed more people since it pollutes the environment. The factory

The first of a series of eight talks as part of Lan Su in Bloom will be given by Varco. This talk will focus on the 1000 year history of many plants at Lan Su that were originally planted due to their significance as symbols and how those plants have been used as botanical motifs throughout the arts in China.

Over the next forty years, global population is expected to reach nine billion people. This increase in population, combined with expected economic growth, will cause an increase in food demanded and inevitably drain the resources we use for food production. So far, agriculture has been able to respond positively to the rising demand for crop and livestock products. However, farmers are already faced with many new challenges associated with feeding an expanding global population. Farmers must now meet strict new emissions requirements and produce more food on fewer acres while minimizing their environmental footprint. The demand for food is expected to grow substantially in the next couple decades. Some of the factors affecting an increase in food demands are population growth, rising incomes of individuals, food supply factors, and biofuels.

The chinampas allowed for the harvesting process to become more efficient allowing for further advancements in society. The chinampas were a great leap in agricultural technology, providing a basis for modern-day aquaponics. Document 2 expresses that they constructed “... an ingenious system for irrigating agriculture called chinampas.”. Chinampas were made of reed frames, approximately seventeen feet long and anywhere from one hundred to three hundred feet wide, anchored to the bottom of the lake. This system regenerated agriculture of the time by greatly increasing production and allowing for the land to be used for other needs.

What are the 5 areas of independent domestication of plants (food production)? 10. What are the 4 areas that are possible sites of independent domestication of plants? 11. What 3-4 other areas received "founder packages" from Southwest Asia? CHAPTER 6: To Farm or Not to Farm 12. Why did hunter-gatherers evolve to become farmers in some areas and not in others? CHAPTER 7: How to Make an Almond 13. What does "plant domestication" mean? 14. Why is it important to understand when and why people became farmers? 15. What made some plants easier and more attractive to domesticate than others?

Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s View of the World, addresses four major plant groups that have both changed for human needs and simultaneously changed human’s needs. While most gardeners, genetic engineers and other plant related professionals have long-believed that plants have evolved based on what we want or need to survive and in other words what we have “domesticated”, Pollan appeals to the plant’s view. Plants’ survival has been solely based on what humans desire both depending on their visual and stimulatory appeal along with their appeal to an appetite. Conversely, plants have used humans as a strategy for “getting us to move and think for them (page xx)”. Many plants have successfully maneuvered humans for

Eventually this news spread and in the 1970’s the government declared Kudzu a weed, or a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants. (3) Then in 1998 Kudzu was declared a noxious weed or a plant considered harmful to both animals and the environment. (4) Kudzu now infest 31 states. This vine now covers 7 million acres in the United States. The cost of the damage caused by this plant has surpassed the 100 million dollar mark and continues to grow. Because of this, Kudzu is now banned in four states. Getting rid of Kudzu is a difficult task but not impossible. Over the years we have also discovered there are many alternatives Kudzu can be used for. For instance the blossoms are used in teas, the leaves can be eaten similar to turnip greens, food for livestock, and is even being used as an herbal supplement for recovering alcoholics. While we search and find many other uses for Kudzu, the problem of its quick growth and abundance in the US remains. Scientist continue to look for solutions to this problem. But, has nature already provided the solution man needs? If so how can we take advantage of such a

This all led to the creation of some of Hawai’i’s plants. But the air currents weren’t the only thing that had given a little magic touch, the ocean also played it’s own role it’s ocean currents bringing different plants and animals to the island's shores. All of these plants that were able to make their own way to the islands are known as indigenous plants. And as these plants began to grow on Hawai’i there were certain characteristic that they developed in Hawai’i’s habitat that were different from their origins, some plants became more gentle than their ancestors that held thorns or poisons. These plants then became known as endemic plants becoming Hawai’i’s own native plants, only found in the Hawaiian islands. And by the time the Marquesan natives arrived to the Islands the waters were clear and filled with colorful fish meeting the people without fear but curiosity. The sounds of nature overflowing and undisturbed by

Plants in a area may have stopped people in that area from domesticating the plants, 12 plants account for 80% of the world’s food tonnage

Bamboo plays an important role in the Miao Society of Yunnan border. In terms of its material culture, bamboo has been used in the Miao society in construction, agricultural production, daily life, and as well as a production equipment and living utensils. In the ceremony, bamboo or bamboo products is used in a variety of rituals and plays an extremely important role. The spiritual and cultural aspects of bamboo in the Miao society are mainly embodied in the cultural connotation of bamboo: a symbol of life that is associated with new life, rebirth and can communicate with life. A tool for self-protection against shielded evil forces, a world of communication and an important carrier of the supernatural world. With the emergence of

It all started because of the slash and burn cultivation, which consisted of cutting down all organic life in a certain field, setting it on fire, and coming back some time after, when the soil would have been much more efficient of supporting the area. This technique started since hunters and gatherers were constantly on the move and realized that after forest fires, the land had much more potential for growing plants more effectively. Once again, this was not considered to be progress because these people were never aiming for this result, it was just a coincidence that first occurred in Southwest Asia. Furthermore, this was mainly the beginning of horticulture, a lifestyle based on plant cultivation, which landed between gathering and

The Brundtland report defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From early times, philosophers, such as Thomas Malthus, believed humanity could not be sustained. Malthus believed mankind would reach their carrying capacity, specifically with regards to food. Yet, this notion changed in subsequent years, thanks in part to the green revolution. This revolution helped increase crop yields due to new fertilizers, pesticides, etc. While there became more food available, sustainability, with regards to producing food in an environmentally friendly way, ran into some difficulties. While the Brundtland commission defined sustainability, there are three components that must be integrated for the well-being of all—social, environmental, and economic. Each component of sustainability must be looked at critically when considering the sustainable use of any resource. While many simply worried about having enough food available in the world, one must think of food sustainability with regards to environmental, economic, and social implications. As follows, the importance of food sustainability will be discussed, along with the attempts to measure food sustainability.

In addition, biodiversity will be crucial for humanities continued survival in the case of climate change or widespread crop failures. The majority of people on earth are reliant on four crops for subsistence; wheat, rice, corn, and millet. (11) These crops are threatened by climate change and the spread of disease facilitated by modern transportation. If humanity is to survive such an eventuality it must be ready to draw upon the earth’s biodiversity for replacements. And while there are approximately 50 thousand plant species that could offer alternatives, this bank of resources is quickly thinning as various ecosystems are being destroyed. (11)