Activity and Summary - Trends in Economic Zoology

Activity

Students can construct their own aquaponic system with materials available in their laboratory. An old aquarium or any water tight container can be converted into simple aquaponics system

Materials Required:

Aquarium tank/ any water tight container, a floating Styrofoam platform (thermocol), growing medium-coconut fibre. An air pump and air stone, nutrient solution ( vermiwash or can buy commercially available nutrient solution), plastic cups and seeds

Cut a floating thermocol platform to fit the tank. Make holes on the platform to insert plastic cups with the growing medium. Fill the aquarium tank with water and nutrients. An air pump supplies air to the air stone that bubbles the nutrient solution and supplies oxygen to the roots. Place the floating platform on top of the nutrient solution and place the plastic cups with plants into the holes in the platform

Now your simple hydroponics system is ready... to build a aquaponic system fishes can be introduced into the tank instead of nutrient solution.

Summary

Economic Zoology involves the study of application of animals for human welfare. The need of Zoology is to improve our economic condition, to provide food security and employment opportunities. Based on the economic importance, animals can be categorized as Animals for food and food products, economically beneficial animals, Animals of aesthetic importance and Animals for scientific research. Vermiculture is the process of using earthworms to decompose organic food waste, into a nutrient-rich material capable of supplying necessary nutrients to sustain plant growth. Sericulture is the production of silk from the silk worm. It is an agro-based industry comprising three main components. They are cultivation of food plants for the silkworms, rearing of silkworms and reeling and spinning of silk. Care and management of honey bees for the production of honey is called Apiculture. Lac is produced by the lac insect.

Aquaponics is a combined technique of aquaculture and hydroponics. It prevents toxic water runoff and also maintains ecosystem balance by recycling the waste and excretory products produced by the fish. Aquaculture deals with the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. On the basis of water resources, aquaculture can be classified into Freshwater aquaculture, brackish water aquaculture and Marine water aquaculture. It includes culture of fishes, prawn, crab and oyster.

Animal husbandry is the practice of breeding and raising livestock cattles like cows, buffaloes, and goats and birds etc. that are useful to human beings. Dairying is the production and marketing of milk and its products. Dairy operation consists of proper maintenance of cattle, collection and processing the milk and its byproducts. Poultry refers to the rearing and propagation of avian species such as chicken, ducks, turkeys, geese, quail and guinea fowls. The commonly farmed chicken breeds are categorized into five based on the purpose for which it is farmed. They are egg layers, broiler type, dual type, games and ornamental types.