Mammals in human life. What is the importance of mammals in nature and human life? Mammal food sources

According to modern estimates of biologists, about 5.5 thousand species of mammals are represented in nature, and man himself completes this imaginary pyramid (together with higher primates and dolphins). The total number of their species, including extinct ones, is more than 20 thousand (on the territory modern Russia 380 species live). Home hallmark, in addition to quadrupeds and the presence of a spine, skin and hairline, is the ability to feed their babies with milk (hence the general name). At present, the importance and protection of mammals in wild nature(and even in the household) are of paramount importance for many people, because some wild species are on the verge of extinction, and some are listed in the Red Book.

Class Mammals

The importance of mammals in nature and human life is great. Wild species are distributed on land, air and water almost everywhere, performing certain functions assigned to them by nature. And since ancient times they have been solving the problem of food and clothing for all mankind. Their appearance is quite diverse, but in general they correspond to the type of structure of the four-legged inhabitants of planet Earth. It is characteristic that this class is recognized by scientists as the most highly organized. And its most developed representatives, for example, dolphins, are recognized in modern science studies by carriers of the rudiments of intelligence comparable to a human. The same story is with the higher primates, who, with the help of appropriate exercises, are taught to distinguish colors, melodies and even letters, to execute the simplest commands of a person.

The value of mammals in nature

In the wild, this class performs many functions and tasks, depending on the predatory or carnivorous nature of the representatives. They are mobile and consume a large amount of food, animal and vegetable, thereby already influencing environment. The importance of mammals in nature lies in the fact that they are important links in food chains. Mammalian predators deter and stabilize the reproduction and spread of carnivores. For example, wolves, generally recognized orderlies in the forest, remove weak or sickly individuals, which leads to a higher quality population of certain animals. Remove wolves from the forest, hares begin to breed, which leads to the destruction of certain tree species, as well as cultural crops. And if the foxes disappear, then the mice can multiply so that the grain will not have time to ripen in the fields. In nature, everything is interconnected, and the absence of a predator means a violation of a certain balance, originally conceived.

Environment-forming role

In this regard, the importance of mammals in nature and human life is also great. Many carnivorous mammals living in the wild are directly involved in the reproduction and development of plants, carrying seeds and fruits. And some play an invaluable role in the formation of the habitat. For example, burrowing animals - moles or others - loosen the soil, saturating it with air, helping to increase the fertility and reproduction of plants and other less developed animals: insects, arachnids. In turn, this contributes to the filling of the food chain for birds. various kinds. And the activity of construction beavers can change the water regimes and the landscape of the habitat itself.

rodents

The importance of mammals in nature and human life is not always so great, and some of the representatives of the class cause great harm to humanity. So, for example, rodents are a real misfortune of fields sown with cereals, cultivated by people for a long time. Mouse-like damage many crops of agricultural plants, eat stems and foliage, grains and fruits. And yet, many rodents are carriers of diseases that are deadly for both humans and domestic animals. Scientists believe that the European plague epidemics in the Middle Ages, for example, were provoked by a huge population of rats and mice that inhabited cities and villages. AT modern world rats and mice also cause significant harm, damaging communications laid in tunnels and underground: electrical wiring, television and Internet communications.

The importance of mammals in human life

But still, some mammals bring great benefits to humans. We are talking about domestic animals tamed by people in time immemorial. Livestock itself, as a branch of economic activity, is born when people begin to lead a more sedentary way of existence. catches some wild animals, gradually taming them to domestic living conditions. Produced original at first unconsciously. A person selects and leaves for procreation and breeding of the most healthy and strong animals with valuable qualities that are fixed in subsequent generations. Then people began to use the already conscious selection and crossing of mammals to develop resistant breeds. So varieties were bred with qualities many times greater than their wild counterparts. For example, the ancestors of cows - females of the European tour - fed their offspring for about three months after their birth. And modern dairy breeds can prolong this process up to 10 months (the maximum recorded is up to a year). At the same time, they give much more milk in a single serving of feeding. Thus, the importance of mammals in human life is increasing with the use of modern technologies.

Protein food

As sad as it may be for some animal species, humans need protein to function properly. And the most accessible and satisfying it is found in the meat of animals. The choice of ancient man fell on some species of mammals as a result of trial and error. The meat of predators was too tough and had a very characteristic bad smell. Bird meat was consumed, but the capture of some, depending on their size, was not very productive. The meat of mammals leading a carnivorous lifestyle turned out to be one of the best options both in terms of animal size and taste. It all started with a hunt. Then some species of animals were caught (for example, ungulates: pigs, tours) and began to be bred artificially. So there were domesticated, once tamed mammals eaten.

Milk products

One of the most ancient is the importance of mammals for humans as producers of such a nutritious product as milk. In the east - koumiss and camel milk, in the west - sheep, goat and cow milk. And fermented milk products: kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, cheese - another global importance of mammals for humans. To this day, cheeses produced in Europe, oriental ayran and suluguni, Slavic fermented baked milk, sour cream and cottage cheese are quoted all over the world. Invented so that milk could be stored longer, they have become full-fledged and full-fledged consumer products for all mankind.

Practical clothes and shoes

In times when there were no supermarkets and boutiques, people also had to protect their bodies from the cold. Skins, first of wild, and then of domesticated animals, became an excellent way. It was they who became a reliable and everyday shelter from the winter cold. After people realized that it was not at all necessary to kill the animal in order to achieve the corresponding goals, they began to cut the wool, using it as a clothing material.

On the farm

The importance of mammals in the economy as a draft force is great. When there were no machines and mechanisms to help move on land, horses, camels, mules and donkeys replaced these devices for a person, moving him over rather long distances (as well as delivering all sorts of goods). Caravans connected trading countries, and cavalry troops won decisive battles. Today, in the age of high technology, the importance of mammals in nature and human life seems to fade into the background, but still remains one of the fundamental factors in the development of civilization.

The value of mammals in life human society very varied. This is determined, on the one hand, by the abundance and diversity of animal species, and, on the other hand, by the diversity of human economic activity.

In general, the class of mammals represents a huge natural wealth deserving of careful consideration.

At present, this is very relevant, since more than 100 species have already been completely exterminated over the previous centuries. Among the exterminated animals are such unique ones as a sea cow, a bull tour, a wild horse tarpan, etc.

Now in many countries, scientists are busy with an important problem - the preservation and increase in the number of rare animals, from mammals - first of all, some species of whales and seals, a polar bear, an Asian lion, an Asian rhinoceros, a Przewalski horse, a kulan, a goral, a wild spotted deer and others. Experience shows that with the proper formulation of the case, the restoration of the number of species is quite realistic. Suffice it to recall the remarkable results that have been achieved during the restoration of the saiga, elk, and sable populations.

The final assessment of the significance of a number of species sometimes encounters difficulties due to the fact that one and the same species plays a different role in different natural and economic conditions. Many species of small rodents are harmful to field crops. In some places they interfere with afforestation.

At the same time, fur-bearing predators feed on them, the fur of which is of great commercial value. Forest mouse-like rodents form the basis of food well-being for such valuable animals as, for example, sable, marten, mink, weasels. But in a certain situation, they pose a danger to human health as custodians of infections and feeders of ticks - transmitters of diseases.

The fox is undesirable near poultry farms and on the territory of hunting farms where pheasants or other birds are bred - objects of hunting. The same species does not bring any real harm in the taiga zone and is of great value as a fur-bearing animal. Ground squirrels and voles are undoubtedly harmful near crops. They harm crops at different stages of their growth: they eat the sown seeds, spoil the seedlings, and destroy the seeds of mature plants.

In places, rodents damage the grass cover on pastures. There are cases of destruction in the herbage of more than 50% of the most valuable plants, such as cereals and legumes. Some rodents (large gerbil, etc.) interfere with sand-fixing work, as they take away the seeds of shrubs and woody plants embedded in the ground. Mole rats, zokors, in some places water voles and moles, throwing earth to the surface during the construction of holes, make haymaking difficult.

Some mammals, mainly rodents, are of significant epidemic importance, as they are the keepers and transmitters of diseases dangerous to humans. In addition, they serve as hosts for ticks and some insects that spread these diseases, called anthropozoonotic diseases. Marmots, ground squirrels, gerbils, rats are bacillus carriers and spreaders of a terrible human disease - plague. Plague bacilli are transmitted to humans through direct contact or through fleas that feed on sick animals.

Microcarriers of tularemia among mammals are mainly rodents, primarily water voles, common voles, house mouse, gophers, hares. The causative agent is transmitted to humans through blood-sucking insects, ticks, through water or through direct contact with a sick animal, for example, when skinning it.

During epizootics of pasture typhus fevers, pathogens (rickettsiae) are transmitted from sick rodents by ticks. With viral encephalitis (severe damage to the central nervous system), ticks also transmit pathogens from sick animals. With rodents - pests Agriculture or dangerous in an epidemic sense - a systematic struggle is being waged. Wild mammals are harvested for a variety of products, and they are also hunted for sport, which has not lost its significance to this day.

Common features of the class Mammals

mammals- the most highly organized class of vertebrates. The combination of many progressive features determined a high level of general organization and allowed mammals to spread widely across the Earth. Terrestrial species predominate among them. In addition, there are flying, semi-aquatic, aquatic and soil inhabitants.

Mammals are characterized by the following features:

1. They feed the young with milk, which is produced by the mammary glands of the mother (hence the name of the class of mammals)

2. Have a permanent high temperature body

3. The body is covered with hair (wool), which contributes to the preservation of heat

4. The fetus develops in the womb, which gives birth to live babies

5. High level of development of the nervous system, first of all, the brain is well developed, complex behavior.

6. There is an external ear - an auricle.

Origin of Mammals

It is believed that mammals are descended from animal-toothed lizards - a group of ancient reptiles that lived more than 200 million years ago.

The oldest mammals are studied by fossil remains. One of the first mammals could be Melanodon. The fossil finds of this animal are among the most ancient mammals. It is believed that Melanodon was a small animal, outwardly similar to a rat.

Some of the ancient mammals known to us from fossils are the ancestors of modern species. Others have no successors and have long since died out.

The value of Mammals in nature and human life

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The source of information: Biology in tables and diagrams. / Edition 2e, - St. Petersburg: 2004.

The role of mammals in nature

The role of mammals in nature is determined by the fact that they are an important link in it, as they form a variety of food connections with living organisms. Herbivorous mammals provide big influence on plants, especially in dry landscapes - steppes, semi-deserts and deserts. Many animals (for example, voles, mice, wild boars, squirrels) contribute to seed dispersal. So, the squirrel pulls away fallen acorns and nuts, and the wild boar, rummaging through the forest floor and soil, tramples down part of the acorns and nuts, contributing to the renewal of oaks and hazels. Many rodents and ungulates feed on plants, thereby affecting their growth and development. A shrew and a mole loosen in search of food forest floor, soil. Loose soil is better supplied with oxygen, moisture, soluble salts. At the same time, dense shrubs and tree crowns protect tree animals from bad weather and enemies. Predatory mammals (for example, wolf, fox, arctic fox, lynx) regulate the number of herbivores, mouse-like rodents. Some predatory animals, eating the corpses of animals, perform a sanitary role in nature.

The value of mammals for humans

The importance of mammals for humans is very diverse. Certainly harmful to humans are many rodents that damage crops and destroy food supplies. These animals are bacillus carriers and distributors (directly and through blood-sucking arthropods) of a number of dangerous human diseases. Known harm to the human economy is caused by some predatory mammals(in our country, for example, a wolf), attacking livestock. The benefits of wild mammals are in obtaining valuable fur, skin and meat from them, and also fat from sea animals.

For the sake of meat and skins, they hunt elk, wild reindeer, wild boar and some other artiodactyls. The hare is one of the main objects of sport hunting.

Fur farming

Sable, silver-black fox, mink and other fur-bearing animals are bred on fur farms. Fur farming is a profitable branch of the economy. Livestock specialists are busy breeding fur-bearing animals with a variety of fur colors. Bred white, black, silver-blue, pearl mink.

Mammal Conservation

To preserve the number of mammal species valuable to humans, as well as rare, endangered species, various protection measures are provided. The extraction of hunting and commercial animals is carried out according to strict rules, in which the terms of hunting and the maximum production rates for each type of animal are determined for each. To increase their numbers, reserves have been created, on the territory of which hunting is prohibited. To restore the number of rare and especially valuable animals, reserves have been created in which natural habitats are preserved. natural conditions, and every economic activity excluded. Some reserves are created specifically for the protection and restoration of the number of certain species of animals.

Finally, all rare and endangered animals are listed in the Red Books. Thanks to them, the population of any republic and region has the opportunity to get acquainted with the description of these animals, learn their appearance and habits, and thus, if necessary, contribute to their conservation.

General characteristics of mammals

Mammals are vertebrate animals that feed their young with milk, have in most cases a high, constant body temperature and are most often covered with hair. Embryonic development in most mammals occurs in the womb under constant conditions of temperature, humidity and nutrition. Only oviparous mammals lay eggs. Mammals have a well-developed brain, so they easily adapt to a changing environment, forming new conditioned reflexes. About 4000 species of modern mammals are known.

Technological map of the lesson

Subject: Biology Grade 7 V.M. Konstantinov

Lesson topic: “Mammals. Significance in nature and in human life.

Lesson type: lesson of generalization and "discovery" of new knowledge .

C spruce: Generalize and systematize students' knowledge about the main orders of Mammals; their adaptation to habitats; significance in nature and human life.

Lesson objectives:

Educational - to generalize and expand students' knowledge about the role of mammals in nature and human life, to find out the influence of man on the species composition and number of mammals.

Educational – to form an ecological culture with elements of local history, respect for nature.

Educational - develop logical thinking(the ability to compare, analyze, generalize), develop cognitive interest to the subject.

Equipment and materials Tables on the protection of animals, drawings on the nervous and circulatory system of chordates, cards with multi-level tasks, classroom material,ICT (projector, computer, inter.board), whiteboard

- Guys, we met you with representatives of the class mammals. We studied their structure, got acquainted with the physiological characteristics, lifestyle, and today in the lesson we are with youfind out the role of mammals in nature and human life. We will remember the origin of mammals, compare them with other chordates, talk about the role and significance of mammals, their ecology. (Recording the number, lesson topics in a notebook)

When studying the representatives of each class, we talked about the characteristic features. And what characteristic features mammals have

what distinguishes them from other classes of the animal kingdom.

List the structural features that are characteristic of mammals.

Groups of animals are written on the board, find among them representatives of the class mammals

Find an extra animal and indicate on what basis you chose it:

a) seals, cats, sea lions, walruses

b) horses, zebras, deer, rhinos;

c) deer polar bear, partridge, camel

Children tune in to the lesson, listen, write down the number, the topic of the lesson.

- Work with the textbook: characteristics of the class mammals.

Group work

- seals, sea lions, walruses - the order Pinnipeds, and cats - the order Carnivores;

- deer - artiodactyl order, and the rest - odd-toed ungulate order;

Sturgeon - fish

Lobster and crayfish - crustaceans,

and the rest are beasts.

Slide № 1

Diversity of mammals

II . Statement of the learning task

Guys, let's imagine for a moment that mammals are gone. Could we do without mammals?

What is their role in nature? To answer the question, you must complete the task. Choose the correct statements. Write down the numbers of the correct statements in your notebooks.

1. Mammals regulate the growth and development of plants.

2. Regulate the number of other animals.

3. Perform the role of orderlies.

4. Serve as the main source of food for other animals.

5. Form food bonds.

6. They eat a lot of insects.

7. Serve as prey for birds and reptiles.

8. Serve as food for humans.

Answers from the spot

Independent work in notebooks

- Conversation

- Viewing video.

slide number 2

Learning objectives:

(On the desk)

III . Inclusion in the system of knowledge and repetition

What is being done in our country to protect mammals?

What animals belonging to the class of mammals are listed in the Red Book

Let's take a closer look at the way of life of some Russian animals listed in the Red Book. To do this, watch the video about these amazing animals.

- Guys, what do you think caused them to be exterminated?

- Which animals are memorialized?

Conversation

Watching videos

Answers

Children give real life examples

- In Rome - a donkey to a worker, in Paris - a Serbernard who saved 41 people in the Alps; in Bergo San Lorenzo (Italy) to the dog Verny, who for 14 years went to the stop to meet the owner who died in the war; in St. Petersburg - a dog serving science.

slide number 3

Kinds

Mammals listed in the Red Book

IV . Summary of the lesson.

Summarize

Mammals are highly organized animals, many of them have complex behavior. They have a number of adaptations for life in certain conditions and environments.

Rare and endangered mammals need human protection and care

slide number 4

On the deskepigraph I. Goethe: "Nature is always right and always truthful, and all mistakes and delusions come from people."

V . Homework.

Section 58

whiteboard writing