Animal conservation is an extremely important aspect of ecology that affects the quality and diversity of the environment, the care of endangered species and farm animals. If you want to find out what organic animal husbandry is, how to organically raise and feed animals and why it is so important to ecologise species, read the article below.
Animal ecology - what does it do?
Animal ecology, by definition, is a science that deals with the study of animals in their natural environment and the observation of relationships and connections between individuals of the same or different species and their habitat. In addition, animal ecology focuses on the study of the effects of external factors (climate, soil, other animal species) on animals and how they affect the biotic and abiotic environment.
Areas of interest for animal ecology - protecting life, ensuring safety
In its study of organisms, animal ecology focuses its attention on the quality of life of animals, especially farm animals. According to the methodology of the World Organisation for Animal Health, there are five freedoms, taking care to ensure that basic life functions can be properly taken care of. These are:
- freedom from hunger, thirst and poor nutrition, as caring for the physiology of organisms;
- freedom from fear and stress, ensured by appropriate treatment;
- freedom from thermal and physical discomfort, provided by protection from external influences and appropriate barn construction;
- freedom from pain, injury and disease, ensured by prompt diagnosis and implemented treatment;
- freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour, provided by appropriate distribution, interactions and relationships with other organisms.
The freedoms make up what is known as animal welfare, which generally refers to the level of quality of life from the perspective of the individual animal. Organic livestock farming takes into account animal welfare combined with the five freedoms, meeting the basic needs of the animals, especially those related to food, hydration, rest, health and care.
Challenges facing animal ecology today
The quality of life of farm animals is not only important because we are dealing with sentient, living creatures that are part of nature. Because of their use in various industries, as a source of products or materials in the production chain, the quality of animals during their lifetime will be indicative of the quality of the elements we can obtain from them.
The basic document regulating animal rights in Poland is Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 concerning the protection of farm animals. In theory, it ensures that animals are provided with their basic needs and freedom. Despite this, nearly 80% of farm animals in Europe are not provided with appropriate conditions, are kept in overcrowded cages, without the possibility of movement, and are under the constant influence of antibiotic therapy.
Reducing the existence of unethical breeding is one of the tasks of animal ecology and the many organisations concerned with their rights. The big challenge is to change from a capitalist to an ethical approach, especially as this will deplete the profits of livestock keepers.
Animal ecology is not only about the actions of large organisations, but also about people making conscious decisions on a daily basis. By choosing products with special certificates, labelled as products from organic animal husbandry, in addition to quality products, you are choosing a dignified life for animals and the absence of their suffering.
