Human of the planet's net primary production and appropriation of NPP

Paleolithic period (Old Stone Age):
Use of fire as much as 1.5 million years ago
Shape and use of stones 2.5 million years ago, which helped modify their environment
Little evidence about world populations at this time

Neolithic (New Stone Age):
Agricultural Revolution
10,000 to 12,000 years ago
Initiated a permanent change in the way humans relate to the natural environment
Made cities, trades, science, armies, and other aspects of modern culture possible

Industrial Revolution:
Began in the mid – 1700s
A shift from rural life, animal-powered agriculture, and manufacturing by craftsmen, to an urban society powered by fossil fuels
Improvements in sanitation and medical technology
Enhanced agricultural production

Medical-Technological Revolution:
Currently in the midst modern medical and technological advancements
People live longer and healthier lives
Green Revolution – shift to modern agricultural practices

Burgeoning numbers of people are making heavy demands on Earth’s natural resources
People are harvesting 12.5% of global NPP
Land use reduces it by another 9.6%
Heavily farmed regions such as India, eastern China, and Europe have highest proportional use