In the ancient self-sufficient natural economic society, biological resources, especially forest resources, were an important source for people to obtain the means of production and living. Even with the development of agricultural production, the importance of wildlife resources to people's basic necessities of life is obvious.
In the long-term production activities, ancient people gradually realized the importance of protecting forests and biological resources. A preliminary awareness of environmental protection was generated and certain protective measures were taken.
Since ancient times, our ancestors have had the idea of ??protecting the natural ecological environment.
This kind of thinking is often unconscious and even has a strong superstitious color. For example, in ancient times, people worshiped mountains and rivers together with hundreds of gods.
When Shang Tang was still a prince, he once went for a walk in the countryside and found someone setting up a net to catch birds. What surprised Shang Tang was that the net he had set up was not one, but four, with the potential to encircle him from all directions.
For the bird, there is only one way in, no way out.
However, what surprised Shang Tang even more was that the bird catcher was still mumbling: "Let all the birds in the world enter my net, and the more the better, The bigger the better, the fatter the better."
This aroused Shang Tang's compassion.
He said to the bird catcher: "If you catch birds like this, aren't you going to catch all the birds in the world?" So he asked the bird catcher to remove three of the four sides. He also told the bird catchers that they should say this, "If you want to fly to the left, fly to the left, if you want to fly to the right, fly to the right, and those with bad luck should fly into my net!"
This news reached the ears of the princes, and they all praised Shang Tang's kindness for being able to bestow favors on animals and on the princes, so they joined in one after another. Later, Shang Tang's tribe became more and more powerful and established the Shang Dynasty.
The story of Shangtang opening three sides of the Internet is the earliest record of ancient Chinese monarchs protecting natural resources. In fact, when people in ancient times obtained the means of production and living, they constantly interfered with the natural environment, and in turn the environment also had some counterproductive effects. This has prompted some knowledgeable people to pay increasing attention to how to prevent further deterioration of people's living environment.
In many ancient books in my country, there are records about the protection of biological resources. For example: "Shangshu", "Historical Records" and "Mencius" say that Shun appointed Boyi as "Yu", which was the official in charge of mountains, vegetation, birds, animals, insects and fish. Boyi once set fire to some mountains and forests to drive away poisonous snakes. beast.
"Yu Gong" records that Dayu also cut down trees on a large scale when he was controlling floods; "Shi·Daya·Huangdian" also records that during the period of Gu Gong Danfu, the people of the Zhou Dynasty cut down trees. Removal of trees, construction of settlements and deforestation for land reclamation.
Under the low productivity situation at that time, this situation of obtaining resources from nature was inevitable and may have continued for a long time. As people's irrational use of forests and biological resources becomes increasingly serious, people gradually realize the seriousness of the problem.
The book "Guan Zi" written by Guan Zhong, a statesman and thinker of the Qi State during the Spring and Autumn Period, reflects people's deep understanding of the consequences of destroying the environment. The author places great emphasis on the importance of biological resources in mountains, forests, lakes and swamps to the national economy and people's livelihood.
"Guanzi: Qingshong Chapter" points out: During the time when Yu and Shun were in power, the water was cut off and the mountains and forests were cut down. When the Xia Hou family was in power, vegetation and lakes were burned, and the people were not allowed to increase their financial profits. Measures such as burning mountains and forests, destroying straw mushrooms, and burning lakes and lakes are because there are too many animals.
The reason why the mountains and forests are cut down and the rivers and lakes are drained is because the king’s wisdom is insufficient. Objectively analyze the reasons why predecessors destroyed the natural environment.
When discussing the important value of mountains and forests, "Guanzi" records:
Those who live in mountains and forests are the source of sacrifice. Therefore, let the people ask for it, make the people live in it, and give it to them.
The importance of natural biological resources such as mountains, forests, rivers and swamps to people's lives is clearly pointed out here.
Mencius, a thinker during the Warring States Period, introduced the situation in Niushan in "Mencius". Niushan is located in the southeast of the ancient Qi State, now south of Linzi, Zibo City, Shandong Province. There used to be lush forests there, but by the time Mencius lived, it had become a bare mountain.
Meng Ke believes that the reason why Niushan has become like this is because the trees here have been continuously cut down and destroyed, coupled with the destruction of cattle, sheep and other livestock.
As Meng Ke pointed out, "If nothing is lost, nothing will be consumed." This reflects people's concerns about the serious destruction of forests.
Another thinker, Xun Kuang, recorded in "Xunzi Encouraging Learning": "The rise of things must have a beginning... Grass and trees grow, and animals flock... The trees provide shade and the birds rest. Yan."
The general idea of ??these sentences is that the rise of anything must have its origin. There are lush vegetation, swarms of wild animals, and all things flock together. The woods are lush and shady, and many birds will come to stay there.
Not only that, Xun Kuang further pointed out that if the environment that animals rely on for survival is destroyed, it will be difficult for animals to survive. He said that only when the mountains and forests are lush and dense can the birds and animals inhabit them, but when the mountains and forests are destroyed, the birds and animals leave.
Arowana can survive only in large rivers, and if the river dries up, the arowana will leave. Therefore, he believes that only by acting in accordance with the laws of nature and protecting the habitats of animals can animals flourish.
Xun Kuang also said in "Fu Guo Pian": "The king is good at grouping. If the group is in line, everything will be suitable for it, all six animals will be able to grow, and all living beings will be destined."
This points out that the duty of the sage king is to coordinate the relationships between people and between people and nature. Only when these relationships are properly coordinated can people and people, and people and nature, be interdependent.*** develop together.
Scholars during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period realized that once the forest was destroyed, it would not only deplete the timber resources themselves, but also affect the wildlife resources. Therefore, some wise men and famous politicians have fought resolutely against some ignorant and wrong behaviors that destroy biological resources.
According to "Guoyu Luyu" records, one summer, Lu Xuangong went to Surabaya to fish. When the doctor Li Ge heard about it, he rushed to the Surabaya River, broke Lu Xuangong's net, and then threw it away.
Li Ge said to Lu Xuan Gong: "Fishing and hunting pay attention to the season, and pay attention to avoid the animal breeding period. We must protect young creatures so that all things can reproduce and grow vigorously. This is the ancients The admonishment. Now that the fish are in the breeding season, you are still greedy to catch fish."
After hearing Li Ge's words, Lu Xuangong expressed his humility to accept the criticism and corrected it.
According to "Zuo Zhuan": One year there was a severe drought in the state of Zheng, so he sent Tu Xi, a congratulator, and a man to send people to Sangshan Mountain to pray for rain. They were logging there, but it still didn't rain. Zichan, a politician in the State of Zheng, was very angry when he heard about it. He severely criticized this foolish behavior of cutting down trees to pray for rain. Later, he also dealt with the relevant perpetrators seriously and removed them from their official positions.
The "Lu Spring and Autumn Annals·Yi Shang" edited by Lu Buwei, the Prime Minister of the State of Qin, once pointed out some inappropriate fishing and hunting methods during the Warring States Period: "If you fish with all the water, you will not get anything, but there will be no fish next year; If you don’t get the fields, then there will be no animals next year.”
It means that if you drain the lake to fish, how can you not catch it? But there will be no fish next year; if you burn down the woods to hunt, how can you not catch them? But next year there will be no beast. We resolutely oppose the short-sighted practice of killing all the people in the lake while fishing, and burning the grazing land for hunting.
In order to rationally utilize various biological resources, many scholars have proposed some methods to protect biological resources and enable them to be used sustainably. For example, "Mencius" has some understanding of the natural regeneration ability of forests, and states: "If a pound of ax enters the forest in time, the wood will be useless."
The important feature of biological resources is that they can be regenerated and renewed. Mature forest communities, as long as they are not frequently and excessively logged, can withstand a certain amount of selective logging and recover quickly. This famous saying in "Mencius" advocates the rational use of resources and already cares about the ecological balance of the forest.
Xun Kuang also proposed that "the time should not be lost when cutting down and raising trees", "When the vegetation is flourishing and growing, the ax cannot enter the forest, it will not die young, and it will not stop its growth." Further elucidates the resource protection thought in "Mencius".
With the gradual improvement of people's understanding, a set of officials and systems for the management and protection of biological resources were gradually formed and improved during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. At the end of the Warring States Period, "Lu Shi Chun Qiu·Shang Nong" put forward a relatively complete legal concept and formulated some appropriate measures in the form of monthly orders.
For example: logging is prohibited in the first month; no mountains and forests are burned in February; mulberry trees are not cut down in March; large trees are not cut down in April; people are not allowed to cut blue trees for dyeing in May; trees are in full bloom in June. The people of Yu were ordered to go into the mountains to walk trees, but they could not cut down the trees, and they could not do earthwork. In September, when the vegetation yellowed and fell, they had to cut down the firewood and turn it into charcoal.
These discussions stipulate specific methods for protecting biological resources in each month, so as to make good use of resources in a planned way. It may be a synthesis of environmental protection etiquette and laws during the Warring States Period, and was further popularized.
In 1975, Chinese archaeologists discovered a batch of Qin Dynasty bamboo slips in Suihudi, Yunmeng County, Hubei Province.
One of the "Tian Laws" means: In February of spring, it is not allowed to burn grass for fertilizer, and it is not allowed to cut newly sprouted plants or hunt young animals. Poisoning fish is not allowed, and traps and nets are not allowed to catch birds and animals. The ban was not lifted until July. During the ban, only those who need to cut down wooden coffins due to death are exempt from this restriction.
This section of "Tian Law" is a specific legal provision related to the protection of forests and biological resources in the Pre-Qin Dynasty. It has many similarities with the above-mentioned literature records and runs through the idea of ??environmental protection.
In short, environmental protection in ancient my country mainly focused on biological resources, and its central content emphasized the use of time-limited resources and sustainable utilization, which has greater rationality and feasibility. These biological resource protection ideas have been advocated by future generations, which shows that they are full of vitality.