, ▁most ▁modern ▁human ▁use ▁of ▁plants ▁is ▁through ▁agricult ure . ▁The ▁clear ance ▁of ▁large ▁tract s ▁of ▁land ▁for ▁c rop ▁growth ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁significant ▁reduction ▁in ▁the ▁amount ▁available ▁of ▁forest ation ▁and ▁wet lands , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁habitat ▁for ▁many ▁plant ▁and ▁animal ▁species ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁increased ▁er os ion . ▁ ▁A est het ics ▁and ▁beauty ▁ ▁Beaut y ▁in ▁nature ▁has ▁histor ically ▁been ▁a ▁pre val ent ▁theme ▁in ▁art ▁and ▁books , ▁filling ▁large ▁sections ▁of ▁libraries ▁and ▁book st ores . ▁That ▁nature ▁has ▁been ▁dep icted ▁and ▁celebrated ▁by ▁so ▁much ▁art , ▁phot ography , ▁poetry , ▁and ▁other ▁literature ▁shows ▁the ▁strength ▁with ▁which ▁many ▁people ▁associate ▁nature ▁and ▁beauty . ▁Re asons ▁why ▁this ▁association ▁exists , ▁and ▁what ▁the ▁association ▁consists ▁of , ▁are ▁studied ▁by ▁the ▁branch ▁of ▁philosophy ▁called ▁a est het ics . ▁Bey ond ▁certain ▁basic ▁characteristics ▁that ▁many ▁philosoph ers ▁agree ▁about ▁to ▁explain ▁what ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁beautiful , ▁the ▁opinions ▁are ▁virt ually ▁end less . ▁Nature ▁and ▁wild ness ▁have ▁been ▁important ▁subjects ▁in ▁various ▁er as ▁of ▁world ▁history . ▁An ▁early ▁tradition ▁of ▁landscape ▁art ▁began ▁in ▁China ▁during ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁( 6 1 8 – 9 0 7 ). ▁The ▁tradition ▁of ▁representing ▁nature ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁a ims ▁of ▁Chinese ▁painting ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁significant ▁influence ▁in ▁Asian ▁art . ▁ ▁Although