Humans will be extinct in 100 years says eminent scientist

[HereSince1628]

90. humans -are not- apex sp, we're vagile generalist omnivores with many mutualisms and

a cultural appetite for mineral resources. This makes us tremendously disruptive to natural ecosystems

Early on in my ecology training, I got the misguided notion that being generalists was good, because it protects against specific resource shortages. Likewise I had the notion that organisms living in mutualistic relationships with reciprocal benefits was a good thing since all members of the mutualism benefit.

I was dreadfully wrong. As I came to better understand the dynamics of community ecology I realized omnivory and mutualism are actually very DESTABILIZING to communities.

Humans exploit the biota at almost every level and we don't shift from one resource to another. We are the most omnivoric omnivore on the planet. We consume whatever is consumable at all levels and do it simultaneously. We not only exploit for food, but we exploit for shelter, clothing and cultural supports. We've even turned to consumption of minerals for energy and materials subsidies. Our vagility, ability to disperse, has spread our direct impacts globally. Just think about how a tiny nation in the nw pacific, exploits endangered populations of marine mammals in the extreme southern oceans. That consumption takes not only an appetite for something other than rice, that takes technology, mining/smelting, huge fossil fuel subsidies etc.

Through domestication we have developed a wide array of mutualisms which have expanded the 'footprint' of humans and their mutuals. And I am not talking about humans and their dogs and cats. I am talking about humans, livestock, and row-crops. Among the three greatest causes of extinction so far along this great extinction event are habitat alteration/destruction and desertification. Both are mostly a consequence of the impact of agriculture based on domesticated mutualisms. Modern maize basically can't survive without humans and we can't survive without it (although we'd be healthier without corn-syrup).

As a species with capacity to exploit minerals, we also consume geological features for energy and materials. Some for traditional needs like shelter, but also for tools, transportation and storage...we make an amazing array of plastic bottles and soft-metal containers. Our exploitation of minerals greatly disrupts habitat, exposes mineral toxins to erosion and surface contamination, and by providing energy and material subsidies helps us expand our search for further exploitable minerals to every corner of the planet and now we are eyeing off-planet opportunities.

Of course, all this human and agricultural activity impacts nutrient cycles and we are well aware of their local and even regional impacts. But because of the dysfunctional nature of our pro-growth prowess we're also overloading our human modified (mostly simplified and industrialized) global environment at a global level. Our planet's atmosphere and our oceans are changed because of humans collateral production of toxic detritus.

And we've done it -not- because we are an apex species at the top of a food-chain, or the top of a community pyramid shaped food web. Humans have done this because we are vagile mutualistic generalist consumers engaged in geotrophy (consuming minerals).

We are the most dangerous species on the planet because we -are- omnivores with an aptitude and a culture for consuming -everything- and making and leaving a global-sized mess as we do.