EXTINCTION AGENDA!!!

Trophic Downgrading of Planet Earth

James A. Estes et al.

Until recently, large apex consumers were ubiquitous across the globe and had been for millions of years. The loss of these animals may be humankind’s most pervasive influence on nature. Although such losses are widely viewed as an ethical and aesthetic problem, recent research reveals extensive cascading effects of their disappearance in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. This empirical work supports long-standing theory about the role of top-down forcing in ecosystems but also highlights the unanticipated impacts of trophic cascades on processes as diverse as the dynamics of disease, wildfire, carbon sequestration, invasive species, and biogeochemical cycles. These findings emphasize the urgent need for interdisciplinary research to forecast the effects of trophic downgrading on process, function, and resilience in global ecosystems.

Science 15 July 2011: Vol. 333 no. 6040 pp. 301-306 

What is this cool?

 This is amazing because it shows that the loss of large organisms in an environment have massive effects! Of course it does because the environment/ecosystem as we know it evolved with all those organisms. What kinds of creatures are out there keeping the world machine running?

Lions

Tigers, all kinds

Tuna

Wolves

Wildebeasts!

Seastars (really)

 This seems like when a co-worker dies  and, at the funeral, you see the numerous people related to the deceased in one way or another. Then you go back to work and see people affected by the death who didn't attend the funeral. Then you go to a lunch place and find out that the deceased was acquaintances with the waitress and she becomes really distraught. Later during a fire, you find out that the co-worker was a volunteer firefighter. Lastly, you find out that the co-worker was really good at their job and now the work environment is getting hostile because the boss wants results. Once embedded, a person or organism become vital to the normal operation of a business or ecosystem, respectively.


I'm just saying that you should go and hug your friend, because he or she is probably important to someone.