Humans are the most greedy predator on the planet, as proven daily. Now a study has revealed that: We use, eat or trade one-third of all vertebrate species exists on the planet. This figure is a hundred times higher than other prominent predators such as killer whales and cheetahs.
That comes with a new study published in the journal ‘Nature’ measuring the direct impact humans have on other species on the planet. His conclusion is that humans are by far the biggest exploiters of the animal kingdom’s resources. Specifically, they affect 14,663 species out of 46,755 analyzed.
Compared to other wild predators of similar body size and therefore similar food requirements, humans catch or kill almost 100 times more vertebrates outnumber them on average. In the ocean, killer whales, whose diet and social behavior are similar to humans, consume 121 species of marine vertebrates. Humans consume 83 of these to feed themselves, but they also exploit 10,337 species found only in the sea.
On land, the situation is not much different. Jaguars are one of those predators that can resemble humans because of their weight. However, these cats only feed on nine different types of prey compared to the more than 2,700 prey species that humans exploit.
“This clearly shows us the impact we have as a species. and what we are doing to the planet,” says Boris Worm, a marine conservation biologist at Dalhousie University in Canada and lead author of the study. Unlike other animals, humans have developed a wide variety of abilities that allow them to survive in a variety of environments.
“We are an unusual species”
As a result, humans are able to feed on a wider range of animal species than predatory species. “This study gives us a sense of how unusual we are as a species.” And humans not only feed on a wide variety of species, but we also use them for other purposes. We also make clothes with them, make medicine or use them as souvenirs during our touristic visits.
To perform this study, the researchers analyzed data provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an organization that monitors wildlife species worldwide and their degree of threat. With this data, they were able to identify 14,663 species exploited by humans and their uses.
As a result, they came to the following conclusion: just over half (55%) is used as foodthe majority are mammals or fish. Another 55% of exploited species are used as pets, and 8% or less are used to make cosmetic or medicinal products, primarily in birds, reptiles and amphibians. The authors of the study note that the total percentages exceed 100% due to the various exploitation of some species.
13% are vulnerable or endangered species
According to ecologist and environmentalist Chris Darimont, these results highlight: “Humanity has greatly surpassed its role as a predator.” He added that the fact that modern humans exploit nearly a third of all living vertebrate species and use most of them for non-food purposes is “an indisputable sign that we are disconnected from the natural world.”
After analyzing the IUCN data, the researchers also concluded that: 13% of the species we consume are vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. A much higher number than they expected to find.
Despite the seriousness of these consequences, the human impact is even greater as it does not take into account the indirect effects of human activity on wildlife, such as habitat destruction and introduction of invasive species.
Reference work: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04940-w
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