Domestication of plants leads to further disturbance of other non-human species. Because plant domestication increases detrimental herbivore activities, humans started to utilize more chemicals. To control the pest population and increase crop yield, humans use chemically charged pesticides and fertilizers. The use of pesticides creates a vicious cycle between the domesticated plants and the herbivores. When farmers use pesticides, farmers are encouraging the pests to be more resilient to the chemicals as only those who have resilient genes to the pesticides will survive. Eventually, all the pests that survived will have the resilient genes. Farmers, in return, will adopt stronger, more chemically-concentrated pesticides. The chemicals also
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There are two types of animal domestication: getting rid of predatory animals or adopting farm animals. Getting rid of predatory animals, such as wolves from the Yellowstone National Park, led to a drastic domino effect. Once one species is moved from the ecosystem, the entire ecosystem changes and can bring disastrous outcomes (Diamond, 2002). For farm animals, humans have domesticated various animals ever since the agricultural revolution. Through domestication, humans altered the genetic compositions of these farm animals. Most of the domesticated animals have smaller brains and less well-developed sensory organs because these traits were favourable to humans in taming the animals (Diamond, 2002). As technology advanced, humans started to utilize more farm animals for capitalistic reasons. Domesticated animals and humans’ abuse of the animals created the irony between fitness and quality of life. For instance, about 18 million hens in California laid 5.4 billion eggs in 2013. All of these hens were only allowed 67-86 square inches of space, where they were physically unable to move or turn. Confinement prohibits hens from their natural behaviours such as dust bathing, and nesting (Watnick, 2016). Animal abuse does not restrict only to hens. Many cattle in United States are trapped within fences, and are fed corns because corns are more abundant and inexpensive than grass. Feeding cows with corns disrupt their digestive system …show more content…
After the industrial revolution, the rate at which humans influenced other species rose exponentially. Fertilizers, pesticides, and intense capitalistic domestication of animals all are outcomes of industrial revolution. For one, industrial revolution enabled humans to utilize mass hunting. Mass hunting not only decreases animal species in the ecosystem, but also affects the dynamic of the ecosystem as a whole. For instance, ever since fisheries were developed in the 20th century, there have been large outtake of fish population along the coast of Namibia. Because of continuous decrease in population of fish, their competitive specie, jellyfish has been blooming in population. Jellyfish are harmful to other marine organisms other than fish. Now, Namibian marine ecosystem is overpopulated with jellyfish and faces a general decrease in diversity in the ecosystem due to one dominant specie. The reduction in diversity weakened the complexity of the food chain of the ecosystem, making the ecosystem less resistant to disturbances (Kareiva et al.,
There are two types of animal domestication: getting rid of predatory animals or adopting farm animals. Getting rid of predatory animals, such as wolves from the Yellowstone National Park, led to a drastic domino effect. Once one species is moved from the ecosystem, the entire ecosystem changes and can bring disastrous outcomes (Diamond, 2002). For farm animals, humans have domesticated various animals ever since the agricultural revolution. Through domestication, humans altered the genetic compositions of these farm animals. Most of the domesticated animals have smaller brains and less well-developed sensory organs because these traits were favourable to humans in taming the animals (Diamond, 2002). As technology advanced, humans started to utilize more farm animals for capitalistic reasons. Domesticated animals and humans’ abuse of the animals created the irony between fitness and quality of life. For instance, about 18 million hens in California laid 5.4 billion eggs in 2013. All of these hens were only allowed 67-86 square inches of space, where they were physically unable to move or turn. Confinement prohibits hens from their natural behaviours such as dust bathing, and nesting (Watnick, 2016). Animal abuse does not restrict only to hens. Many cattle in United States are trapped within fences, and are fed corns because corns are more abundant and inexpensive than grass. Feeding cows with corns disrupt their digestive system …show more content…
After the industrial revolution, the rate at which humans influenced other species rose exponentially. Fertilizers, pesticides, and intense capitalistic domestication of animals all are outcomes of industrial revolution. For one, industrial revolution enabled humans to utilize mass hunting. Mass hunting not only decreases animal species in the ecosystem, but also affects the dynamic of the ecosystem as a whole. For instance, ever since fisheries were developed in the 20th century, there have been large outtake of fish population along the coast of Namibia. Because of continuous decrease in population of fish, their competitive specie, jellyfish has been blooming in population. Jellyfish are harmful to other marine organisms other than fish. Now, Namibian marine ecosystem is overpopulated with jellyfish and faces a general decrease in diversity in the ecosystem due to one dominant specie. The reduction in diversity weakened the complexity of the food chain of the ecosystem, making the ecosystem less resistant to disturbances (Kareiva et al.,