losing species

[Kristie Allen]

Ralf,

I don't see how we can be reaching a new equilibrium before humans have 
reached carrying capacity.  The new equilibrium will only become 
apparent after our population has stabilized.  By the time that 
is accomplished, the other species on the planet will have been decimated.
It may be a new equilibrium, but it will most likely not be a favorable 
one as far as the rest of the species are concerned, unless of course we 
decide to stabilize human population growth ourselves with regulation of 
our birth rate.

I am still a great believer in the resiliance of species to adaptively 
radiate into many new species when the opportunity presents itself, 
and it is possible that the niches available will be subdivided again and 
again to reproductively isolate subspecies to allow for speciation, 
however, we won't see it happen in the next thousand years or so.


Kristie L. Allen
Environmental Statistics Group
Biology Department
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT  59715   USA

Phone:  (406) 994-2332
E-mail:  kla at rivers.oscs.montana.edu
Internet:  http://rivers.oscs.montana.edu/esg/kla/
On 24 Apr 1996, Ralf Bischoff wrote:

> Nothing to worry about Kristie,
> We4re just changing an equilibrium. The `old one4 with man and nature
> living together in a way that doesn4t harm any the both too much doesn4t
> work anymore. Now there are a lot of things changing (Global change, 
> greenhouse effect, decrease of the ozone layer) but we gona get a
> new steady state. But that time probably without human livings.
> 
> 
> 
>