Ecology in an anthropogenic biosphere

Abstract

Abstract. Humans, unlike any other multicellular species in Earth's history, have emerged as a global force that is transforming the ecology of an entire planet. It is no longer possible to understand, predict, or successfully manage ecological pattern, process, or change without understanding why and how humans reshape these over the long term. Here, a general causal theory is presented to explain why human societies gained the capacity to globally alter the patterns, processes, and dynamics of ecology and how these anthropogenic alterations unfold over time and space as societies themselves change over human generational time. Building on existing theories of ecosystem engineering, niche construction, inclusive inheritance, cultural evolution, ultrasociality, and social change, this theory of anthroecological change holds that sociocultural evolution of subsistence regimes based on ecosystem engineering, social specialization, and non-kin exchange, or ''sociocultural niche construction,'' is the main cause of both the long-term upscaling of human societies and their unprecedented transformation of the biosphere. Human sociocultural niche construction can explain, where classic ecological theory cannot, the sustained transformative effects of human societies on biogeography, ecological succession, ecosystem processes, and the ecological patterns and processes of landscapes, biomes, and the biosphere. Anthroecology theory generates empirically testable hypotheses on the forms and trajectories of long-term anthropogenic ecological change that have significant theoretical and practical implications across the subdisciplines of ecology and conservation. Though still at an early stage of development, anthroecology theory aligns with and integrates established theoretical frameworks including social-ecological systems, social metabolism, countryside biogeography, novel ecosystems, and anthromes. The ''fluxes of nature'' are fast becoming ''cultures of nature.'' To investigate, understand, and address the ultimate causes of anthropogenic ecological change, not just the consequences, human sociocultural processes must become as much a part of ecological theory and practice as biological and geophysical processes are now. Strategies for achieving this goal and for advancing ecological science and conservation in an increasingly anthropogenic biosphere are presented.

Eco-epidemiology of aquatic ecosystems: Separating chemicals from multiple stressors

“…These may be locally present due to (far) upstream emission sources, and may not be discerned by expert judgment, especially given the phenomenon of 'hidden mixture impacts' explained in Sections 3.2 and 3.3. The problem of defining, checking and using the reference concept (either as sites, conditions or both) is particularly problematic for some water types, such as large lowlands rivers, when those are almost all subject to various sources of man-made stress; such a problem may be more widespread than only in clearly human-influenced systems, as discussed by Ellis (2015)). In the example, we expected poorer reference conditions in relation to higher metrics for the use of various chemical groups, but we found the opposite ('good' reference conditions at higher parameter values for the use of chemicals).…”

Where are the Brazilian ethnobotanical studies in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga?

“…Today, these ecosystems have been heavily impacted by humans and there are few untouched natural areas. Due to large scale industry, the exploration of fossil fuels and globalization, more than three quarters of the the land on Earth has been transformed into anthropogenic biomes (anthromes) (Ellis 2015). Humans live in the era of the Anthropocene and some of the consequences of this period are the alteration of species richness of native vegetation and an increase in the introduction of exotic species (Ellis 2012).…”

Ideal-Type Narratives for Engineering a Human Niche

“…Since at least the industrial revolution, the globe has been stamped with people's activities [22,23], people vigorously applying engineering science, and geosciences. It can be argued that since the onset of agriculture in the Neolithic age, engineering has been an all-purpose activity to shape the 'sociocultural-ecological niches' of people [24][25][26] for the purpose of maintaining their well-being, mutual care, and reproduction.…”