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#4
01-08-2007, 12:26 AM
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Re: Species impact
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] Algae [/ QUOTE ] Species [/ QUOTE ] I couldn't decide if you meant currently or historically, so I was waffling ... and too lazy to look them up. Besides, I'm not Sklanskalian, I have lots of 31% opinions that I won't bet on. luckyme 
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#7
01-08-2007, 12:44 AM
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Re: Species impact
This is a really hard question, but I'm going to say E Coli. Aside from its direct impact on many ecosystems and possible role in animal evolution, it's been used by humans to support research and technology that has had a signficant impact on, arguably, everything.
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#8
01-08-2007, 01:37 AM
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Re: Species impact
A clear choice didn't pop up for the people having the conversation that inspired this thread. One of the things I was thinking of is not what affects the ecosystem but what prevented humans from affecting the ecosystem. For example, malaria was, and is, really an impediment to developing the kinds of nature obliterating civilization seen outside of the tropics. So one of the Plasmodiums could be a reasonable choice. But then, maybe we just need to consider one of the Anopheles mosquitoes as the species here, since they are the vector.
I still feel like I'm missing something obvious.
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#9
01-08-2007, 02:06 AM
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Re: Species impact
[ QUOTE ]
A clear choice didn't pop up for the people having the conversation that inspired this thread. One of the things I was thinking of is not what affects the ecosystem but what prevented humans from affecting the ecosystem. For example, malaria was, and is, really an impediment to developing the kinds of nature obliterating civilization seen outside of the tropics. So one of the Plasmodiums could be a reasonable choice. But then, maybe we just need to consider one of the Anopheles mosquitoes as the species here, since they are the vector. I still feel like I'm missing something obvious. [/ QUOTE ] When I first opened the thread i was thinking rats as far as other mammels go. I don't really know how many different species of rodent are comomnly associated with humans, but some have been responsible for extinction of quite a few species when they were transported to islands, and have carried quite a few major deseases with them.
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#10
01-08-2007, 02:27 AM
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Re: Species impact
[ QUOTE ]
One of the things I was thinking of is not what affects the ecosystem but what prevented humans from affecting the ecosystem. [/ QUOTE ] Rduke, I think there are 3 questions here all of which are interesting: 1) The original question as to which species is currently second after humans. 2) The one given in your quote above as to what species prevents humans from having an even greater impact on the ecosystem. 3) And which species if humans were all removed from the planet tomorrow, would have the greatest impact on the ecosystem to the detriment of the most other species. I don't know the answers, but tolbiny's rat answer is likely a good candidate for #2 as is yours regarding the mosquito. However as 3/4 of the planet is covered in oceans, something aquatic like algae also has to be considered. And the fact that there is currently no other primate species capable of making fire is also significant regarding atmospheric impacts. But regarding #2 again, there might not be a dominant disease causing virus or bacteria that holds humans back from a greater impact, but rather a group that collectively does so, or which alternate over time. It is also worth noting, that many predator species that would otherwise be candidates for the original question, are held in check if not extincted by humans, so the real second place might not be the same if humans didn't have as great an impact on those other predators.
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Hybrid Mode
