• dfyx@lemmy.helios42.de
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    2 months ago

    Practicability and ethics aside, do people not understand how ecosystems work? What do they think keeps herbivore populations from growing uncontrollably and overrunning our fields? Ask China about the sparrows.

    • wabasso@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      Ok I’ll be that guy.

      Human problems first. Let’s say we make it past this century, post scarcity, immortal, floating around in space or ascended or something.

      Would you think about changing the ecosystem then? Nature’s pretty awful. Whether it’s the carnivores tearing apart herbivores or the herbivores starving themselves from over eating, like, I’d like to change that. Edit their genes maybe?

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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      2 months ago

      do people not understand how ecosystems work?

      Absolutely not. This is why my friend who studies Forrest ecology sounds like an insane person whenever someone brings up deer.

      Hes a lovely human being who really loves animals, but he honestly advocates that everyone should be forced to kill deer any time they see one.

      • SupraMario@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        CWD as well. Deer population collapse is real, because they have no real predators anymore. The sick bred and survive and you end up with crazy disease susceptible animals.

        You’re friend is absolutely correct. Proper conservation requires death.

      • brognak@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 months ago

        Live in MA, I would gladly on sight deer for purely spiteful reasons. Glad to know I can cover up my seething hatred for nature’s suicide bomber by saying it’s based on sound ecological principals 😅

    • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netOP
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      2 months ago

      Surprisingly few people think about ecosystems. Those that do often do not gauge their complexity deeply enough and view them as temporally static for the most part.

      That isn’t true.