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How humans are reshaping the Earth: Exploring the amazing ecosystems of the new era!
As the impact of human activities grows, the Earth's ecosystems are undergoing unprecedented changes. All of this is becoming increasingly apparent in what we call the Anthropocene. Emerging ecosystems are not simply continuations of nature but are habitats built, modified, or engineered by humans that lack natural counterparts and have already transformed two-thirds of the world’s original land.
New ecosystems are characterized by their composition and functioning being different from past systems, marking the arrival of a new ecological era.
When we consider current environmental issues, we cannot ignore the challenges and opportunities presented by these novel ecosystems. These ecosystems, such as Technosols, Technodiversity, Anthromes, and Technosphere, demonstrate the profound impact of humans on ecological evolution.
Establishment of a new ecosystem
The so-called "new ecosystem" refers to a completely new combination of current and past ecosystems that has emerged due to human intervention. Indeed, these changes are a direct reflection of changes in the global climate system, invasive species, mass extinctions, and disturbances in the nitrogen cycle, all of which are direct consequences of human activity.
For example, densely populated cities, agricultural lands, or abandoned lands are all places where new ecosystems emerge, and the ecological history and dynamics of these sites are attracting more and more attention from ecologists.
This is an unprecedented cultural shift that has taken the relationship between humans and nature to a new level.
The diversity of human ecosystems
Based on the research, scholars have divided human ecosystems into 21 different types, including densely populated areas, villages, farmlands, grasslands, forests and wild areas. In addition, humans also occupy a staggering proportion of the resources in these ecosystems, accounting for 23.8% of global net primary production.
This data is shocking because it highlights the breadth and depth of the impact that a single species, human beings, have on the entire biosphere.
Categories of thought: The relationship between the Anthropocene and ecosystems
Noosphere refers to the "sphere of human thought", and the derivation of this word is closely related to its original meaning, reflecting the role of human intelligence in the environment. The concept was first proposed by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, whose ideas expressed how human thought contributes to the change and development of ecosystems.
The technosphere is not only a continuation of the ecosystem’s supply, but also a reflection of the interference and competition of technological diversity on natural life.
Technology ecosystem challenges
The so-called technological ecosystems refer to those technology-based systems that form complex ecological relationships in the process of interacting with natural systems. Technological ecosystems typically require high energy consumption and are accompanied by excessive water consumption and the emission of toxic chemicals, which puts tremendous pressure on natural ecosystems.
As globalization accelerates, these technology ecosystems are expanding at a breakneck pace. For example, the road systems that are everywhere are seen as a technological ecosystem that not only changes the way humans travel, but also changes the operating limits of the ecology.
Future ecological restoration strategies must clearly distinguish the functionality of natural and cultural systems, as they differ fundamentally in their inputs and outputs of energy and materials.
As the boundary between technological ecosystems and natural ecosystems becomes increasingly blurred, we cannot help but wonder: In such a human-dominated ecological era, is there a way to achieve an ecological balance that can achieve sustainable development?
