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2.3 Human Niches and Population

2.3 Human Niches and Population. Lacking both the ability to move quickly and the big teeth or claws that other animals have to protect themselves, humans have had to rely on their well-developed brains in order to survive .

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2.3 Human Niches and Population

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  1. 2.3 Human Niches and Population

  2. Lacking both the ability to move quickly and the big teeth or claws that other animals have to protect themselves, humans have had to rely on their well-developed brains in order to survive. • Humans have used their brain power to design and build complex tools, control external sources of energy, and expand their use of resources. • Humans have moved out of the very narrow niche occupied by their ancestors and are now able to live successfully in many different ecosystems.

  3. For humans to continue to occupy the broad niche they have become accustomed to, they must make sure that their use of resources is sustainable. Sustainable use is use that does not lead to long-term depletion of a resource or affect the diversity of the ecosystem from which the resource is obtained.

  4. Human exploitation of natural resources has increased Earth’s carrying capacity for humans. Recently, the human population has expanded rapidly. The current doubling time (the time required for a population to double in size) is only about 60 years.

  5. An ecological footprint is a measure of the impact of an individual or a population on the environment in terms of energy consumption, land use, and waste production. • Patterns of activity by a population that lead to a decline in the function of an ecosystem are said to be unsustainable. Sustainability is achieved if Earth’s resources, including land and water, are used at levels that can continue forever.

  6. Developed countries like Canada tend to have the largest ecological footprints.

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