Population and Food

Abstract

It is possible to describe the basic principles and processes of ecology without reference to man, and much of the content of chapter 1 would remain unchanged if man had never been present on the Earth. However, man is present and in large numbers. He is unique among the Earth’s living things in the respect that he has the capacity to think about his environment as though he was an independent, detached observer, while at the same time his activities have the effect of modifying natural cycles and changing the environment on a scale far greater than that of any other animal. The extent of his impact will depend on both the nature of these activities and the sheer number of people engaged in them.