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Human Population pp 47–59Cite as

Behavioral Mediators of the Human Population Effect on Global Biodiversity Losses

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 214))

Abstract

By combining the time depth provided by the fossil and archeological records with contemporary data of global reach, we can begin to dissect out the most relevant factors that threaten the future of all levels of biodiversity on this planet. It is our contention that the size of the human population and the scale of the human endeavor led to a dramatic rise in extinctions over the past 10,000 years. Analyses of contemporary data demonstrate that current species threats are best attributed to variability in species richness, human population density, and agricultural land use. Continued exponential growth in the human population and our resultant environmental dominance, due to cultural development and ecological contingencies, is rapidly leading to a global mass extinction.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Richard Cincotta for the invitation to write this chapter as well as his insights that helped guide our analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Jeffrey K. McKee & Erica N. Chambers

Authors
  1. Jeffrey K. McKee
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  2. Erica N. Chambers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeffrey K. McKee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Demographer-in-residence, The Stimson Center, 19th St. NW. 1111, Washington, 20036, District of Columbia, USA

    Richard P. Cincotta

  2. , Department of Landscape Architecture, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802-1912, Pennsylvania, USA

    Larry J. Gorenflo

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McKee, J.K., Chambers, E.N. (2011). Behavioral Mediators of the Human Population Effect on Global Biodiversity Losses. In: Cincotta, R., Gorenflo, L. (eds) Human Population. Ecological Studies, vol 214. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16707-2_4

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