The evolution of life on this planet took millions of years to reach a state
of diversity and relative species harmony. Undisturbed, life in nature's various
ecosystems, whether they be desert, ocean or tropical forest, can thrive and
remain in a relatively stable biological balance.
We now know, or should know, that all life is intimately connected. There are
hundreds of examples where species survival, including our own, is dependent on
the presence of unrelated species. Where would we be without the antibiotics we
derive from fungi? The drugs from plants to treat maladies such as cancer? The
foods we eat without the bees that pollinate?
Fires, floods and minor volcanic eruptions periodically disrupt ecosystems and
some species are adversely affected. Eventually those ecosystems recover even if
it takes thousands of years. However five massive extinctions did occur between
65 million and 400 million years ago. They were caused by ...