A video post

Aside from some fairly irrelevant video clips, this video discusses the human thought and outlook our impact on biodiversity present day biodiversity loss. It discusses how humans ourselves may become extinct due to our dependence on ecosystem services and therefore why we should act to preserve it. It does however provoke thoughts of the decoupling of nature and human society, it further demonstrates how we are to act as stewards to preserve the world around us and does not necessarily consider human kind as natural or a part of the wildlife. 

Another issue that I feel is brought across in this video, is the identification of scientists as the sole provider of information on the human effects on the biosphere. On a local scale, communities have seen the decline in biodiversity, in particular with respect to invasive species for centuries and have therefore decided to act upon it through community led management approaches. For example forestry management in Orissa, India (Nayak, 2008).

The video does however highlight the issue of conservation and preservation of all things wonderful that exist on the Earth and not just figure-head species such as 'bicen and pandas'. For me this is important with respect to invasive species and their influence on species extinction. The impact of invasive species is often at a low trophic level, with the effects cascading down the trophic levels, or frog-leaping them entirely and removing the niche that was once occupied by an endemic or native species prior to invasion. Such is the case particularly with respect to intentional agricultural invasions in order to increase output to meet consumer demand.

The video also highlights human higher brain function and the role of our 'enhanced' intelligence compared to the wildlife around us, and how this should be utilised to better the world around us, for it has enabled us to advance technologically within our society. This again demonstrates the decoupling of mankind from nature, and as true as it may be, I feel that the more we forget about our association with nature, invasions will continue to take place, with more unintentional introductions taking place and the loss of species globally.

However, watch it and see how thought provoking it is for yourself from an ecologist point of view and perhaps about how the anthropocene is different with respect to extinction events.