Passage
SUSTAINABILITY OF HOMO SAPIENS
The positioning of human beings as one of the species with the largest biomasses on earth, 1 and also as the leading influence on earth's ecosystems 2 is the result of the ecological processes which brought 3 upon their migration from the African savanna, and geographically dispersed them throughout the world. It can be said that a 4 rudimentary measure of the success of the species is its position near the top of the aggregate biomass scale. Biomass is the total mass of all 5 lively members of a species. 6 For human beings, it is a reflection of their claim on territory, and their consumption of resources as a species. It might be short-sighted to belittle the success of an emerging species or breed for being small in number if it is evident that the members of the species are elegant and well-adjusted.
7 Unfortunately, the ability to adapt one's habitat to the largest ecosystem, while still retaining the flexibility to deal with local demands on the population may be considered high art in the annals of successful adaptation. It is here that human beings have had nearly unparalleled success (insects being larger in worldwide biomass). 8 As a result, human beings exist in huge numbers. It is the fact that human beings have remained in a 9 generally undifferentiated form that allows them to rank high as a single successful species. The whole world has been 10 tenanted with life.
11 Human beings are considered unique as they retain their forms as they travel from environment to environment. Historically, human beings, like all organisms, may be driven into new areas, or a new environment may spring up around 12 them as a result of drought, competition or geological changes. 13 Still, human beings have been able to adjust their behavior sufficiently to avoid 14 having nature make such extensive piecemeal adjustments to them that entirely distinct workable alternatives of the same model occupy the new space. 15
