Human domination of Earth’s ecosystems-英文文献.pdfVIP

Human Domination of Earths Ecosystems Peter M. Vitousek, Harold A. Mooney, Jane Lubchenco, Jerry M. Melillo Human alteration of Earth is substantial and growing. Between one-third and one-half interact with the atmosphere, with aquatic of the land surface has been transformed by human action; the carbon dioxide con- systems, and with surrounding land. More- centration in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 30 percent since the beginning of over, land trallsformation interacts strongly the Industrial Revolution; more atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by humanity than by all with most other components of global en- natural terrestrial sources combined; more than half of all accessible surface fresh water rironmental change. is put to use by humanity; and about one-quarter of the bird species on Earth have been T h e measurement of land transforma- driven to extinction. By these and other standards, it is clear that we live on a human- tion o n a global scale is challenging; chang- dominated planet. es can be measured more or less straightfor- wardly at a eiven site, but it is difficult to aggregate these changes regionally and glo- ballv. In contrast to analvses of human al- A11 organisms modify th