Population ecology as it applies to our current crisises.

I would like to explore something for a moment. If something like this has already been posted, please direct me.

I firmly believe that we can not sustain life as it is currently. I studied to be a wildlife biologist and I remember when I took population ecology that it hit me like a ton of bricks, things were reaching a threshold that was going to cause catastrophy.

In a predator/prey model, (for us the prey is both $$ and food) when the predator population gets too large, it causes the prey population to crash (too many mouths, not enough food), thus causing its own population to crash (not enough food - starvation). Another aspect to this is disease. when a population gets too large for an area, starvation sets in and causes immune systems to drop and disease to spread, easily as fellow predators are in close proximity.

BTW, after a crash, when the prey population stabalizes and then grows, so will the predator poulations, as it should so that the prey population can stay healthy.

Now... I had a light bulb go off this afternoon when I read a post in a thread in another forum: My Catastrophic "Malthusian Event" explained...

Locusts... grasshoppers... Why would these increase in our day of age of pesticide happy people?

Two ways:
1. resistance
2. predator loss

Resistance is happening, no doubt about it (I work in Agriculture now, and the companies are finally admitting this.... INCLUDING ROUNDUP!!!! and yes, I kow RoundUp is an herbicide)

What is a natural predator of these insects???

BIRDS

Yup, you got the picture.

(and, yes... I know that birds are not their only predators.)

I do agree with you in that the Earth definitely has its carrying capacity. But remember, humans are the only organisms on earth that eat almost everything. I doubt we will run out of things to 'eat' anytime soon. Even if there is a food shortage, it would be of the things that we are used to eating. Soon enough, humans will find a way to eat other plants and animals as well. Perhaps even tree bark, who knows. And in no way am I saying that this is a good thing.

But all in all, fresh water will definitely be fought over in the future.

ah, but food costs money... which was more what I was getting at. An economic collapse will come first, I think.