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by thelastidiot 2793 days ago
More rats and cockroaches in New York, more mosquitoes in Hawaii, more seagulls in Boston, more pigeons in San Francisco, more crows in the bay area, what is this article talking about?!
3 comments

I don't know if the population of these species is increasing globally but it seems the ones you listed are very unique in the way they relate to humans – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiosis.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that human overpopulation and profligate consumption make a few species' population to thrive (e.g if they feed on human waste, share habitats, etc) while still causing a mass-extinction event and an ecological collapse (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_extinction).

Multiple independent species have shown that in Europe, the insect biomass has dropped by more than 75% in the last 3 decades. In France, bird populations have fallen by 33+% over the last 15 years, but migratory birds are disappearing even faster (e.g the meadow pipit population has declined by nearly 70%).

edit: s/strive/thrive

> "strive" (try) -> "thrive" (succeed)

Not nit-picking, rather trying to help readers for whom English is a second language. :)

> I wouldn't be surprised to learn that human overpopulation and profligate consumption make a few species' population to strive

I can think of a few examples. Pigeons, rats, gulls, cockroaches, etc

Humans are the new ecosystem. Animals, plants, beings that live out a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with us and our imprint will thrive ... those that don't likely suffer.
But this new ecosystem would not survive on its own – e.g try feeding billions of humans without animal pollination…
There is far more wildlife in my small garden than the farmers field across the road from me.