Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems

1997/07/25 by Peter M. Vitousek, Harold A. Mooney, Jane Lubchenco +1 · 33 citations
Energy · #Global Energy and Sustainability Research

paper · doi:10.1126/science.277.5325.494

openalex publication_date 1997/07/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04

Abstract

Human alteration of Earth is substantial and growing. Between one-third and one-half of the land surface has been transformed by human action; the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased by nearly 30 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution; more atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by humanity than by all natural terrestrial sources combined; more than half of all accessible surface fresh water is put to use by humanity; and about one-quarter of the bird species on Earth have been driven to extinction. By these and other standards, it is clear that we live on a human-dominated planet.

Citations

• A review of harmful algal blooms and their apparent global increase

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