Today I was thinking philosophically for fun about the food chain.
There is a human "macho" mindset that being at the top of the food chain is the best thing.
However, animals at the top of food chains with limited diets are actually extremely vulnerable. Any disruption along a long chain below can be disastrous. When your food depends on other food that depends on other food weather events and species anomalies can drastically reduce your food availability. Animals at the top like lions and sharks have to chase after prey that is chasing after other prey and therefore have to move more often, are more likely to have to become nomadic and may not be adapted to eating food further down the chain like plants and seaweed.
Perhaps bears are the animal that have best placed themselves on the food chain as they are quite happy to eat berries but will gratuitously also dine on fish and carcasses when available, and due to their size they have no natural predators except humans due to technology.
Likewise, humans, as we are larger than most have few predators, and have negated all predators due to technology. Human tribes that choose to only eat meat/fish have had limited success, while human tribes that are more or all vegetarian have become very successful due to the technology of our agriculture and have 'flourished' for the most part. The exception has become unsuccessful agricultural management. Examples include Soviet famines due to poor or fast changing agricultural management, and lower quality agricultural management that causes food poisoning like listeria outbreaks in spinach and lettuce.
Perhaps viruses and bacteria are now humans' most dangerous 'predators' due to the length of time it takes our [medical] technology to find ways of defeating them.
Also I find interesting on the food chain are the detritivores. I am sure I am not classifying these correctly but they are organisms that in the wild prey on dead organisms such as vultures and mushrooms. Even wild dogs prey majoritively upon carcasses, like vultures. Are the detritivores the true top of the food chain?
There are also many mushrooms, along with moss and lichens, that prey upon live plants. Would these plants be considered very un-vegan?
There are carnivorous plants too, which eat insects; is it un-vegan to eat carnivorous plants? Or would being a vegan eating carnivorous detritivore plants be the ultimate place at the top of the food chain?
There is a human "macho" mindset that being at the top of the food chain is the best thing.
However, animals at the top of food chains with limited diets are actually extremely vulnerable. Any disruption along a long chain below can be disastrous. When your food depends on other food that depends on other food weather events and species anomalies can drastically reduce your food availability. Animals at the top like lions and sharks have to chase after prey that is chasing after other prey and therefore have to move more often, are more likely to have to become nomadic and may not be adapted to eating food further down the chain like plants and seaweed.
Perhaps bears are the animal that have best placed themselves on the food chain as they are quite happy to eat berries but will gratuitously also dine on fish and carcasses when available, and due to their size they have no natural predators except humans due to technology.
Likewise, humans, as we are larger than most have few predators, and have negated all predators due to technology. Human tribes that choose to only eat meat/fish have had limited success, while human tribes that are more or all vegetarian have become very successful due to the technology of our agriculture and have 'flourished' for the most part. The exception has become unsuccessful agricultural management. Examples include Soviet famines due to poor or fast changing agricultural management, and lower quality agricultural management that causes food poisoning like listeria outbreaks in spinach and lettuce.
Perhaps viruses and bacteria are now humans' most dangerous 'predators' due to the length of time it takes our [medical] technology to find ways of defeating them.
Also I find interesting on the food chain are the detritivores. I am sure I am not classifying these correctly but they are organisms that in the wild prey on dead organisms such as vultures and mushrooms. Even wild dogs prey majoritively upon carcasses, like vultures. Are the detritivores the true top of the food chain?
There are also many mushrooms, along with moss and lichens, that prey upon live plants. Would these plants be considered very un-vegan?
There are carnivorous plants too, which eat insects; is it un-vegan to eat carnivorous plants? Or would being a vegan eating carnivorous detritivore plants be the ultimate place at the top of the food chain?
