With the passing of the years and the visible consequences, it has been demonstrated that human beings are “lethal” to the rest of the planet’s species.
For centuries, humans have interacted with the environment and biodiversity to meet their needs, ranging from obtaining food and energy to building infrastructures and developing technologies.
However, the accelerated pace of economic and industrial growth in recent decades has profoundly transformed this relationship.
### Why is the human being “lethal” for other species?
Thus, we have shifted from a relatively balanced coexistence to an [unbridled exploitation of natural resources](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/perdida-de-biodiversidad-en-argentina-especies-en-peligro-y-soluciones-urgentes/).
Urban expansion, the [intensive use of fossil fuels](#), and industrialization have caused unprecedented changes in Earth’s ecosystems and climate.
What were once believed to be inexhaustible resources, such as [forests, oceans, and biodiversity](#), are now in danger due to human actions.
Even these transformations not only affect fauna and flora but also directly impact human life, endangering health, [food security](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/la-mala-salud-de-los-oceanos-amenaza-la-seguridad-alimentaria/), and the availability of vital resources such as water and clean air.
In the face of this reality, understanding the impact of activities on nature is more crucial than ever.
### Is the human species a predator?
Faced with this issue, a new way of measuring the impact of human activity has emerged: the concept of **dark diversity**, which refers to the identification of [potential species](#) that could live in a particular place but are absent.
The most comprehensive study on this topic was published in the journal *Nature*. The study analyzed vegetation records from 5500 locations in 119 regions worldwide, revealing the impact of human activities on natural vegetation.
This impact would not have been detected with traditional methods. The results show that in regions with little human impact, ecosystems [contain over a third of potential species](#) while other species remain absent due to natural reasons such as limited dispersion.
In contrast, in regions heavily affected by human activities, ecosystems only contain one out of every five potential species.
Traditional biodiversity measurements, such as counting the number of recorded species, did not detect this impact. This is because the natural variation in biodiversity among regions and ecosystems masked the true extent of human activities, according to researchers.
The data obtained is the result of work carried out globally, coordinated by the University of Tartu through the international collaborative network DarkDivNet.
With the participation of over 200 researchers, the study analyzed plants in [more than 5000 locations in a hundred regions](#) worldwide.
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