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Citation
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HERO ID
4604
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Human domination of Earth's ecosystems
Author(s)
Vitousek, PM; Mooney, HA; Lubchenco, J; Melillo, JM
Year
1997
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Science
ISSN:
0036-8075
EISSN:
1095-9203
Volume
277
Issue
5325
Page Numbers
494-499
DOI
10.1126/science.277.5325.494
Web of Science Id
WOS:A1997XM86700030
URL
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.277.5325.494
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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.
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