(September 23, 2016 at 7:02 pm)Huggy74 Wrote:

(September 23, 2016 at 6:52 pm)Expired Wrote: Here is an answer from an atheist Huggy, I don't care, I'm not scared, I don't give a fuck what your stupid fucking book says, I don't give a fucking fuck. so in short I'm not interested in your fucking shit.

Except I haven't mentioned the bible or anything religious for that matter.

You don't have to. And yes  I am fucking mad.

(September 23, 2016 at 6:59 pm)Gemini Wrote:

(September 23, 2016 at 6:54 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: What I said could be easily substantiated, apparently you think so to since you disagree.

So I'm asking WHY do you disagree... Got it?

Here's the part you failed to understand. Why does a system of interacting organisms entail that all organisms play an essential role in the operation of the system? You're the one claiming all species other than humans are essential. What essential role to cuttlefish play, pray tell? Would the entire ecosystem collapse if they went extinct?

I love the cuttlefish, I should mention. But you should stop this nonsense. The ecosystem is natural and undesigned and in no way dependent on every species.

*emphasis mine*

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sepia_officinalis/

Quote:Ecosystem Roles

Sepia officinalis is highly active, grows quickly and expends high amounts of energy per reproductive effort. In order to meet its energetic needs, a cuttlefish will eat voraciously. Therefore, cuttlefish play an important ecological role as consumers. Because they eat a wide variety of prey and can be highly mobile, cuttlefish can fill a broad and flexible ecological niche.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_(food_chain)

Quote:Consumers dominate most part of an ecosystem. Consumers have important roles to play within an ecosystem such as balancing the food chain by keeping animal populations at a reasonable number. Without proper balance, an ecosystem can collapse and cause the decline of all affected species. This will lead to a severely disrupted ecosystem and a nonfunctional consumer web.

Now kindly sit down and shut up.

---

(September 23, 2016 at 6:59 pm)Stimbo Wrote: @Huggy

Then substantiate it.

I already did, apparently you're too lazy to go back a few pages.

Damnit Huggy. Just when I was getting used to the goalposts being where they were.

Dear Believers, life has exactly the same meaning for you as it does for us. You just don't want to admit it.

@GMan / Huggy

(September 23, 2016 at 7:10 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: Damnit Huggy.  Just when I was getting used to the goalposts being where they were.

what goal post did I move?

(September 23, 2016 at 7:07 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: Ecosystem Roles

Sepia officinalis is highly active, grows quickly and expends high amounts of energy per reproductive effort. In order to meet its energetic needs, a cuttlefish will eat voraciously. Therefore, cuttlefish play an important ecological role as consumers. Because they eat a wide variety of prey and can be highly mobile, cuttlefish can fill a broad and flexible ecological niche.

Emphasis mine. If they went extinct other consumers would fill the void. Try again, Huggy.

(September 23, 2016 at 7:14 pm)Gemini Wrote:

(September 23, 2016 at 7:07 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: Ecosystem Roles

Sepia officinalis is highly active, grows quickly and expends high amounts of energy per reproductive effort. In order to meet its energetic needs, a cuttlefish will eat voraciously. Therefore, cuttlefish play an important ecological role as consumers. Because they eat a wide variety of prey and can be highly mobile, cuttlefish can fill a broad and flexible ecological niche.

Emphasis mine. If they went extinct other consumers would fill the void. Try again, Huggy.

Uh no, that's not what it's saying.

It's flexible because it has a wide variety of prey it can consume...

(September 23, 2016 at 7:12 pm)Huggy74 Wrote:

(September 23, 2016 at 7:10 pm)Jörmungandr Wrote: Damnit Huggy.  Just when I was getting used to the goalposts being where they were.

what goal post did I move?

From essential role to important role. Not to mention that you provided a loaded interpretation of what the authors meant by important.

An ecosystem's health refers to its ability to generate new life in a cycle. That this cycle doesn't necessarily include this or that organism doesn't mean the ecosystem isn't generating new life. Ecosystems are defined by the life they contain. It's mere semantics to say that an ecosystem is worse off for the absence of this or that species. An important consumer isn't necessarily essential to an ecosystem.

(September 23, 2016 at 12:01 pm)Huggy74 Wrote: I think we're unique in the way that without us, the ecosystem would improve.

What does it mean for an ecosystem to 'improve'?