Same goes for earthworms, and for spiders. Especially if you include all the microscopic mites, which are arachnids too. It is believed that earthworms outweigh all the other earthly animal life forms put together! Not surprising in fact, when you consider how essential they are to soils, therefore to all non-marine life. They are, literally, a part of Earth's living soil. ("Living soil": pun intended!)
Back to ants, they're insects, unlike mites and spiders. It is also believed that insects outnumber all other life forms, in number of species. Well, perhaps excepting bacteria and other unicellular life forms. Perhaps.
Bacteria... we are about 6½ billion humans. On and inside each of us, there are about 100,000 times as many bacteria. And unlike US, they're not jeaopardizing THEIR environment: that figure is for normal, healthy and clean average Westerners! Truth is, without these symbiotic bacteria inhabiting us, we couldn't survive. Even inside a bubble. Bacteria help our digestion, they provide us with vital vitamins B12 and K, and are our #1 line of defense against HARMFUL outer germs. Only when our body is neglected, in an abnormal state, or when they penetrate a deep enough wound, do our own normal bacteria become any problem at all. They also decompose us when we die, which is most icky to us but very useful to the planet.
Same goes for earthworms, and for spiders. Especially if you include all the microscopic mites, which are arachnids too.
ReplyDeleteIt is believed that earthworms outweigh all the other earthly animal life forms put together! Not surprising in fact, when you consider how essential they are to soils, therefore to all non-marine life. They are, literally, a part of Earth's living soil. ("Living soil": pun intended!)
Back to ants, they're insects, unlike mites and spiders. It is also believed that insects outnumber all other life forms, in number of species. Well, perhaps excepting bacteria and other unicellular life forms. Perhaps.
Bacteria... we are about 6½ billion humans. On and inside each of us, there are about 100,000 times as many bacteria. And unlike US, they're not jeaopardizing THEIR environment: that figure is for normal, healthy and clean average Westerners!
Truth is, without these symbiotic bacteria inhabiting us, we couldn't survive. Even inside a bubble.
Bacteria help our digestion, they provide us with vital vitamins B12 and K, and are our #1 line of defense against HARMFUL outer germs. Only when our body is neglected, in an abnormal state, or when they penetrate a deep enough wound, do our own normal bacteria become any problem at all.
They also decompose us when we die, which is most icky to us but very useful to the planet.