Mills R.

I have to disagree with Dr. Paine about humans being a keystone species. Yes humans do alter habitat and species richness, which can then affect other species abundances, but I feel that humans should not be called the greatest keystone species of all. As with beavers, humans make a suitable habitat for several other species where they decide to make their home and in the process eliminating habitat for others. Several key differences about beavers and humans make me want to say humans are something beyond a keystone species. Beavers only inhabit 2 continents in the world where as humans live on six with visitation to the 7th. Beavers only alter habitat not an entire ecosystem or global weathers. Beavers have never caused the extinction of another species and have never had another species dependent on them to keep the species from going extinct. I feel that humans because of their massive amount of influence on all species of the world have become a super species.