Bonhommeau et al.’s report, “Eating up the world’s food web and the human trophic level” (1), provides a valuable perspective on the role of human food consumption within the global ecosystem. However, the ranking of human beings at a similar trophic level as other animals downplays the effects that humans have on the Earth in comparison with other species. The sheer volume of food consumed by humans and our growing preference for inefficient food sources cause us to have increasingly disproportionate impacts on the global ecosystem in relation to other species, even of the same trophic level.
The importance of dietary preference is exemplified by differences …
↵1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kjfeeley{at}gmail.com.
