# Following a path

**Published by:** [Phil Kothe ](https://paragraph.com/@phil-kothe/)
**Published on:** 2022-02-07
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@phil-kothe/following-a-path

## Content

Today, I decided to follow the “Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation” course on Coursera instead of continuing my free research on the internet. While free research is fun and provides the opportunity to dive into various different research fields, it lacks focus. The course starts with an example of the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, in which wildlife has nearly been driven to extinction as a consequence of the civil war. The civil war started after 1975 Mozambique, when gained independence from Portugal. In this power struggle, between 90-99% of the big herbivores were killed. Some for their meat, some for the ivory. Further, water resources were poisoned with mercury through gold extraction. ($BTC is at least not mined with mercury) The near-extinction of big animals had profound effects on smaller species (biotic interactions) and the natural environment (abiotic interactions). Missing pathways from larger herbivores and the lack of breaking soil with hooves changed the grassland, making it less suitable for smaller herbivores, like Oribi Antelopes. Like it is so often, one man's loss is another man's gain. Grasshoppers, for example, could thrive through the absence of competition.

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