The Winners And The Losers

The Winners:Our demise would be good news for many species. Below is a small sample of the animals and plants that would benefit from the disappearance of humans.BIRDS: Without skyscrapers and power lines to fly into, at least a billion birds would avoid breaking their necks every year.TREES: In New York, oaks and maples, along with the invasive Chinese ailanthus, would claim the city.MOSQUITOES: As extermination efforts cease and wetlands rebound, great clouds of the insects would feed on other wildlife.FERAL HOUSE CATS: They would probably do well dining on small mammals and birds in the posthuman world.And The LosersNo doubt about it: our parasites and livestock would miss us. Below is a list of species that would probably suffer as a result of our disappearance.DOMESTICATED CATTLE: They would become a delicious steak dinner for mountain lions, coyotes and other predators.RATS: Bereft of our garbage, they would either starve or be eaten by raptors nesting in fallen buildings.COCKROACHES: Without heated buildings to help them survive the winter, they would disappear from temperate regions.HEAD LICE: Because these insects are so specifically adapted to humans, our demise would lead to their extinction.