Re: After the flares are over, the Big Chill?
Which brings up a thought experiment of mine. How many species would it take to create a bare bones ecosystem for Human survival? 500 species? 1,000 species?
Let's say that life in the galaxy is not common, but very rare. Now let's say that we find an Earth sized planet in the habitable zone around a sun like star, and it's completely lifeless. What would be the barest number of species needed to allow Humans to live on that planet? Which organisms would you seed the planet with if you only had room for 1,000 species?