Editing Ecosystem engineer (section)

==Humans as ecosystem engineers==
Humans are thought to be the most dramatic ecosystem engineers. [[Niche construction]] has been prevalent since the earliest days of human activity.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Smith|first=Bruce D.|date=30 March 2007|title=The Ultimate Ecosystem Engineers|journal=Science|language=en|volume=315|issue=5820|pages=1797–1798|doi=10.1126/science.1137740|issn=0036-8075|pmid=17395815|s2cid=21409034}}</ref> Through urban development, agricultural practices, logging, damming and mining, humans have changed the way they interact with the environment. 
This interaction is more studied in the field of [[human ecology]]. Considered both as an allogenic and autogenic engineers, humans do not necessarily fit into either category of ecosystem engineers.<ref name=":04"/> Humans are able to mimic autogenic effects as well as implement their own allogenic effects.<ref name=":04" /> Air-conditioning is one prime example of the way humans mimic autogenic effects<ref name=":04" />

Due to the complexity of many communities and ecosystems, restoration projects are often difficult. Ecosystem engineers have been proposed as a means to restore a given area to its previous state. While ideally these would all be natural agents, with today's level of development some form of human intervention may be necessary as well. In addition to being able to assist in [[restoration ecology]], ecosystem engineers may be a helpful agent in [[invasive species]] management.<ref name= Byers>{{cite journal | last1 = Byers | first1 = James E | display-authors = etal  | year = 2006 | title = Using ecosystem engineers to restore ecological systems | journal = Ecology and Evolution | volume = 21 | issue = 9| pages = 493–500 | doi=10.1016/j.tree.2006.06.002| pmid = 16806576 | bibcode = 2006TEcoE..21..493B }}</ref> New fields are developing which focus on restoring those ecosystems which have been disrupted or destroyed by human activities as well as developing ecosystems that are sustainable with both human and ecological values.<ref name= Mitsch>{{cite journal | last1 = Mitsch | first1 = William J | year = 2012 | title = What is ecological engineering? | journal = Ecological Engineering | volume = 45 | pages = 5–12 | doi=10.1016/j.ecoleng.2012.04.013| bibcode = 2012EcEng..45....5M | s2cid = 145370880 }}</ref>