Teemingness provides a vital conceptual tool for the Anthropocene. By shifting our focus from the "abundance" of resources to the "teemingness" of active, swarming life, we can move toward a more inclusive and ecologically grounded version of human existence—one that acknowledges our existence as "unique moist packages of animated soil".
: Recognizing the agency of teeming microbial worlds humbles the human ego, positioning us as "holobionts" (entire organisms) that are constantly "intra-acting" with a multitude of other life forms.
: Rooted in the Old English teman (to give birth), teemingness was originally associated with fertility and pregnancy. teemingness
While "teemingness" is often used as a synonym for abundance or profusion, it carries a distinct focus on the . The following paper explores this concept as a vital lens for understanding ecological health and human-environmental interconnectedness.
While "abundance" implies a surplus of passive material, "teemingness" denotes a state of being full of . Teemingness provides a vital conceptual tool for the
This paper argues for a transition in ecological discourse from "abundance"—a quantitative measure of resources—to "teemingness," a qualitative recognition of the active, interdependent swarming of life. By examining the "teemingness" of the virosphere and soil ecosystems, we can decenter human agency and recognize the complex "bioinfrastructure" that sustains planetary life. 1. Defining Teemingness: Beyond Abundance
: Soil is increasingly framed not just as a medium for production but as a "bioinfrastructure" teeming with unloved entities like chytrids (algae-like fungi) that perform essential molecular labor in waste decomposition. : Rooted in the Old English teman (to
: Unlike "copiousness," which describes a static supply, teemingness specifically refers to entities—often living—that are swarming or moving .