Are humans susceptible to the kind of resource shortages that affect the populations of other species?

Humans are as much affected by shortages as any other species of plant or animal. For example, humans in general have no better capacity than other well developed animals to live without air for breathing, or with water for drinking. Rather with increasing levels of prosperity we have become much more dependent on material resource than the animals. This dependence is most marked in one activity that is most essential for sustaining the existence of human race on this earth. Humans need support of an elaborate medical system including doctors, hospitals, and medicines to give birth to a child. Animals are able to reproduce and take care of their young ones without any such resources. Besides they are able to do it under very adverse environmental conditions.

However humans do not feel the pinch of resource shortages as with aid of technology, they are able to eliminate serious resource shortages much more effectively. Humans can increase the supply of resources by better production, procurement from other far off regions, and by migration to other areas. Among these three alternatives, animals have only the third alternative of migration available to them. An even that is not easy for them. First they cannot migrate to places that are very far off. Second, they may face stiff competition for the resources and the land itself from other animals. The worst competition of this kind now comes for humans. Finally, animals have limited capacity to adjust to newer environments. They have neither warm clothing to bear excessive cold, nor air-conditioning to withstand excessive heat.

In summary we can say that humans are as much dependent on external resources as animals, but they have better capacity than other species of animals to secure the resources they need.