quote:
The implication is that everything was so perfect ecologically that the pests were no problem and that there was so much plush fruit et al that there was no problem of shortage so far as reseeding.
But, "pest" is such a loaded term.
If there aren't any thorns, things that would eat roses and raspberries would eat them all.
Thorns are good for the berries, but bad for the caterpillars.
Being bad-tasting is good for caterpillars but bad for the birds that would eat them and feed them to their young.
...etc.
Everything is consumed, and if it is to survive, everything develops some kind of defense against being completely (as, in a whole species) consumed by something else.
Bad things happen in a ecosystem in which there are no checks or balances among the various organisms.
Ever hear of kudsu?