As a practical matter the passenger pigeon could not coexist with agriculture. An entire years crop could and was consumed in minutes by these huge flocks. Farmers welcomed their demise. As my mother said :"We were too busy trying to get enough to eat to worry about the environment".
One point that has not been mentioned is the fact that the pigeons mated in the air. It was a very hit or miss thing and once the huge flocks were reduced their reproductive efficiency was reduced to the point of eventual extinction-much like the demographics of old Europe today.
|
Threaded Mode