Mann writes about how the Indians shaped and altered their land to suit their needs. The Indians used fire and rich soil, “black earth”, to do so. Mann writes “ Indians were the Keystone species of American ecosystems...removing them, results in a relatively significant shift…”. A keystone Species is a species that “affects the survival and abundance of many other species”. Evidence suggests the “black earth” covers ten percent of Amazonia. When the Indians were populous, they kept down the populations of animals by hunting them. Once diseases killed the Indians, there was a great boom in the animals populations and their now vast habitats. This provides a reason for Hernando de Soto’s expedition not encountering any bison, while later, when the French traveled down the Mississippi hey encountered bison.
Mann also writes about the Indians Great population. It's estimated that the western …show more content…
The author also writes about an opinion on the topic of American Indians that are less commonly thought of when one comprehends Indians. The author writes in a style that engages the reader and alters with fact and opinion. The author’s arguments about the Indians lifestyle before Europeans is both logical and plausible. The author provides reasoning that appeals to the topic. The author differentiates between fact and opinion, as well as citing sources used. “1491” also includes other researchers opinions on the topic as well as their reasonings behind