Another one bites the dust: Mandan

[Zaarin]

Again, if you want a biological parallel, you can look at prairie restoration efforts in the USA. This is the most heavily compromised biome in North America; 98% of our original prairie habitat has been lost. Now there are dozens of efforts across several states and provinces to "restore" prairie habitat. But even after decades of cultivation, this restored prairie does not have the same biodiversity as the original habitat. It may never. (We're not far along enough in our efforts to tell.) That doesn't mean it's not worth trying, but we have to be clear about the inherent limits of such an enterprise.

In this particular situation, it doesn't help that the overwhelming majority of New World grasses couldn't compete with invasive Old World grasses. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do recall it was over 90% of New World grasses went extinct in the wake of the Columbian Exchange. (One sees similar problems with Scotch broom taking over in the PNW, or European rowans out-competing American mountain-ash in New England and introducing new diseases to them to boot [doesn't that sound familiar]...) All in all, the New World definitely got the short end of the Columbian Exchange. The New World introduced some of the most important food crops in the world to the Old World in addition to a number of luxury goods like chocolate, cashews, brazilwood, tobacco, cochineal, and vanilla; in return they received virulent diseases, an incredible reduction in biodiversity, and draft animals (there's your silver lining!). :/

[Vijay]

In this particular situation, it doesn't help that the overwhelming majority of New World grasses couldn't compete with invasive Old World grasses. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do recall it was over 90% of New World grasses went extinct in the wake of the Columbian Exchange. (One sees similar problems with Scotch broom taking over in the PNW, or European rowans out-competing American mountain-ash in New England and introducing new diseases to them to boot [doesn't that sound familiar]...)

Isn't that still happening now, where Old World plants (and animals) are threatening New World plants (and animals)? (Was that what you were referring to between parentheses?).

All in all, the New World definitely got the short end of the Columbian Exchange. The New World introduced some of the most important food crops in the world to the Old World in addition to a number of luxury goods like chocolate, cashews, brazilwood, tobacco, cochineal, and vanilla; in return they received virulent diseases, an incredible reduction in biodiversity, and draft animals (there's your silver lining!). :/

And meat (including from non-draft animals) and sugar and bananas. And cotton, right?

[Zaarin]

In this particular situation, it doesn't help that the overwhelming majority of New World grasses couldn't compete with invasive Old World grasses. I don't remember the exact figure, but I do recall it was over 90% of New World grasses went extinct in the wake of the Columbian Exchange. (One sees similar problems with Scotch broom taking over in the PNW, or European rowans out-competing American mountain-ash in New England and introducing new diseases to them to boot [doesn't that sound familiar]...)

Isn't that still happening now, where Old World plants (and animals) are threatening New World plants (and animals)? (Was that what you were referring to between parentheses?).

Yes, it's still happening and that was what I was referring to in parentheses.

All in all, the New World definitely got the short end of the Columbian Exchange. The New World introduced some of the most important food crops in the world to the Old World in addition to a number of luxury goods like chocolate, cashews, brazilwood, tobacco, cochineal, and vanilla; in return they received virulent diseases, an incredible reduction in biodiversity, and draft animals (there's your silver lining!). :/

And meat (including from non-draft animals) and sugar and bananas. And cotton, right?

Cotton is native to both hemispheres, but I'm reasonably certain Indian cotton ultimately supplanted American cotton; at any rate, it certainly wasn't American cotton that they were growing in plantations in the South. As for animals, Native Americans seemed okay with cattle (particularly in the Southwest many Native Americans took to cattle and sheep herding, mostly "appropriated" from the Spanish and, to a lesser extent, the Americans), but most regarded pigs as one of the worst evils introduced to the New World by white people because of their destructive impact on the environment (so there's that cloud again). :p

[alynnidalar]

most regarded pigs as one of the worst evils introduced to the New World by white people because of their destructive impact on the environment (so there's that cloud again). :p

Interesting--I read recently that some native Americans actually preferred to raise pigs to sheep/cattle because of how easy they were to take care of (let them feed in the woods and feed them scraps--no need for pasture).

[Vijay]

When I was growing up, I used to play with this CD program called "Explorers of the New World" where they claimed that the Aztecs liked pork because it reminded them of the taste of human flesh. Then when I was in grad school, I mentioned this to a colleague of mine who was working on a variety of Chatino in Oaxaca, and he was like "oh, I thought it reminded them of peccaries."

[Zaarin]

most regarded pigs as one of the worst evils introduced to the New World by white people because of their destructive impact on the environment (so there's that cloud again). :p

Interesting--I read recently that some native Americans actually preferred to raise pigs to sheep/cattle because of how easy they were to take care of (let them feed in the woods and feed them scraps--no need for pasture).

Maybe it depends on region? I know most of the tribes in New England and the Southeast regarded them as a blight that would trample and devour their gardens (which certainly didn't help already strained relations with the settlers in those regions). The colonists' refusal to restrain their pigs was among the factors leading up to King Philip's War.