I just came accross an interesting bit of information regarding the little ice age. A couple of contributing factors may have been population decreases in Europe (probably due to the Great Famine of 1315–17) resulting in reforestation in Europe and post contact population decreases in the Americas (which are acknowledged to have been massive) resulting in reforestation in the 16th / 17th centuries.
The Great Famine resulted in the deaths of large numbers of people throughout Europe which was exacerbated by the Black Death which struck the weakened population later.
The Americas suffered massive depopulation due to diseases brought by Europeans. Assuming that there was large scale agricultural activity prior to contact (an assumption that has growing support) reforestation would have occurred as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
http://www.eh-resources.org/timeline/timeline_lia.html
Please try not to get bogged down in the reasons the effects of the CE were reduced. The question is about the effects, not the cause. A chance for some educated speculation on the potential course of history.
The Great Famine resulted in the deaths of large numbers of people throughout Europe which was exacerbated by the Black Death which struck the weakened population later.
The Americas suffered massive depopulation due to diseases brought by Europeans. Assuming that there was large scale agricultural activity prior to contact (an assumption that has growing support) reforestation would have occurred as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
Decreased human populations
Some researchers have proposed that human influences on climate began earlier than is normally supposed (see Early anthropocene for more details) and that major population declines in Eurasia and the Americas reduced this impact, leading to a cooling trend. William Ruddiman has proposed that somewhat reduced populations of Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East during and after the Black Death caused a decrease in agricultural activity. He suggests reforestation took place, allowing more carbon dioxide uptake from the atmosphere, which may have been a factor in the cooling noted during the Little Ice Age. Ruddiman further hypothesizes that a reduced population in the Americas after European contact in the early sixteenth century could have had a similar effect.[78][79] Faust, Gnecco, Mannstein and Stamm (2005)[80] and Nevle (2011)[81] supported depopulation in the Americas as a factor, asserting that humans had cleared considerable amounts of forests to support agriculture in the Americas before the arrival of Europeans brought on a population collapse. A 2008 study of sediment cores and soil samples further suggests that carbon dioxide uptake via reforestation in the Americas could have contributed to the Little Ice Age.[82] The depopulation is linked to a drop in carbon dioxide levels observed at Law Dome, Antarctica.[80"
Some also cite the advances in technology resulting from the need to cope with the conditions of the LIA in Europe as partially contributing to the age of exploration.
http://www.eh-resources.org/timeline/timeline_lia.html
"The period was characterised by the expansion of European trade and the formation of European sea born Empires. This was directly linked to advances in technology harnessing more of nature's power and towards the end of the period fossil-fuelled power."
For the sake of argument, let's make the assumption that the effects of the Colombian Exchange on the Americas was greatly reduced. How might things have changed if, for some reason, the population reduction in the Americas was relatively minor?
Please try not to get bogged down in the reasons the effects of the CE were reduced. The question is about the effects, not the cause. A chance for some educated speculation on the potential course of history.
