I thought chestnuts were a primary food source of the passenger pigeon. When a disease caused the near extinction of the American Chestnut, the loss of a primary food source likely hurt their survival too.
Before we bring back extinct species we should perform many macro-biological, microbial, hydrological, soil, and even at mospheric studies to see what species do to alter current states that are more or less at equilibrium. Extreme caution is in order. A prolific species like the pigeons might out-compete current species in the same niches and drive them to extinction. Current conditions are far different than those of the mid 1800s. Caveat resurrector!
Recreating the passenger pigeon would be marvelous. To thrive these birds are like herring. They require large populations. The pigeons will not increase carbon drawdown because first there must be much more vegetation to support the growing pigeon population. The passenger pigeon went extinct after WW1 when artificial fertizers were first spread across fields. Farmers, not hunters, saw immediate changes to bird flocks that used to settle on their fields. The Farm Bill with support for organic practices must be passed before birds can find adequate forage to increase populations.
What a great topic for a story! So much to work with!
I thought chestnuts were a primary food source of the passenger pigeon. When a disease caused the near extinction of the American Chestnut, the loss of a primary food source likely hurt their survival too.
Before we bring back extinct species we should perform many macro-biological, microbial, hydrological, soil, and even at mospheric studies to see what species do to alter current states that are more or less at equilibrium. Extreme caution is in order. A prolific species like the pigeons might out-compete current species in the same niches and drive them to extinction. Current conditions are far different than those of the mid 1800s. Caveat resurrector!
Recreating the passenger pigeon would be marvelous. To thrive these birds are like herring. They require large populations. The pigeons will not increase carbon drawdown because first there must be much more vegetation to support the growing pigeon population. The passenger pigeon went extinct after WW1 when artificial fertizers were first spread across fields. Farmers, not hunters, saw immediate changes to bird flocks that used to settle on their fields. The Farm Bill with support for organic practices must be passed before birds can find adequate forage to increase populations.