Talk:Underpopulation

Is there a single example of underpopulation happening on a wide scale anywhere in history, or is underpopulation just a purely theoretical concept? --Xyzzyplugh 21:09, 10 February 2006 (UTC)

Yes and no. Underpopulation happens when the ecosystem can support more people than are alive. Europe was under populated for maybe a hundred years after the Black Death of the bubonic plague of the 14th century.

It was horrible. the peasants were actually needed fields that were usually tilled by the slave labor of the feudal system, now were given away because everyone had enough to eat. The remaining people ate better, lived longer and had more kids, until the awful plague of underpopulation was over.

In our own time try and imagine a world with half as many people. There would be too many cars, too many houses, and too much oil or the remaining people would have more resources what a horrible thing.

Booksellers could only sell half as many books, stock markets could only sell half as much stock.

Underpopulation can also occur when the ecosystem has been destroyed by abuse. This occurred on Easter Island probably sometime during the 17th and 19th centuries. See Carrying capacity

How much of this should be moved to the article? Lee Wells 02:55, 18 June 2006 (UTC)