When Europeans arrived in the Americas during the 15th and 16th centuries, they brought colonial rule but also diseases that wiped out most local populations, many of whom were farmers. The theory goes that fewer numbers of locals meant less land cultivation, and this could have caused forests to grow back. A new study says we need to re-think this theory...

http://researchstoryteller.com/espressoknowledge/history-can-help-conserve-tropical-forests