>>213837626
should be noted that there was some degree of deforestation prior to contact with the west and some loss of biodiversity, the easter islanders weren't some perfect people that lived in pure harmony
but they adapted to it reasonably well using techniques to gather rainwater around fruit trees and planting various crops (including interestingly some south-american crops) that were suited for the less dense tree coverage
they also always lived close to the carry capacity of the island simply because of how small it was, so their population after a boom following the initial colonization stayed fairly level
but it was nowhere near a failed society prior to the destruction by smallpox and subsequent colonization, they just really loved carving statues out of stone and had the spare time for it since due to being a homogeneous island society they had no real competition or need for warfare
however as said before these agricultural techniques they practiced were good at providing a small-ish population with a varied diet, they were absolutely useless for any large scale export, hence why after colonization it was mostly turned into grassland for feeding livestock
