What is the basis for the author’s arguments?

Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England focuses on re-creating the environment of New England at the time of the Europeans’ arrival and critiquing the colonists’ interaction with the ecosystem. The author argues that the early stages of capitalism are evident in this interaction, and he seeks to set the record straight about the Europeans arriving to encounter a virgin land that “had existed for eons uninfluenced by human hands.” Moreover, he seeks to discredit the myth of the Native American as the “original environmentalist.” What is the basis for the author’s arguments? Is he successful in proving his points? In responding to your peers, examine what long-term fears the author believes his thesis holds for the future.