A global history of species introduction and invasion : reconciling historical and ecological paradigms

Scholars seeking to understand the history, patterns, and possible futures of biotic globalization should engage more with findings from history, ecology, and a variety of other disciplines (e.g., geography) when developing macroscale historical interpretations. A large body of ecological research suggests that there were unique ecological patterns associated with the expansion of European settler colonies. The dating of 1900, first put forward by Crosby, has been confirmed subsequently in ecology and history as a useful period to mark the shift from one phase of ecological globalization to another. That ecologists find consistent patterns of convergent ecological changes throughout the world suggests that biologic globalization as a process was based solely on human agency. It is not sufficient to discredit global patterns with single case studies of microhistory. The challenge for those who disagree with Crosby or science-informed interpretations is to offer an alternative hypothesis that engages directly (even if critically) with the argument and the evidence discussed and put forth in this chapter.