The Biological Expansion of Europe

Ecological imperialism is defined as the natural science of invasions which was done by the Europeans and their “portmanteau biota” plants, domestic animals, varmints, pathogens, and weeds into the temperate regions of the world. Alfred W. Crosby provides a description of biologically destructive effects of the colonial occupation which he refers to as an on-going process of ecological imperialism.

In accordance with his thesis, he affirms that colonized societies have gone through political, social, cultural alteration brought about by imperialism. Moreover, such societies have also gone through physical transformation. It is clear that the settlers’ colonies or “Neo-Europe” as Crosby refers to them have been on the receipt as a result of such an intense ecological colonization. For instance, in Eastern Canada, excessive ecological degradation in the Neo-Europe contributed to various existing environmental predicaments. An example of such problems included the lowering of the water tables. On the other hand, Crosby makes a convincing case concerning the ecological imperialism’s success as a result of biological and ecological components. He further argues that ecological imperialism was influential regarding the success of European colonization and hegemonic power over manifold regions globally (Crosby, 1988).

Unlike Canada, where ecological imperialism had both successes and predicaments, in the United States it was more of a success than a failure. As a result of the growth of the centre of the system at unsustainable rate, it contributed to capital running against ecological hurdle at a biospheric level (Crosby, 1986). Richard (1995) asserts that the situation is not likely to be overcome as it happened with the “spatial fix”. In addition, European population also exploded that of the Americans in the United States. Finally, what made it different with that of Canada is that these Neo Euros contributed to huge production of food per capita. Also, in Central America, the presence of weeds brought by Europeans was another victory of ecological imperialism.    

In conclusion, ecological imperialism as presented by Crosby (1988) is really interesting. It is a convincing fact that Europeans were successful since the places they decided to conquer had ecosystem and aboriginal inhabitants that contributed to the biology of the invaders.