History of invasions

Today, biological invasions are considered one of the greatest challenges facing the world. However, the history of invasion is as old as the human species. The big change over time has been the speed at which species have been spread.

Let's start by reviewing the history of invasions, as summarised in the timeline below, and detailed in Reading 1.1, The Great Mixers: Transportation Technology and the Spread of Invasive Species by Van Driesch and Van Driesch (2000).

Explore the timeline below (click on the graphic to open a new window and click on the dates), to examine the period of time in history, the mode of invasion and its impact. Then complete Reading 1.1.

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As you will have discovered from the timeline and reading, there are many motivations for transporting species within and between continents, and in Australia we have rapidly transformed the native biota in the 200 years since European colonisation.

We now have to live with and adapt to the consequences, such as the devastation caused by rabbits and foxes.

What was the reasoning behind such introductions?

For insight behind many of the early introductions to Australia, please read To our Heart's Content: The Mad Dream of Acclimatisers in Reading 1.2, by Low (1999).

However the deliberate introduction of species into Australia was not just limited to the colonial era. Cook and Dias (2006) detail the history of deliberate plant introductions by the Australian government agencies in the 20th Century (see Reading 1.3).

 

• Introduction
• History of Invasions
• Australian species as invaders
• Developing a definition of invasive species
• Why worry about globalisation?

 

• Activity 1.1
• Activity 1.2
• Reading List

 

• Assignment 1