Dear colleagues,

The idea that much went from Europe into North America, with little
travelling the reverse way, is widespread (see "Ecological imperialism" and
allies).  However, I am affraid it needs to be subject to a closer
examination.  For example, what were the British vessels taking into
Charleston harbor?  Stones.  In exchange of all kinds of goods, mostly
natural resources with plenty of tramp species.  We are slowly learning
that several common European snails are indeed American natives: Physa
acuta, "Toltecia pusilla"...  The counterpart of the starling, equally away
of any logic, is the gray squirrel -in addition of the muskrat, the
white-tailed deer, and so on.  Corbicula also, for it went into the US from
China in the first place.  So, I agree that much has been transported
between Europe and North America, but I am not sure in which sense most of
the exotic species were carried over (at least until the glasnost and the
Soviet invasion of the Great Lakes).

Best,

Cristian R. Altaba

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