A process of biological transformation brought about, intentionally or unintentionally, by colonizers in the developing world. The classic text is A. Crosby (2004), which is well reviewed by Hody (1991) Pols & Life Scis 10, 1, 81, although she adds the rider ‘to acknowledge the impact of ecological imperialism should in no way diminish the importance and relevance of other types of imperialism’.