Introduction: Historical Perspectives on Bioinvasions in the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

This chapter introduces the main themes of the book and states its aims and scope. It defines and provides an overview of the study region, discussing the biophysical and historiographical dimensions of defining a ‘Mediterranean region’. Key polemics arising in debates over how to think about bioinvasions are considered, and the editors’ positions clarified. An overview of the book’s ten chapters follows, informing a concluding discussion on directions for future study of bioinvasions in the Mediterranean region.