Dispersal, Adoption, Rejection: The Columbian Exchange and the West Pacific

Abstract The study of historic ecological exchange is a multidisciplinary pursuit between paleoecology, history, and archaeology. This special collection and introduction explore ecological exchange between approximately 1500 and 1700 CE in the West Pacific, specifically in the Japanese and Philippine Archipelagos as well as littoral China. Rather than focusing exclusively on the introduction of exotic flora and fauna, the introduction and collection emphasize the dispersal, adoption, and—at times—rejection of imported species. In the process, the collection exhibits the array of techniques available to study past exchanges and the need for further research on this topic and region.