Colonization During Colonialism: Developing a Framework to Assess the Rapid Ecological Transformation of Mauritius’s Pristine Ecosystem

The colonization of Mauritius exemplifies the role played by humans in altering ecosystems remote oceanic islands. This paper focuses on how we study those islands first colonized under global mantle colonialism. Here aim to provide a framework for historical ecological investigations disentangle processes, impacts, and outcomes during colonialism, considering local, regional, drivers. provides review existing literature, outlines proposed research program encompassing paleoecology, paleoclimatology, archeology, history, offers details potential sites. We present “historical ecology” as aid future work, argue that refined understanding impact human can help create nuanced chronology environmental degradation typifies Mauritius. Such detailed assessment is necessary inform contemporary conservation efforts. Finally, narratives changing practice construct “usable pasts,” often missing from records, multicultural populace island.