Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Eclological Invasions by Alan Burdick.
In its native territory (Australia) the brown tree snake rarely grows over 3 feet long; on Guam, twelve foot specimens have been found; today Guam hosts more tree snakes per square mile than anywhere in the world and the bird population is nearing extinction. Should scientists be doing more than just observing these major changes to the environment? Burdick addresses the issue of what is natural and how our interference changes the course of a "naturally" homogenizing world in this thought-provoking book.
A senior editor for Discover magazine, Alan Burdick traveled the world investigating the stories scientists on the cutting edge of plant and animal invasion research. He tracked tree snakes through the thick of night and jungle on Guam and collected ballast water aboard a giant freight ship in the high seas as an experiment in tracking the trillions of microscopic animals that will be emptied in ports around the world. OUT OF EDEN gives us an eye-opening look at the homogenization of our world through the incidental import and export of animals on the backs of human transport.
For availability, visit Alan Burick's web site.