▁projects ▁was ▁an ▁expensive ▁but ▁important ▁method ▁of ▁raising ▁agricult ural ▁product ivity . ▁Search ing ▁for ▁more ▁efficient ▁ways ▁of ▁using ▁natural ▁resources , ▁the ▁British ▁moved ▁fl ora , ▁fa una ▁and ▁comm od ities ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁sometimes ▁resulting ▁in ▁e colog ical ▁dis ruption ▁and ▁radical ▁environmental ▁change . ▁Imperial ism ▁also ▁stim ulated ▁more ▁modern ▁att itudes ▁toward ▁nature ▁and ▁subs id ized ▁bot any ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁research . ▁ ▁Sch ol ars ▁have ▁used ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁utility ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁concept ▁of ▁e co - c ult ural ▁networks ▁as ▁a ▁l ens ▁for ▁exam ining ▁inter connected , ▁wide - r anging ▁social ▁and ▁environmental ▁processes . ▁ ▁Reg ions ▁ ▁Sur ve ys ▁of ▁the ▁whole ▁emp ire ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁the ▁six ▁volume ▁The ▁Oxford ▁Survey ▁Of ▁The ▁British ▁Empire ▁gave ▁compreh ensive ▁coverage ▁to ▁ge ography ▁and ▁society ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁Empire , ▁including ▁the ▁British ▁Is les . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁histor ians ▁have ▁t ended ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁specific ▁countries ▁or ▁regions . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁an ▁Empire ▁so ▁vast ▁was ▁a ▁challenge ▁for ▁histor ians ▁to ▁grasp ▁in ▁its ▁entire ty . ▁The ▁American ▁Lawrence ▁H . ▁Gi pson ▁( 1 8 8 0 – 1 9 7 1 ) ▁won ▁the ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁his ▁monument al ▁coverage ▁in ▁ 1 5 ▁volumes ▁of