The destruction of the tropical forest is one of the major problems of our time. Vast areas are rapidly becoming wastelands which support only a few tough weeds, perhaps some cattle, and the farms allowed to the poor. This book provides a vision of hope: in Latin America. Africa. And South East Asia, growing numbers of people are developing techniques specifically designed to promote the wise use and preservation of remaining forest lands. However, these grassroots strategies are often ignored in favour of grandiose schemes which inevitably fail. This pattern must be broken now or the tropical forests will be lost forever. Published in association with the Smithsonian Institution. Preface by Michael Robinson, Director, National Zoological Park. Smithsonian Institution Originally published in 1988
BEYOND DESTRUCTION, SUCCESS by Michael H. Robinson At times it seems
as though everyone is aware of the imminent threat to biodiversity and the
destruction of the great tropical rainforests. These are issues that have captured
the imagination of citizens in many countries, and this interest is being translated
into concern. Conferences, workshops, seminars and protests on rainforest
destruction and related environmental/biological problems have mushroomed.
Even museums ...
Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Resource Use in the Canopy
Arthropods are the most diverse group of organisms on our planet and the tropical rainforests represent the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems. This book, written by 79 authors contributing to 35 chapters, aims to provide an overview of data collected during recent studies in Australia, Africa, Asia, and South America. The book focuses on the distribution of arthropods and their use of resources in the rainforest canopies, providing a basis for comparison between the forest ecosystems of the main biogeographical regions. Topics covered include the distribution of arthropods along vertical gradients and the relationship between the soil/litter habitat and the forest canopy. The temporal dynamics of arthropod communities, habitats and food selection are examined within and among tropical tree crowns, as are the effects of forest disturbance. This important book is a valuable addition to the literature used by community ecologists, conservation biologists entomologists, botanists and forestry experts.
ABSTRACT Insect herbivory, species richness and distribution in the canopy of
tropical savanna is compared with that of tropical rainforests by compiling
published information from various savanna and forest habitats in the neotropics,
Africa and Australasia. An overview of herbivory patterns is presented,
contrasting species- rich plant assemblages with natural monodominant tree
populations. Data suggest that host trees suffer greater herbivory in savannas
than in rainforests and in ...
The Guiana Shield is an ancient geological formation located in the northern part of South America, covering an area of one million square kilometres. Despite its hostile environment, it is home to many unusual and highly specialized plants and animals, which constitute a rich area of biodiversity. Chapters in this book include hydrology, nutrient cycling, forest phenology, insect-plant interactions, forest microclimate, plant distributions, forest dynamics and conservation and management of flora and fauna. It provides a comprehensive and detailed review of the ecology, biology and natural history of the forests of the area.
Chapters in this book include hydrology, nutrient cycling, forest phenology, insect-plant interactions, forest microclimate, plant distributions, forest dynamics and conservation and management of flora and fauna.
The first text in a series of single topic ecology books, Tropic Forests is an ideal text or supplement for introductory biology, ecology, and environmental science courses. It provides students with an accurate, easy to read, and easy to understand account of this important environmental topic that is often overlooked or glossed over in general texts. It's narrative style and clear illustrations and diagrams engage students, and paint a clear picture of the important concepts presented throughout the text.
Rainforest. Resources: Foods,. Medicines,. and. More. ASK SOMEBODY AT
RANDOM FOR good reasons to protect the rainforests and you're likely to hear
about potential lifesaving medicines or sequestering carbon dioxide to prevent
global warming. I couldn't dispute either one. In the case of medicines in
particular, nobody has any idea how many potentially life-saving drugs may exist
among the plants and animals that live there, and with increasing drug resistance
on the part of ...
Tropical forests affect climate, and the removal of the forests will change climate. Or not? This book discusses basic questions on how far, if at all, tropical deforestation leads to climatic change. The question of this uncertainty is particularly addressed. One important consequence of the uncertainties of whether deforestation affects climate is how scientific findings best illuminate the policy-making process.
... changesoftemperatureand especially rainfall.The climatic changes had
aprofound effectonthe vegetation, especiallyinthe mountains, but datafrom the
tropical lowlands are now increasing and show that the effecton lowland
vegetation may also have been considerable. Very recent data fromEastern
Brasil (Carajas,see postscriptum) indicatethatthe rainfallin that areawas lowered
atleast 500 mm during several dry phasesof the Late Pleistocene, savanna
vegetation replacing forest.
Emerging Threats to Tropical Forests reveals the remarkably diverse panoply of perils to tropical forests and their biota, with particular emphasis on recent dangers. William F. Laurance and Carlos A. Peres identify four categories of emerging threats: those that have only recently appeared, such as the virulent chytrid fungus that is decimating rainforest amphibians throughout the tropical world; those that are growing rapidly in importance, like destructive surface fires; those that are poorly understood, namely global warming and other climatic and atmospheric changes; and environmental synergisms, whereby two or more simultaneous threats—such as habitat fragmentation and wildfires, or logging and hunting—can dramatically increase local extinction of tropical species. In addition to documenting the vulnerability of tropical rainforests, the volume focuses on strategies for mitigating and combating emerging threats. A timely and compelling book intended for researchers, students, and conservation practitioners, Emerging Threats to Tropical Forests will interest anyone concerned about the fate of the world’s most threatened tropical ecosystems.
