FIRE IN THE TROPICS

by Johan Paul Schulz (Author)

by R. Toby Pennington (Editor), James A. Ratter (Editor)

More often than not, when people think of a neotropical forest, what comes to mind is a rain forest, rather than a dry forest. Just as typically, when they imagine a savanna, they visualize the African plains, rather than those dry woodlands and grasslands found in the Neotropics. These same preconceptions can be found among scientists, as these neotropical biomes receive nowhere near the attention they should - in terms of both research and conservation -considering the amount of land they encompass and the diversity of vegetation they contain. Neotropical Savannas and Dry Forests: Plant Diversity, Biogeography, and Conservation provides an engaging synthesis of information on the plant diversity and geography, as well as the conservation status, of these species-rich areas. This impressive compilation is the result of a plant diversity symposium that took place during an international conference on tropical savannas and seasonally dry forests held in 2003. Fifty leading scientists, representing a variety of disciplines have contributed to the chapters of this book in an effort to address three questions:

• What are the patterns of diversity, species-richness and endemism of the floras of neotropical seasonally dry forest and savannas?
• How and why did this endemism and diversity arise?
• Are these ecosystems adequately protected and, if not, which areas should be elevated into priorities for conservation, and how can this be best achieved? This work is the first extensive compilation of the patterns of plant biodiversity in these neotropical ecosystems. The overview also provides a summary of what is known of their evolutionary history, including an examination of the links to the development of analogous vegetation in Africa. In contrast to previously published titles that emphasize ecology and physiology, this work focuses on plant biodiversity and reviews molecular phylogenetic and molecular population genetic approache

by Ghillean Prance (Author)

Rainforests of the World presents a rare and intimate view of the rainforests and its inhabitants--the plants, animals, and indigenous peoples that make their homes in the most beautiful and endangered places on earth. Home to 50 percent of all living species in the world, the tropical rainforest is a precious resource found in only three areas of the world: Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. World-renowned photographer Art Wolfe has captured the very essence of these precious places and the animals and plants that inhabit them. From breathtaking landscapes, to a minute poison dart frog hiding in a tropical flower, to portraits of the forests' indigenous peoples, to a jaguar contemplating its next move, the tremendous beauty and power of nature are magnificently showcased. The strength of Wolfe's images lies not only in his true understanding and love for the natural world, but also in his artistic ability to capture his subject so intimately and emotionally on film. No one can photograph an animal in its true habitat as Art Wolfe can, and this time he's outdone himself. Each page is a testament to the resplendence, timelessness, and unfortunate fragility of the rainforest as it struggles to survive into the twenty-first century. Divided into four sections--"Water," "Fire," "Earth," and "Air"--Rainforests of the World explores the different ecological workings of the rainforests. Sir Ghillean Prance, a highly acclaimed naturalist, writes compellingly of them--their biodiversity and biology and the need to place a spiritual value on caring for the natural world. Rainforests of the World is a rare book--one in which photographs and text work together to evoke the very essence of a place as bountiful and precious as our rainforests.

by P.S. Ramakrishnan (Author)

This text presents a case study based in north-eastern India that serves as an in-depth analysis of the integration of conservation and sustainable development. By illustrating the contribution that scientists can make in assisting people in the tropics adapt to changing social and economic circumstances, the approaches and concepts set out in this volume will be of interest to those concerned with the ecological systems and cultures of the tropics.

by Andrew Revkin (Author)

In the rain forests of the western Amazon, writes author Andrew Revkin, the threat of violent death hangs in the air like mist after a tropical rain. It is simply a part of the ecosystem, just like the scorpions and snakes living in the leafy canopy that floats over the forest floor like a seamless green circus tent. Violent death came to Chico Mendes in the Amazon rain forest on December 22, 1988. A labor and environmental activist, Mendes was targetted by powerful ranchers for organizing resistance to the wholesale burning of the forest. He was a target because he had convinced the government to take back land ranchers had stolen at gunpoint or through graft and then to transform it into extractive reserves, set aside for the sustainable production of rubber, nuts, and other goods harvested from the living forest. This was not just a local land battle on a remote frontier. Mendes had invented a kind of reverse globalization, creating alliances between his grassroots campaign and the global environmental movement. Some 500 similar killings had gone unprosecuted, but this case would be different. Under international pressure, for the first time Brazilian officials were forced

by Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa (Editor), Jennifer S. Powers (Editor), Geraldo W. Fernandes (Editor), Mauricio Quesada (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition

Under threat from natural and human disturbance, tropical dry forests are the most endangered ecosystem in the tropics, yet they rarely receive the scientific or conservation attention they deserve. In a comprehensive overview, Tropical Dry Forests in the Americas: Ecology, Conservation, and Management examines new approaches for data sampling and

by Florencia Montagnini (Author), Carl F. Jordan (Author)