An Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests - Tapa dura

This new edition of Whitmore's "Introduction to Tropical Rain Forests" has been revised and updated to reflect the changes which have taken place since it was first published in 1990. The sections on human impact have been extended to include a new global assessment of deforestation as well as details of new research on biodiversity and conservation. Discussion of the future of the rain forests and priorities for action is incorporated. The book links rain forest biology and ecology with silviculture, and with concerns over sustainable resource utilization and the future of the tropical rain forests. It includes sections on the diverse animal and plant life forms which are found in the rain forest, and the interconnections between them. Nutrient cycles and forest dynamics are fully explained, with new data on ecophysiology and forest microclimates. The geologic and climatic history of rain forests, and the wide-spread canopy disturbances now understood to have occurred in the past, are explored. This book is intended for undergraduates in forestry, biology, geography, and conservation biology, and taught M.Sc. students in these areas. It should also be of value to sixth form geography students and anyone interested in tropical rainforests, their ecology, utilization, and conservation.

Timothy Charles Whitmore, Lecturer, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge, England CB2 3EN.