The Amazon River Forest A Natural History of Plants, Animals, and People

by Smith, Nigel J. H.

• ISBN13: 9780195122077
• ISBN10: 0195122070
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-01-28
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The floodplain forests of the Amazon, the world's largest river, are amongthe most threatened habitats in South America. Yet little is known about howthese unique, seasonally flooded forests were used in the past, or their currentimportance to farmers, livestock owners, and fisherfolk. This book explores thenatural history knowledge of the floodplain inhabitants and how we might betteruse their knowledge to promote sound conservation and developmentpolicies.

Table of Contents

1 Biodiversity as a Cornerstone for Agricultural Intensification	3	(12)
2 The Ebb and Flow of Cultures	15	(32)
3 A Forest Cornucopia	47	(36)
4 The Emergence and Impact of Livestock Raising	83	(28)
5 Islands in the Sun	111	(28)
6 A Harvest for All Seasons	139	(16)
7 Restoring a Threatened Paradise	155	(12)
Appendix A Common and Scientific Names of Plants	167	(4)
Appendix B Common and Scientific Names of Animals	171	(2)
Appendix C Seventy-nine Varieties of Bitter Manioc Cultivated in the Brazilian Amazon	173	(4)
Appendix D Twenty-two Varieties of Sweet Manioc Cultivated in the Brazilian Amazon	177	(2)
Appendix E Ninety-three Plant Species Growing in Twenty-two Home Gardens on the Amazon Floodplain	179	(2)
Notes	181	(4)
Further Reading	185	(16)
Index	201