The Ecology and Conservation of Seasonally Dry Forests in Asia

by McShea, William J.; Davies, Stuart James; Bhumpakphan, Naris; Allendorf, Teri D.; Aung, Myint; Baker, Megan C.; Brockelman, Warren Y.; Bunyavejchewin, Sarayudh; Chundawat, Raghunandan; Cox, Nicholas J.; Cutter, Peter; Dale, Virginia H.; Dattaraja, H S.; D

• ISBN13: 9781935623021
• ISBN10: 1935623028
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-16
• Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press

Summary

Seasonally dry forests are the most widespread forest type remaining in South and Southeast Asia. For many endangered species, such as tigers, elephants, deer and primates, this unique habitat is central to their survival. These forests are also intimately linked to humans in the region, who have lived in and relied on them for centuries. Despite the importance of seasonally dry forests, little is known of their ecology. The essays in this volume draw the connections between forest communities, endangered species, and agricultural communities in the region. The contributors, many of whom are in-country researchers and managers who have spent years studying this ecosystem, provide an overview of the ecology of seasonally dry forests in Asia, descriptions of forest and agricultural communities within seasonally dry forests, case studies for the species dependent on these ecosystems, such as tigers, elephants, deer, banteng, and gibbons and discuss effective management and conservation of seasonally dry forests.

Author Biography

William J. McShea is a research ecologist at the Conservation Ecology Center in the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution. Stuart J. Davies is director of Asia Programs at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. Naris Bhumpakphan is an associate professor in the Department of Forest Biology at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Table of Contents

Introduction. Seasonally Dry Forests of Tropical Asia: An Ecosystem Adapted to Seasonal Drought, Frequent Fire, and Human Activity	p. 1
Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Continental Southeast Asia: Structure, Composition, and Dynamics	p. 9
Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Southern India: An Analysis of Floristic Composition, Structure, and Dynamics in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary	p. 37
The Uncertainty in Mapping Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Asia	p. 59
The Role of Disturbance in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest Landscapes	p. 75
Fire Management in South and Southeast Asia's Seasonally Dry Forests: Colonial Approaches, Current Problems, and Perspectives	p. 97
The Evolution and Ecology of Dry Tropical Forest Gingers (Zingiberaceae) in Southeast Asia	p. 115
Seasonality in Avian Communities of a Dipterocarp Monsoon Forest and Related Habitats in Myanmar's Central Dry Zone	p. 131
Literary Sketch. A Trip along River Cauvery	p. 147
Asian Elephants and Seasonally Dry Forests	p. 151
Tropical Deer in the Seasonally Dry Forests of Asia: Ecology, Concerns, and Potential for Conservation	p. 165
Ecology of Gaur and Banteng in the Seasonally Dry Forests of Thailand	p. 179
Rainfall Patterns and Unpredictable Fruit Production in Seasonally Dry Evergreen Forest and Their Effects on Gibbons	p. 195
Sloth Bears Living in Seasonally Dry Tropical and Moist Broadleaf Forests and Their Conservation	p. 217
Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest Is Essential Tiger Habitat	p. 237
Ecology and Distribution of Sympatric Asiatic Black Bears and Sun Bears in the Seasonally Dry Forests of Southeast Asia	p. 249
Tropical Asian Dry Forest Amphibians and Reptiles: A Regional Comparison of Ecological Communities	p. 275
The Impact of Local Communities on a Dry Tropical Forest Sanctuary: A Case Study from Upper Myanmar (Burma)	p. 305
Literary Sketch. Subsistence Living in the Burmese Forest	p. 321
Governing the Flame: Bunong Management of Fire Regimes in Mondulkiri Province, Northeast Cambodia	p. 329
Local Residents' Attitudes toward Seasonally Dry Forests at Selected Sites in Nepal and Myanmar	p. 347
Conservation Planning and Management in Southeast Asia's Seasonally Dry Forest Landscapes: Experiences from Cambodia	p. 365
Index	p. 399
List of Contributors	p. 413
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