Tropical Forests and Their Crops

by Smith, Nigel J. H.; Williams, J. T.; Plucknett, Donald L.; Talbot, Jennifer

• ISBN13: 9780801480584
• ISBN10: 0801480582
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-12-01
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr

Summary

Vividly illustrating the riches of the endangered tropical rainforests, this book stresses the significance of losing whole populations of wild crops harboring potentially valuable genes. ?This splendid book does much to remind us of the most significant legacy of the tropical rainforests. As repositories of germ plasm, sources of new crops and natural products, living laboratories where human ingenuity derives sustenance from the wild, these ancient forests serve not only the living but all the generations yet unborn. A vital book.?--Wade Davis, author of The Serpent and the Rainbow

Table of Contents

Preface
A Note on Technical Terms
A Threatened Resource	p. 1
Distribution and composition of tropical forests	p. 4
Centers of diversity	p. 7
Biodiversity, deforestation, and population growth	p. 9
Driving forces	p. 13
Crop gene pools	p. 15
Beverage and Confectionery Crops	p. 19
Coffee	p. 20
Cacao	p. 38
Cupuacu	p. 68
Major Fruits of the Forest	p. 76
Mango	p. 78
Citrus	p. 95
Pineapple	p. 106
Avocado	p. 112
Guava	p. 150
Papaya	p. 160
Sapodilla	p. 173
Passionfruit	p. 178
Regional Fruits	p. 186
Durian	p. 187
Rambutan	p. 192
Annonaceous fruits	p. 196
African plum	p. 202
Indian jujube	p. 204
Rubber, Oils, and Resins	p. 207
Rubber	p. 211
Oil palm	p. 231
Balsams	p. 251
Tropical pines	p. 256
Daily Bread	p. 264
Bananas and plantains	p. 265
Breadfruit	p. 296
Peach palm	p. 303
Sago palm	p. 310
Fuelwood, Fodder, and Woody Grasses	p. 316
Leucaena	p. 318
Bamboos	p. 324
Spices and Natural Food Colorants	p. 333
Clove	p. 338
Cinnamon and cassia	p. 351
Vanilla	p. 357
Annatto	p. 364
Nuts	p. 371
Cashew	p. 372
Brazil nut	p. 384
Macadamia	p. 402
A New Cornucopia	p. 414
The plant domestication process	p. 415
A starting point for the search	p. 417
Some crop candidates	p. 418
Prospects for adoption	p. 425
Conservation Strategies	p. 428
Ex situ conservation	p. 429
In situ conservation	p. 431
Realizing the Potential	p. 448
Conservation and sustainable development	p. 449
Secure resource bases	p. 452
Research priorities for marginal lands	p. 454
The quarantine bottleneck	p. 455
Personnel requirements	p. 456
Finding a way forward	p. 458
Appendix 1. Domesticated Perennial Species with Wild Populations in Tropical Forests	p. 461
Appendix 2. Abbreviations of Institutions Involved in Collecting, Maintaining, and/or Breeding Tropical Perennial Crops	p. 478
Appendix 3. Common Names and Distribution of Avocado's Relatives	p. 479
Appendix 4. Avocado Accessions in Germplasm Collections	p. 483
References	p. 499
Index	p. 549
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.