Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison

by Richard B. Primack (Boston University); Richard T. Corlett (National University of Singapore)

• ISBN13: 9781405141093
• ISBN10: 1405141093
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2009-02-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

The popular view of the tropical rainforest as a monolithic tangle of rain-soaked trees, vines, birds, monkeys and big cats is a widespread myth. Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison explodes that myth by showing that rain forests in different tropical regions are unique despite superficial similarities.Written by two leading figures in the field, this essential new volume: Emphasizes the distinctive characteristics of rain forests in tropical Asia, tropical America, Africa,Madagascar,New Guinea, and Australia Begins with an introduction to the climate, biogeographic history, and environment of tropical rain forests Presents an extended cross-continental treatment of major animal and plant groups Outlines a research program involving cross-continental comparisons Considers the impact of people on tropical forests and discusses conservation strategies based upon the characteristics of particular regions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach Includes natural history examples, figures, and a stunning collection of color photographs

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Many Tropical Rainforests

What are tropical rainforests?

Where are the tropical rainforests?

Rainforest environments

Rainforest histories

The origns of the similarities and differences

Main rainforests

Conclusions

Further Reading

Plants: The Building Blocks of the Rainforest

Plant distributions

Rainforest structure

How many plant species?

Widespread plant families

Neotropical rainforests

Asian rainforests

Rainforests in New Guinea and Australia

African rainforests

Madagascan rainforests

Conclusions

Further reading

Primate Communities: A Key to Understanding Biogeography and Ecology

What are primates?

Old World versus New World primates

Primate diets

Primate communities

Primates as seed dispersal agents

Conclusions

Further reading

Carnivores and Plant Eaters

Carnivores

Herbivores of the forest floor

Conclusions

Further reading

Birds: Linkages in the Rainforest Community

Biogeography

Little, brown, insect-eating birds

Forest frugivores

Fruit size and body size

Flower visitors

Ground dwellers

Woodpeckers

Birds of prey

Scavengers

Night birds

Migration

A comparison of bird communities across continents

Conclusions

Further reading

Bats and Gliding Animals in the Tree Canopy

Fruit- and nectar-feeding bats

Feeding habits

Flying behavior

Foraging behavior

Bats as pollinators and seed dispersal agents

Fruit bat conservation

Gliding vertebrates

Conclusions

Further reading

Insects: Diverse, Abundant, and Ecologically Important

Butterflies

Ants

Termites

Social wasps

Bees

Conclusions

Further reading

The Future of Rainforests

Different forests, different threats

The major threats

The forces behind the threats

Global climate change

How bad is it?

Rainforest extinctions

Solutions

Conclusions

Further reading

Bibliography

Index

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