The Amazon River forest : a natural history of plants, animals, and people / Nigel J.H. Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Nigel J. H., 1949-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Land use--Amazon River Region.

Land use.

Human ecology--Amazon River Region.

Human ecology.

Natural history.

Amazon River Region.

Natural history--Amazon River Region.

Land use--Brazil, North.

Human ecology--Brazil, North.

Natural history--Brazil, North.

North Brazil.

Physical Description:

ix, 208 pages : illustrations, maps ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 1999.

Summary:

The floodplain forest of the Amazon is the last major agricultural frontier of the Americas. This unique habitat, inundated in some places to a depth of thirty feet a year, contains a marvelous variety of plant and animal resources that inhabitants have long reaped -- fruit, nuts, building materials, fuelwood, and medicinal plants. White the floodplain has great potential for food production, its natural resource base is becoming increasingly threatened by ranching and agricultural expansion and impaired by inappropriate land-use practices.

This important book, based both on field observations carried out over the past quarter century and historical material, demonstrates that knowledge possessed by area dwellers offers vital insights for promoting the sound economic development of the floodplain. Nigel Smith argues for the importance of balance between land-use systems, and suggests that research and development should be realigned to incorporate both modern science and traditional systems. Beautifully illustrated with the author's own photographs, this authoritative volume explores a broad range of ecological, historical, cultural, and socio-economic issues, and offers practical suggestions for developing the floodplain that enhance, rather than destroy, biodiversity.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [185]-199) and index.

ISBN:

0195122070

0195126831

OCLC:

38353754