Lost worlds : adventures in the tropical rainforest / Bruce M. Beehler ; illustrations by John Anderton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beehler, Bruce McP.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Beehler, Bruce McP--Travel.

Beehler, Bruce McP.

Birds--Tropics.

Birds.

Ornithologists--United States--Biography.

Ornithologists.

Naturalists--United States--Biography.

Naturalists.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (272 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Perhaps it is not possible to experience all the mysterious sounds, the unfamiliar smells, and the spectacular sights of a tropical rainforest without ever visiting one. But this exhilarating and honest book comes wondrously close to taking the reader on such a journey. Bruce M. Beehler, a widely traveled expert on birds and tropical ecology, recounts fascinating details from twelve field trips he has taken to the tropics over the past three decades. As a researcher, he brings to life the exotic rainforests and the people who inhabit them; as a conservationist, he makes a plea for better ways of managing rainforests-"a resource that the world cannot do without." Drawing on his experiences in Papua New Guinea, India, Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Panama, and the Ivory Coast, Beehler describes the surprises-both pleasant and unpleasant-of doing science and conservation in the field. He explains the role that rainforests play in the lives of indigenous peoples and the crucial importance of understanding local cultures, customs, and politics. The author concludes with simple but tough solutions for maintaining rainforest health, expressing fervent hope that his great-grandchildren and others may one day also hear the rainforest whisper its secrets.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Introduction

One. In the Rainforest

Two. In the Zone and on the Plantation

Three. On the Trail of Ripley and Ali

Four. Wallace's Promised Land

Five. Biodiversity and Intrigue across the Inner Line

Six. Forest Gardens

Seven. Local People Really Do Count

Eight. Pitiful Scraps of Forest

Nine. Lemurs, Vangas, Chameleons, and Poverty

Ten. The Lost World

Epilogue

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-254) and index.

ISBN:

0-300-14952-2

9786612351952

1-282-35195-8

1-282-08880-7

9786612088803

OCLC:

402570315