On the Forests of Tropical Asia: Lest the memory fade

Description

This is the first book to describe the forests of the entire tropical Asian region, from Sind to New Guinea. Based on Peter Ashton's working field experience of over 55 years in every country, Burma and Laos excepted. Following a chapter on physical geography and geological history, seven chapters address forest and tree structure and dynamics, floristics, mountain forests, the other organisms on which the forests and trees depend, as well as genetics, evolutionary history, species diversity, and past and present human impact. A final chapter covers future policy and practice options for the sustainment of what remains.

Peter Ashton is the Charles Bullard Professor of Forestry at Harvard University, and is also an Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He is the former director of The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

"Succeeds in providing a region-wide synthesis of forest ecology, while addressing cutting-edge scientific questions and providing fascinating insight into the life of a pioneering tropical scientist. . . . A monumental work that effectively summarizes Ashton's lifetime of research in Tropical Asia and provides a uniquely holistic view of a diverse region. For any tropical biologist on any continent, the book will provide an invaluable reference, a fascinating history, and a wellspring for novel ideas."-- "Biotropica" "This is a heavyweight treatise that details the major currents of research on Asian tropical forests, focusing on the trees and their community formations. . . . It is packed with data, analyses, summaries, and italicized key questions for future research, with the look of a major scientific treatment that will be an essential reference for those who study tropical forests."-- "Plant Science Bulletin" Highly Commended--Postgraduate Textbook Prize "Royal Society of Biology" Won--Award of Excellence in Botany "Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries" "Ashton's seminal work is a masterpiece of scientific scholarship in an area that is of tremendous importance for the biosphere. This will be the book that researchers in the field will gravitate towards to gain an insight into the complexities of tropical Asian forest ecosystems. With its beautiful illustrations, On the Forests of Tropical Asia looks like a coffee table book, but it has a depth of scholarship and commitment that shows one man's life's work in this fascinating field."-- "Biologist"