Tropical Forest Ecology A View from Barro Colorado Island [Paperback]

InTropical Forest Ecology, Egbert G. Leigh, Jr., one of the world's foremost tropical ecologists, introduces readers to the tropical forest and describes the intricate web of interdependence among the great diversity of tropical plants and animals. Focusing on the tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama, Leigh shows what Barro Colorado can tell us about other tropical forests--and what tropical forests can tell us about Barro Colorado.
This book considers three essential questions for understanding the ecological organization of tropical forests. How do they stay green with their abundance of herbivores? Why do they have such a diversity of plants and animals? And what role does mutualism play in the ecology of tropical forests? Beautifully written and abundantly illustrated,Tropical Forest Ecologywill certainly appeal to a wide variety of scientists in the fields of evolution, tropical biology, botany, zoology, and natural history.

Introduction
1. Barro Colorado Island: The Background
2. Dramatis Personaie
3. Tropical Climates
4. Runoff, Erosion, and Soil
5. Telling the Trees from the Forest: Tree Shape and Leaf Arrangement
6. Biomass and Productivity of Tropical Forest
7. The Seasonal Rhythms of Fruiting and Leaf Flush, and the Regulation of Animal Populations
8. Tropical Diversity
9. The Role of Mutualism in Tropical Forest
10. The Rainforest Endangered
Name Index
Subject Index

Throughout this book the imprint of Egbert Leigh's keen intellect is apparent. He has pulled together an incredible mass of information both from his own observations from forests throughout the world but also from a summary of the works of others. Each chapter has very extensive list of references. When needed, Leigh summarizes natural law in the form of mathematical equations and while these may be beyond the comprehension of some readers, the book also is written in a style that is fun to read. Subjects arelãº