With an exceptional variety of species and high levels of endemism, the Manu Biosphere Reserve in southeastern Peru has been the site of intensive sampling and monitoring programs during the past decade involving top systematic scientists from the United States and Peru. In this volume, twenty-nine chapters (twenty written in English, nine in Spanish) provide an unprecedented summary of the region's biota. Divided into three sections, this study documents Manu's general floristics, flora, and fauna. Comprehensive checklists, standardized sampling schemes, information about species inventory and composition, and taxonomic data are provided for Manu's diverse plant and animal populations, including reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, spiders, and bamboos. A landmark reference to one of the world's most complex and most studied tropical ecosystems.