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Containing contributions from some of the world's leading tropical ecologists this book provides a summary of the key issues in the discipline of tropical ecology. Covers patterns of species distribution, the maintenance of species diversity, the community ecology of tropical animals, forest regeneration and conservation of tropical ecosystems.
Preface. Carson, Walter and Schnitzer, StefanForeword. Wright, S. Joseph SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION. 1. Tropical Forest Community Ecology: Scope of the Book and Key Contributions. Schnitzer, Stefan and Carson, Walter. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Pittsburgh. SECTION 2. LARGE-SCALE PATTERNS IN TROPICAL COMMUNITIES.2. Spatial Variation in Tree Species Composition across Tropical Forests: Pattern and Process. Chave, Jerome. CNRS, Toulouse, France.3. The Disparity in Tree Species Richness Between Tropical, Temperate and Boreal Biomes: The Geographic Area and Age Hypothesis. Fine, Paul et al. University of Michigan.4. Explaining Geographic Range Size by Species Age: A Test Using Neotropical Piper Species. Paul, John and Tonsor, Stephen. University of Pittsburgh.5. Patterns of Herbivory and Defense in Tropical Dry and Rain Forests. Dirzo, Rodolfo and Karina Boege. Stanford University and Universidad National de Mexico.6. Ecological Organization, Biogeography, and the Phylogenetic Structure of Tropical Forest Tree Communities. Webb, Campbell, Cannon, Charles, and Davies, Stuart. Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Texas Tech University, and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Center for Tropical Forest Science. 7. Large Tropical Forest Dynamics Plots: Testing Explanations for the Maintenance of Species Diversity. Zimmerman, Jess, Thompson, Jill, Brokaw, Nick University of Puerto Rico. SECTION 3. TESTING THEORIES OF FOREST REGENERATION AND THE MAINTENANCE OF SPECIES DIVERSITY.8. Tropical Forest Ecology: Sterile or Virgin for Theoreticians. Leigh, Egbert. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.9. Functional Basis for Resource Niche Partitioning by Tropical Trees. Kaoru Kitajima and Poorter, Lourens. University of Florida and Wageningen University.10. Colonization-Related Tradeoffs in Tropical Forests and Their Role in the Maintenance of Species Diversity. Mueller-Landau, Helene. University of Minnesota.11. Treefall gaps and the maintenance of plant species diversity in tropical forests. Schnitzer, Stefan, Mascaro, Joseph, and Carson, Walter. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and University of Pittsburgh.12. Challenges Associated with Testing and Falsifying the Janzen-Connell Hypothesis: A Review and Critique. Carson, Walter, Anderson, Jill, Leigh Egbert, and Schnitzer, Stefan. University of Pittsburgh, Cornell University, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.13. Seed Limitation and the Coexistence of Pioneer Species. Dalling, James and Robert John. University of Illinois.14. Endophytic Fungi: Hidden Components of Tropical Community Ecology. Arnold, Elizabeth. University of Arizona SECTION 4. ANIMAL COMMUNITY ECOLOGY AND TROPHIC INTERACTIONS. 15. Tropical tri-trophic interactions: Nasty Hosts and Ubiquitous Cascades. Lee Dyer, Tulane University16. Variation in Tree Seedling and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Spore Responses to the Exclusion of Terrestrial Vertebrates: Implications for how Vertebrates Structure Tropical Communities. Theimer, Tad and Gehring, Catherine. Northern Arizona University17. Ecosystem Decay in Closed Forest Fragments. Terborgh, John and Feeley, Kenneth. Duke University 18. Resource Limitation of Insular Animals: Causes and Consequences. Adler, Greg. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh19. Tropical arboreal ants: Linking Nutrient to Roles in Rainforest Ecosystems. Davidson, Diane and Cook, Steven. University of Utah20. Soil Fertility and Arboreal Mammal Biomass in Tropical Forests. Peres, Carlos. University of East Anglia, UK. SECTION 5. SECONDARY FOREST SUCCESSION, DYNAMICS AND INVASION. 21. Processes Constraining Woody Species Succession on Abandoned Pastures in the Tropics: on the Relevance of Temperate Models of Succession. Peterson, Chris and Carson, Walter. University of Georgia and University of Pittsburgh.22. Chance and Determinism in Tropical Forest Succession. Chazdon, Robin. University of Connecticut.23. Exotic Plant Invasions in Tropical Forests: Patterns and hypotheses. Denslow, Julie and DeWalt, Saara. US Forest Service, Hawaii and Clemson University. SECTION 6. TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION. 24. Linking Insights from Ecological Research with Bioprospecting to promote Conservation, Enhance Research Capacity and Provide Economic Uses of Biodiversity. Kursar, Thomas, Lissy Coley, et al. University of Utah.25. Tropical Rainforest Conservation: a Global Perspective. Richard Corlett and Richard Primack. University of Hong Kong and Boston University. 26. Environmental Promise and Peril in the Amazon. Laurance, William. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.27. Contributions of Ecologists to the Conservation of Tropical Forests. Putz, Jack and Zuidema, Pieter. University of Florida and Utrecht University SECTION 7. CONCLUSIONS AND SYNTHESIS28. Conclusions and Synthesis: New Directions for Tropical Forest Ecology. Carson, Walter, Schnitzer, Stefan, and Hubbell, Stephen. University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and University of Georgia Index
Dr. Walter P. Carson obtained his doctorate from Cornell University and did postdoctoral work at both Princeton University and the University of Minnesota USA. He has conducted extensive research on the ecology of both tropical and temperate forests. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Dr. Stefan A. Schnitzer obtained his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota USA and Wageningen University in The Netherlands. He has studied tropical forests in Borneo, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, and the Republic of Panama. Dr. Schnitzer is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA.
A"Whilst it will not be an easy book especially for those uncomfortable with mathematical formulae, it does provide a valuable insight into a key biome in the world, and at a reasonable price for a substantial volume.A" (Experimental Agriculture , July 2009) A"Tropical Forest Community Ecology may turn out to be the elegy for rainforest ecology, or it may be the harbinger of things to come. Only time will tell, but meanwhile there is much work to be done, and Tropical Forest Community Ecology provides useful directions.A" (Ecology, 2009) "The recent advances in data collection and theory described in this volume have made the past decade one of the most exciting and important periods in the study of tropical forests. Carson and Schnitzer and the many contributing authors capture this excitement and the tectonic shifts that are underway in this new book. If you intend to buy only one book on tropical forest ecology in the next 20 years, buy this one. It is, simply put, outstanding." (Annals of Botany, July 2009)
