The Ecology and Conservation of Seasonally Dry Forests in Asia

About this book

Seasonally dry forests are the most widespread forest type remaining in South and Southeast Asia. For many endangered species, such as tigers, elephants, deer and primates, this unique habitat is central to their survival. These forests are also intimately linked to humans in the region, who have lived in and relied on them for centuries. Despite the importance of seasonally dry forests, little is known of their ecology. The essays in this volume draw the connections between forest communities, endangered species, and agricultural communities in the region. The contributors, many of whom are in-country researchers and managers who have spent years studying this ecosystem, provide an overview of the ecology of seasonally dry forests in Asia, descriptions of forest and agricultural communities within seasonally dry forests, case studies for the species dependent on these ecosystems, such as tigers, elephants, deer, banteng, and gibbons and discuss effective management and conservation of seasonally dry forests.

Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction. Seasonally Dry Forests of Tropical Asia: An Ecosystem Adapted to Seasonal Drought, Frequent Fire, and Human Activity
Chapter 2. Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Continental Southeast Asia: Structure, Composition, and Dynamics
Chapter 3. Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests in Southern India: An Analysis of Floristic Composition, Structure, and Dynamics in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Chapter 4. The Uncertainty in Mapping Dry Forests in Asia
Chapter 5. The Role of Disturbance in Dry Tropical Forest Landscapes
Chapter 6. Fire Management in South Asia's Dry Forests: Colonial Approaches, Current Problems, and Perspectives
Chapter 7. The Evolution and Ecology of Dry Forest Gingers (Zingiberaceae) in Southeast Asia
Chapter 8. Seasonality in Avian Communities of a Dipterocarp Monsoon Forest and Related Habitats in Myanmar's Central Dry Zone
Chapter 9. Asian Elephants and Dry Forests
Chapter 10. Tropical Deer in the Seasonal Dry Forests of Asia: Ecology, Concerns, and Potential for Conservation
Chapter 11. Ecology of Gaur and Banteng in the Dry Forests of Thailand
Chapter 12. Rainfall Patterns and Unpredictable Fruit Production in Seasonally Dry Evergreen Forest and Their Effects on Gibbons
Chapter 13. Sloth Bears Living in Tropical Dry and Moist Broadleaf Forests and Their Conservation
Chapter 14. Tropical Dry Forest Is Essential Tiger Habitat
Chapter 15. Ecology and Distribution of Sympatric Asiatic Black Bears and Sun Bears in the Tropical Dry Forest Ecosystem of Southeast Asia
Chapter 16. Tropical Asian Dry-Forest Amphibians and Reptiles: A Regional Comparison of Ecological Communities
Chapter 17. The Impact of Local Communities on a Dry Forest Sanctuary: A Case Study from Upper Myanmar (Burma)
Chapter 18. Governing the Flame: Bunong Management of Fire Regimes in Mondulkiri Province, Northeast Cambodia
Chapter 19. Local Residents' Attitudes toward Dry Forests at Selected Sites in Nepal and Myanmar
Chapter 20. Conservation Planning and Management in Southeast Asia's Dry Forest Landscapes: Experiences from Cambodia

Customer Reviews

Biography

William J. McShea is a research ecologist at the Conservation Ecology Center in the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution. Stuart James Davies is the director of Asia Programs at the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. Naris Bhumpakphan is an associate professor in the Department of Forest Biology at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand.