African rain forest ecology and conservation : an interdisciplinary perspective /

From the amount of literature on the topic one might guess the only rain forests are in the Amazon or on Borneo. African Rain Forest Ecology & Conservation, a welcome addition to the literature, covers a less-studied area. The book is a well-balanced treatment of ecology and conservation. Material is covered in four sections that discuss past and present trends, the forest ecosystem, humans and the forest, and applied research and management, plus an introduction and a conclusion. Typically, chapter authors are careful to present several hypotheses and not lead readers to believe there is one and only one way to view biological and social dimensions of the African rain forest. As with many edited texts with numerous contributing authors, the book at times lacks consistency. Most chapters focus broadly on moist tropical Africa or central Africa, thus a chapter specifically on Ghana and two chapters on Madagascar seem out of place. The chapter on birds focuses on endemism, while the chapter on fish is a much broader treatment. A highly recommended broad treatment, useful in most libraries. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. B. D. Orr Michigan Technological University