Rainforests have long been recognized as hotspots of biodiversity - but they are crucial for our planet in other surprising ways. Not only do these fascinating ecosystems thrive in rainy regions, they create rain themselves, and this moisture is spread around the globe. Rainforests across the world have a powerful and concrete impact, reaching as far as America's Great Plains and central Europe. In Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth's Most Vital Frontlines, a prominent conservationist provides a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world's rainforests today, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them.
InRainforest, Tony Juniper draws upon decades of work in rainforest conservation. He brings readers along on his journeys, from the thriving forests of Costa Rica to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations have supplanted much of the former rainforest. Despite many ominous trends, Juniper sees hope for rainforests and those who rely upon them, thanks to developments like new international agreements, corporate deforestation policies, and movements from local and Indigenous communities.
As climate change intensifies, we have already begun to see the effects of rainforest destruction on the planet at large. Rainforest provides a detailed and wide-ranging look at the health and future of these vital ecosystems. Throughout this evocative book, Juniper argues that in saving rainforests, we save ourselves, too.
Introduction: Rainforest Matters
PART 1. Earth's Most Vital Systems Chapter 1. Rainforest'A Clue in the Name Chapter 2. Living Atmosphere Chapter 3. The Ecological Weave Chapter 4. Evolutionary Treasures
PART II. The Americas Chapter 5. The New Worlda Rainforest Peoples Chapter 6. Forest Clearance in the Americas Chapter 7. Counting the Cost: Green Shields Chapter 8. Protest and Survive Chapter 9. Forest Dividends in Costa Rica Chapter 10. The Best Forest Custodians Chapter 11. Temperate Zone Rainforest
PART III. Africa Chapter 12. Last Frontiers: The Congo Basin Chapter 13. The Lost Forests of West Africa Chapter 14. Climate and Cocoa Challenges
PART IV. Asia and the Pacific Chapter 15. A Short Tour of the Eastern Forests Chapter 16. How to Destroy a Rainforest Chapter 17. Tigers, Pangolins, and Honeycreepers Chapter 18. Poachers into Gamekeepers?
PART V. Worth More Alive Than Dead Chapter 19. Globalized Deforestation Chapter 20. GǪAnd Global Solutions Chapter 21. Valuing Nature and Rainforest Chapter 22. Future Forests
Endnotes Note on the Maps Photo Credits Acknowledgements Index
"A thoughtful exploration, scientific and political, of the ecological web from raindrop to global climactic system...[Juniper] writes with a lightly worn but deep understanding of ecology, conservation biology, and population dynamics. He lucidly explains such matters as how to enlist rural populations in sustaining rainforests, identifying a host of big-picture problems such as poverty and political corruption, and making a strong casefor 'the idea that in combating climate change there [is] no more effective step than halting deforestation.' A sturdy primer for anyone interested in learning about tropical rainforests and why it's essential to keep them healthy."
