The Rainforests Of West Africa

Author : MARTIN
Publisher : Birkhäuser
Page : 234 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2013-11-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783034877268

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The Rainforests of West Africa by MARTIN Pdf

Nowhere eise in the world did industrialized countries leave such early marks in the rainforest as in West Africa. Past and present developments here are in one way or the other significant for rainforests on other continents as weil. West Africa is a pioneer in both a good and a bad sense. This is reason enough to take a closer Iook at the history of moist tropical West Africa. Until recently, no one really seemed to be interested in the rainforests except for a few specialists. The world's scientific community neglected to study the incalculable riches of tropical forests, to make the public aware of them and their due importance. Although interdisciplinary research has been a popular topic for some decades now, it was not applied to just the most complex habitat on earth. Scientists from all fields studied only that which was easiest to record, seemingly blind to a myriad of details awaiting closer examination. Botanists wentabout establishing their herbariums and paid much too little attention to the vegetation as a whole, or to the significance of useful plants for local populations. Zoologists, too, busied themselves with collecting and describing species. Anthropologists, on the other hand, tended to overlook faunal details: in their ignorance of the animal world, they wrote of tigers and deer in Africa. And finally, foresters saw neither the forest nor the trees for the timber - and even confused rainforests with monocultures of fir trees.

Author : Phillip T. Robinson,Gabriella L. Flacke,Knut M. Hentschel
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 475 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780190611866

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The Pygmy Hippo Story by Phillip T. Robinson,Gabriella L. Flacke,Knut M. Hentschel Pdf

Though the pygmy hippopotamus has been designated as a flagship species of West African forests (meaning that by raising conservation efforts for a single species, an entire ecological region could benefit), very little research has been published on the animal. They are solitary, nocturnal, and highly evasive, and until recent developments in "camera trap" technology, they were considered the least-photographed large mammal species in the world. The information currently available on this endangered species is scattered, limited, redundant, and often inaccurate, and no major volume exists as a resource for those interested in the conservation effort for the species, until now. Phillip Robinson and his coauthors provide a treatment of the natural history, biology, and ecology of the pygmy hippo, along with a discussion of the rare animal's taxonomic niche and a summary of the research initiatives involving it up to this point. The authors show the ways in which the pygmy hippo has come into contact with people in West African countries, both in terms of ecological and cultural impact. This creature has been the subject of local folktales, and is treated as almost mythic in some regions. Information on issues related to captivity, breeding, and zoos is provided. The book is heavily illustrated with original photographs and anatomic drawings. The project should be of use to conservation biologists, zoologists and natural history readers, and will be the definitive single-volume account of an animal that the scientific community has designated to be ecologically significant to West Africa.

Author : John F. Oates
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 368 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0520222520

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Myth and Reality in the Rain Forest by John F. Oates Pdf

"This book offers a timely, clear-headed, and uniquely important contribution to conservation, one that should be read by all bureaucrats, scientists, and others involved with development projects that supposedly benefit wildlife and wilderness."--George B. Schaller, author of Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe

Author : L. Poorter,F. Bongers,F. N. Kouame,W. D. Hawthorne
Publisher : CABI
Page : 529 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780851999517

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Biodiversity of West African Forests by L. Poorter,F. Bongers,F. N. Kouame,W. D. Hawthorne Pdf

The rain forests of West Africa have been designated as one of the world's hotspots of biodiversity. They extend from Ghana to Senegal and are referred to as the Upper Guinean forests. Because of their isolated position, they harbour a large number of rare and endemic animal and plant species.This book focuses on the biodiversity and ecology of these forests. It analyses the factors that give rise to biodiversity and structure tropical plant communities. It also includes an atlas with ecological profiles of rare plant species and large timber species.

Author : Jeffrey Sayer
Publisher : Springer
Page : 287 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 1992-06-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781349129614

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The Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests by Jeffrey Sayer Pdf

Recognizing that sound information is vital to the progress of conservation, IUCN have gathered together a visual portfolio of maps of rain forests in Africa. The accompanying text analyzes the extent and causes of deforestation and points a way towards sustainable forest development.

Author : Carl N. McDaniel,John M. Gowdy
Publisher : University of California Press
Page : 239 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2000-01-28
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0520222296

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Paradise for Sale by Carl N. McDaniel,John M. Gowdy Pdf

The grim history of Nauru Island, a small speck in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and Australia, represents a larger story of environmental degradation and economic dysfunction. For more than 2,000 years traditional Nauruans, isolated from the rest of the world, lived in social and ecological stability. But in 1900 the discovery of phosphate, an absolute requirement for agriculture, catapulted Nauru into the world market. Colonial imperialists who occupied Nauru and mined it for its lucrative phosphate resources devastated the island, which forever changed its native people. In 1968 Nauruans regained rule of their island and immediately faced a conundrum: to pursue a sustainable future that would protect their truly valuable natural resources—the biological and physical integrity of their island—or to mine and sell the remaining forty-year supply of phosphate and in the process make most of their home useless. They did the latter. In a captivating and moving style, the authors describe how the island became one of the richest nations in the world and how its citizens acquired all the ills of modern life: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension. At the same time, Nauru became 80 percent mined-out ruins that contain severely impoverished biological communities of little value in supporting human habitation. This sad tale highlights the dire consequences of a free-market economy, a system in direct conflict with sustaining the environment. In presenting evidence for the current mass extinction, the authors argue that we cannot expect to preserve biodiversity or support sustainable habitation, because our economic operating principles are incompatible with these activities.

Author : Jan M. Vansina
Publisher : University of Wisconsin Pres
Page : 450 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 1990-10-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9780299125738

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Paths in the Rainforests by Jan M. Vansina Pdf

Vansina’s scope is breathtaking: he reconstructs the history of the forest lands that cover all or part of southern Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Congo, Zaire, the Central African Republic, and Cabinda in Angola, discussing the original settlement of the forest by the western Bantu; the periods of expansion and innovation in agriculture; the development of metallurgy; the rise and fall of political forms and of power; the coming of Atlantic trade and colonialism; and the conquest of the rainforests by colonial powers and the destruction of a way of life. “In 400 elegantly brilliant pages Vansina lays out five millennia of history for nearly 200 distinguishable regions of the forest of equatorial Africa around a new, subtly paradoxical interpretation of ‘tradition.’” —Joseph Miller, University of Virginia “Vansina gives extended coverage . . . to the broad features of culture and the major lines of historical development across the region between 3000 B.C. and A.D. 1000. It is truly an outstanding effort, readable, subtle, and integrative in its interpretations, and comprehensive in scope. . . . It is a seminal study . . . but it is also a substantive history that will long retain its usefulness.”—Christopher Ehret, American Historical Review

Author : Torben Larsen
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 595 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2023-01-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9789004531109

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Butterflies of West Africa by Torben Larsen Pdf

Author : L. A. Lewis,L. Berry
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 421 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2012-07-26
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781136880964

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African Environments and Resources by L. A. Lewis,L. Berry Pdf

First published in 1988, this work provides a comprehensive picture of the range of physical environments in Africa, focusing upon those characteristics and issues central to the management of environmental resources. Beginning with an overview of the geographical and environmental history of Africa, the authors also provide to the evolution of the management of resources and then details a broadly defined ecosystem approach, in which major environmental resource issues are identified and addressed in the tropical rainforest, the Savannah dry-forest, the arid and semi-arid areas, the highlands, and the extra-tropical zones of Northern and Southern Africa. The book is designed to contribute to a better understanding of African environmental and resource-management problems and this reissue should be welcomed by students of Africa and of environmental resource management problems in general.

Author : Paula Viterbo,Kalala Ngalamulume
Publisher : MSU Press
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2011-06-01
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781628954906

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Medicine and Health in Africa by Paula Viterbo,Kalala Ngalamulume Pdf

Over the last two decades, the implosion of economies under the burden of debt, the negative repercussions of structural adjustment programs, the crisis of legitimacy, civil wars, and the collapse of some states have resulted in serious health issues across the African continent. Newly emerging diseases, such as Ebola virus and HIV/AIDS have killed and disabled millions. Some “old diseases,” such as yellow fever, tuberculosis, and polio have reappeared. Malaria, cholera, and meningitis continue to kill thousands. In many countries, the medical infrastructure has collapsed, while an increasing number of physicians and nurses have migrated to more hospitable places. Stigmatization of the affected people has exacerbated social and racial discrimination and has affected the implementation of national and international public health programs. The complexity of the situation requires an interdisciplinary approach. This collection, including contributions by historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and biologists, emphasizes the social and cultural contexts of African health, paying particular attention to the history of the colonial public health system and its legacy.

Author : Michel Arbonnier
Publisher : Editions Quae
Page : 582 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Arid regions plants
ISBN : 2876145790

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Trees, Shrubs and Lianas of West African Dry Zones by Michel Arbonnier Pdf

Author : Neil Cumberlidge
Publisher : IRD Editions
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Science
ISBN : 2709914336

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The Freshwater Crabs of West Africa by Neil Cumberlidge Pdf

Author : Gordon Charles Cook,Alimuddin Zumla
Publisher : Elsevier Health Sciences
Page : 1851 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2009-01-01
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9781416044703

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Manson's Tropical Diseases by Gordon Charles Cook,Alimuddin Zumla Pdf

Providing the latest coverage on emerging and re-emerging diseases from around the world, such as tuberculosis and malaria, this updated guide contains boxes and tables that highlight key information on current therapies. This edition includes online access for more information.

Author : Barbara A. Holzman
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2008-09-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780313087431

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Tropical Forest Biomes by Barbara A. Holzman Pdf

This volume in the Greenwood Guides to Biomes of the World series covers the lush, beautiful - and rapidly shrinking - tropical forest biomes. The volume covers the two major tropic forest biomes, tropical rainforests and tropical seasonal forests.

Author : William Weber,Lee J. T. White,Lisa Naughton-Treves,Amy Vedder
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 620 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2001-01-01
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0300084331

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African Rain Forest Ecology and Conservation by William Weber,Lee J. T. White,Lisa Naughton-Treves,Amy Vedder Pdf

Extending from west Africa to Madagascar, from the vast lowland Congo Basin to the archipelago of forest islands on its eastern rim, the African rain forest is surpassed in size only by the Amazon. This book sheds light on the current efforts to understand and conserve the African rain forest, an area in need of urgent action to save its biological wealth, cultural heritage, and economic potential. Written by conservation scientists and practitioners based in the African rain forest, the book offers a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates many biological and social sciences. Early chapters trace the forces--from paleoecological factors to recent human actions--that have shaped the African forest environment. The next chapters discuss the dominant biological patterns of species ranging from the distinctive elephants, gorillas, and okapi to the less well known birds, butterflies, and amphibians. Other chapters focus on how such different groups as hunter-gatherers, forest farmers, bushmeat hunters, recent immigrants, and commercial foresters have used the forests. Several authors stress the need for tighter links between research and conservation action. The final section draws lessons from the collective experience of those working in an Africa wracked by political strife and economic hardship.