Further Reading
Simpson, G. G. 1980. Splendid Isolation: The Curious History
of South American Mammals. New Haven, CT: Yale Univ.
Press. Somewhat dated but still engaging, this book, written
by one of the most influential evolutionary biologists of the
20th- century, provides a readable account of the unique
mammalian fauna that once dominated much of South
America.
Skutch, A. F. 1977. A Bird Watcher’s Adventures in Tropical
America. Austin: Univ. of Texas Press. Skutch was a
legendary ornithologist, a real pioneer of avian natural
history studies. This book, which focuses on Skutch’s early
years in the tropics, is more than just accounts of birds as
evidenced in the chapter “Through Peruvian Amazon by
Gunboat.”
Wallace, A. R. 1895. Natural Selection and Tropical Nature.
London: Macmillan. This delightful book contains vivid
descriptions, in glorious Victorian prose, of Alfred Russel
Wallace’s experiences in Amazonia.
Waterton, C. [1825] 1983. Wanderings in South America.
London: Century Publishing. A very engaging narrative by
an eccentric but perceptive explorer. One of the best of the
early travel narratives.
Worth, C. B. 1967. A Naturalist in Trinidad. Philadelphia, PA:
J. B. Lippincott Company. The title is explanatory and the
writing is wonderful. The book is enhanced by the artistic
mastery of Don R. Eckelberry.
General References: The Essentials
Here I supply a list of book- length references,
some of which are nontechnical, some of which are
research- focused. Taken together they provide added
understanding of Neotropical natural history, ecology,
and research.
Bridgewater, S. 2012. A Natural History of Belize: Inside the
Maya Forest. Austin: Univ. of Texas Press.
Bush, M. B., J. R. Flenley, and W. D. Gosling (eds.). 2011.
Tropical Rainforest Responses to Climatic Change.
Chichester, UK: Praxis Publishing and Springer.
Chazdon, R. L., and T. C. Witmore. Foundations of Tropical
Forest Biology: Classic Papers with Commentaries. Chicago:
Univ. of Chicago Press.
Fleming, T. H., and W. J. Kress. 2013. The Ornaments of Life:
Coevolution and Conservation in the Tropics. Chicago: Univ.
of Chicago Press.
Gentry, A. H. (ed.). 1990. Four Neotropical Rainforests. New
Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press.
Goulding, M. 1990. Amazon: The Flooded Forest. London:
Guild Publishing.
Goulding, M., N. J. H. Smith, and D. J. Mahar. 1996. Floods
of Fortune: Ecology and Economy along the Amazon. New
York: Columbia Univ. Press.
Huston, M. A. Biological Diversity: The Coexistence of Species
on Changing Landscapes. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ.
Press.
Janzen, D. H. (ed.). 1983. Costa Rican Natural History. Chicago:
Univ. of Chicago Press.
Kricher, J. 2011. Tropical Ecology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
Univ. Press.
Leigh, E. G. Jr. 1999. Tropical Forest Ecology: A View from Barro
Colorado Island. Oxford, UK: Oxford Univ. Press.
Leigh, E. G. Jr., A. S. Rand, and D. M. Windsor. 1982. The
Ecology of a Tropical Forest: Seasonal Rhythms and Long-
term Changes. Wash., DC: Smithsonian Inst. Press.
Lovejoy, T. E., and L. Hannah (eds.). 2005. Climate Change and
Biodiversity. New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press.
McDade, L. A., K. S. Bawa, H. A. Hespendeide, and G. S.
Hartshorn (eds.). 1994. La Selva: Ecology and Natural History
of a Neotropical Rain Forest. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Nadkarni, N. M., and N. T. Wheelwright (eds.). 2000.
Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud
Forest. New York: Oxford Univ. Press.
Primack, R., and R. Corlett. 2005. Tropical Rain Forests: An
Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison. Malden, MA:
Blackwell.
Reddish, P. 1996. Spirit of the Jaguar: The Natural History and
Ancient Civilization of the Caribbean and Central America.
London: BBC Books.
Sodhi, N. S., C. H. Sekercioglu, J. Barlow, and S. K. Robinson.
- Conservation of Tropical Birds. Oxford, UK: Wiley-
Blackwell.
Wilson, E. O. 1992. The Diversity of Life. New York: W. W.
Norton & Co.
Chapter- by- Chapter Further
Reading Lists
Studies discussed in the chapter are in boldface. Others
are included as additional reading suggestions.
Chapter 1: Further Reading
Achard, F., H. D. Eva, H.- J. Stibig, P. Mayaux, J. Gallego, T.
Richards, and J.- P. Malingreau. 2002. Determination of
deforestation rates of the world’s humid tropical forests.
Science 297: 999– 1002.
Chazdon, R.L., and T. C. Whitmore (eds.). 2002. Foundations
of Tropical Biology: Classic Papers with Commentaries.
Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.
Clark, D. A. 2004. Tropical forest and global warming: slowing
it down or speeding it up? Front. Ecol. Environ. 2: 73– 80.
Jackson, S. T. 2009. Alexander von Humboldt and the general
physics of the Earth. Science 324: 596– 597.
further reading 393
