"Explore the magic and mystery of the world's tropical rainforests"--Page 4 of cover.

This is a comprehensive, attractive, and readable introduction to tropical rain forest ecology, biogeography, and management. It tackles the subject at local, regional, and global scales, and is both up-to-date and fully integrated across disciplines.

Embark on a journey through the enchanting world of the rainforest in Charlotte Milner's beautifully illustrated The Rainforest Book. Sweep aside the liana vines, hop over the giant roots of the kapok tree, and follow the sound of the howler monkey as you venture into the tropical rainforest. Find out about some of the amazing animals that live there, learn about the enormous variety of life-giving plants, and discover why the Amazon rainforest is known as the 'lungs' of our Earth. In this beautiful ebook, Charlotte Milner continues to highlight the important ecological issues faced by our planet, following on from The Bee Book, The Sea Book, and The Bat Book. Did you know that over half of our planet's wildlife live in the rainforest? And that at least 2 metres of rain falls in the rainforest every year? The world's rainforests are packed with amazing animals and plants, from the deadly poison dart frog, to the stinky rafflesia flower - there is plenty to discover! As our planet's climate crisis becomes even more critical, The Rainforest Book is the perfect way to introduce little nature-lovers to this enchanting yet threatened world. This celebration of the rainforest shows children just how important it is, and reminds them that it is up to us to care for our planet and its wildlife.

Today is doomsday for a young Venezuelan Indian boy's beloved rain forest and its animal life—unless he and a visiting naturalist can save it. "George makes drama large and small out of the minute-by-minute events in an ecosystem . . . gripping ecological theater." —C. "An example of nonfiction writing at its best." —SLJ. Notable 1990 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1990 (NSTA/CBC)

Learn all about the ecosystem of the rainforest, Earth’s oldest living ecosystem. Understand the characteristics of a rainforest, where they are located and how old some of them are. Examine the plant and animal life in a rainforest, and determine why they are important. What are the threats to the rainforest and how can you help? Start reading today.

Chronicling the practices, legends, and wisdom of the vanishing traditions of the upper Amazon, this book reveals the area's indigenous peoples' approach to living in harmony with the natural world. Rainforest Medicine features in-depth essays on plant-based medicine and indigenous science from four distinct Amazonian societies: deep forest and urban, lowland rainforest and mountain. The book is illustrated with unique botanical and cultural drawings by Secoya elder and traditional healer Agustin Payaguaje and horticulturalist Thomas Y. Wang as well as by the author himself. Payaguaje shares his sincere imaginal view into the spiritual life of the Secoya; plates of petroglyphs from the sacred valley of Cotundo relate to an ancient language, and other illustrations show traditional Secoya ayahuasca symbols and indigenous origin myths. Two color sections showcase photos of the plants and people of the region, and include plates of previously unpublished full-color paintings by Pablo Cesar Amaringo (1938-2009), an acclaimed Peruvian artist renowned for his intricate, colorful depictions of his visions from drinking the entheogenic plant brew, ayahuasca ("vine of the soul" in Quechua languages). Today the once-dense mysterious rainforest realms are under assault as the indiscriminate colonial frontier of resource extraction moves across the region; as the forest disappears, the traditional human legacy of sustainable utilization of this rich ecosystem is also being buried under modern realities. With over 20 years experience of ground-level environmental and cultural conservation, author Jonathon Miller Weisberger's commitment to preserving the fascinating, unfathomably precious relics of the indigenous legacy shines through. Chief among these treasures is the "shimmering" "golden" plant-medicine science of ayahuasca or yajé, a rainforest vine that was popularized in the 1950s by Western travelers such as William Burroughs and Alan Ginsberg. It has been sampled, reviled, and celebrated by outsiders ever since. Currently sought after by many in the industrialized West for its powerful psychotropic and life-transforming effects, this sacred brew is often imbibed by visitors to the upper Amazon and curious seekers in faraway venues, sometimes with little to no working knowledge of its principles and precepts. Perceiving that there is an evident need for in-depth information on ayahuasca if it is to be used beyond its traditional context for healing and spiritual illumination in the future, Miller Weisberger focuses on the fundamental knowledge and practices that guide the use of ayahuasca in indigenous cultures. Weaving first-person narrative with anthropological and ethnobotanical information, Rainforest Medicine aims to preserve both the record and ongoing reality of ayahuasca's unique tradition and, of course, the priceless forest that gave birth to these sacred vines. Featuring words from Amazonian shamans--the living torchbearers of these sophisticated spiritual practices--the book stands as testimony to this sacred plant medicine's power in shaping and healing individuals, communities, and nature alike.

With their towering spruces and cedars, verdant groundcover and cloaks of mist, the temeperate rainforests of North American have long been a source of wonder and awe. Extending from northern California to southern Alaska, these immense and mysterious forests are home to a constellation of life that is unique on this planet.In this magnificant photographic collection, Graham Osborne's breathtaking images depict the many guise of the rainforest--gnarled tree trunks dripping with moss, the spires of Douglas firs reaching into the sky, waterfalls tumbling over time-worn rocks, ice-encased fern fronds in winter, scarlet maple leaves littering the ground in autumn, a burst of wildflowers along a river bank in spring.In his eloquent text, Wade Davis describes the scale and abundance of these rainforests, where redwoods reach nearly 120 meters and read cedars can be 6 metres or more across at the base. Davis also discusses the role of the rainforest in Native culture and mourns the loss of much of this ancient foest through overcutting and other shortsighted forestry practices.Together, Davis's powerful writing and Osborne's spectular photographs provide a stunning tribute to this rare and beautiful ecosystem, as well as a compelling plea to preserve it.