Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest (Paperback)

by Nalini M. Nadkarni (Editor), Nathaniel T. Wheelwright (Editor) "Monteverde has been variously described as a virgin tropical cloud forest, a Quaker dairy community, an artists' commune, a haven for those seeking spirituality, a..." (more)
Key Phrases: fallen epiphytes, leeward cloud forest, crown humus, Costa Rica, New York, Central America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book will be an excellent source of information and reference on this biological reserve and the two brave editors are to be applauded. The information compiled in this volume will serve as a basis for monitoring the declines, fluctuations and variability of populations in Monteverde." -- Luis D. Gomez, Plant Systematics and Evolution, Vol 223, 2000
"'Monteverde: Ecology and Conservation of a Tropical Cloud Forest' is an impressive 573 page volume which includes the work of 114 individual contributors, each selected for his and her specialized knowledge of Monteverde flora, fauna, history and biodiversity. This is a unique volume, the most comprehensive ever assembled on what is acknowledged to be the purest rain forest on our planet. They have a remarkably comprehensive volume to illuminate everything they see and study. Every aspect of the forest, from its physical environment, plants and vegetation, insect and spiders, amphibians and reptiles, ( including some haunting words on the disappearance of the forest's Golden Toad) birds, mammals, agriculture and more, much more, is thoroughly documented in a series of essays." -- Times Record, Sept 2000
"This is a lucidly and cleanly written group effort by 114 contributors, all with experience with Monteverde field biology."--The Quarterly Review of Biology
"An important book outlining the current knowledge of the ecology of one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. ... Those interested in cloud forests and conservation will find this volume fascinating."--Northeastern Naturalist


Product Description
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve has captured the worldwide attention of biologists, conservationists, and ecologists and has been the setting for extensive investigation over the past 30 years. Roughly 40,000 ecotourists visit the Cloud Forest each year, and it is often considered the archetypal high-altitude rain forest.

This volume brings together some of the most prominent researchers of the region to provide a broad introduction to the biology of the Monteverde and cloud forests in general. Collecting and synthesizing vital information about the ecosystem and its biota, the book also examines the positive and negative effects of human activity on both the forest and the surrounding communities. Ecologists, tropical biologists, and natural historians will find this volume an indispensable resource as will all those who are fascinated by the magnificent wonders of the tropical forests.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (March 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195133102
• ISBN-13: 978-0195133103
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,136,989 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good reference book, September 23, 2007

By	Thomas P. Mcfarland - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have found this to be a fantastically helpful reference book for everything Monteverde-related. This book isn't meant to be a best-seller, it (seems to be) designed for the subset of people who are interested in Monteverde, Costa Rica. If you have spent some time in Monteverde, or plan to, it has pretty much everything you could ever want to know about natural history and climate. It is also put together in an easy and intuitive manner, which counts for a lot when you are trying to find one specific thing in a book that is about everything. It is aimed more towards science, but it also has quite a bit about the history of the town. This is the first place I would look for helpful tidbits of information about Monteverde like yearly rainfall/mist, neat graphs that break down the number of species of plants of various life forms ("X% of plants in MV are climbers, Y% are epiphytes, Z% canopy trees"), and the such. I would strongly suggest it to anyone interested in Monteverde natural history. This is not a field guide, it won't help you identify anything to species, but it will be a very good supplement to pretty much any field guide, so you can see what ever you are interested in the large framework of its ecosystem.

It is also just plain fun read.