Regional Expressions of the Tropical Rainforest Biome - Tropical Forest Biomes - page 142

The Asian-Pacific rainforest contributes greatly to global biodiversity. Contin-
ued efforts by the countries of this region, working with local and international
environmental organizations, can save much of the remaining rainforest. Like the
African region, sustainable development, sustainable forestry, and ecotourism will
help support the people and conserve the tropical rainforests of the Asian Pacific
now and in the future.
Each of the regional expressions of the Tropical Rainforest Biome shows simi-
larities in forest form and function. Some plant families like the legume or fig fami-
lies are found throughout the biome, while others, such as the dipterocarps are
restricted to one region. This is true of vertebrates and invertebrates as well. Simi-
larities as well as distinct differences are evident. All three regions suffer from
extensive deforestation and forest fragmentation due to human encroachment and
exploitation. Each region's unique assemblage of biodiversity remains in jeopardy
with the continued destruction of the forests. Local, governmental, and interna-
tional groups are working diligently to protect some of the remaining forests.
Further Readings
topics
Aiken, S. R., and Colin H. Leigh. 1992. Vanishing Rain Forests: The Ecological Transition in
Malaysia . Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Garbutt, N. 2006. Wild Borneo: The Wildlife, Scenery of Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kaliman-
tan . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Gentry, A. H., ed. 1990. Four Tropical Rainforests . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Kircher, John. 1997. A Neotropial Companion . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Martin, C. 1991. The Rainforests of West Africa: Ecology, Threats and Conservation. Basel:
Birkhauser Verlag.
Primack, R., and Thomas E. Lovejoy, eds. 1995. Ecology, Conservation and Management of
Southeast Asian Rainforests . New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Shuttleworth, C. 1981. Malaysia's Green and Timeless World . Singapore: Heinemann Educa-
tional Books.
Yamada, I. 1997. Tropical Rain Forests of Southeast Asia: A Forest Ecologist's View . Honolulu:
University of Hawaii Press.
Internet Source
Butler, Rhett A. 2007. Tropical Rainforests. Mongabay.com. http://rainforests.mongabay.
com.