Australia's wet tropics rainforest life: Including the Daintree region.

Rare, unique and irreplaceable – precious native rainforests occupy a precariously small part of Australia while retaining a remarkable level of both biological and chemical diversity unrivalled by any other ecosystem. Australia's ancient history and traditions are intimately intertwined with the rainforest plants that humans have utilised as both food and medicine. Phytochemistry of Australia's Tropical Rainforest is a record of this history and details how our understanding of these plants has led to the discovery of anaesthetics, analgesics, steroids, antimalarials and more. It provides an insight into the habitat, ecology and family associations of hundreds of species and explores their future therapeutic potential, alongside phytochemical studies of the ancient plant lineages. Toxicological evaluations of important poisonous plants are also included. Rainforests provide shelter for unique flora and fauna that are counted among the rarest species on Earth, many of which are illustrated in this book. This comprehensive work is an essential reference for phytochemists, ethnobotanists and those with an interest in rainforests and their medicinal and botanical potential.

This book brings together a wealth of scientific findings andecological knowledge to survey what we have learned about the“Wet Tropics” rainforests of North Queensland,Australia. This interdisciplinary text is the first book to providesuch a holistic view of any tropical forest environment, includingthe social and economic dimensions. The most thorough assessment of a tropical forest landscape todate Explores significant scientific breakthroughs in areasincluding conservation genetics, vegetation modeling, agroforestryand revegetation techniques, biodiversity assessment and modeling,impacts of climate change, and the integration of science innatural resource management Research achieved, in part, due to the Cooperative ResearchCentre for Tropical Rainforest Ecology and Management (theRainforest CRC) Written by a number of distinguished internationalexperts contains chapter summaries and section commentaries

Synthesizing theoretical & empirical analyses of the processes that help shape these unique ecosystems, 'Tropical Rainforests' looks at the effects of evolutionary histories, past climate change, & ecological dynamics on the origin & maintenance of tropical rainforest communities.

In an age of increasing environmental problems, ecology has had to grow up fast from a discipline dealing with relatively simple interactions between species to one that tries to explain changes in global patterns of diversity and richness. The issues are complex. Every species may seem to have its own unique role, but if that is true, then why are there hundreds of species of plankton in an ecosystem with only a handful of niches? The tropics have a high biodiversity, but does anybody know why? And how can a single introduced tree species wreak havoc in Hawaii’s rainforests, when it is one of thousands of quietly coexisting tree species in its native continent, South America? The strength of this book is that it will help digest some of these more complex issues in the ecology of biodiversity. It will do this by zooming out from the local scale to the global scale in a number of steps, marrying community ecology with macroecology, and introducing unexpected nuggets of natural history along the way. The reader will notice that, the larger the scale, the more the familiar niche-concept appears to be overshadowed by exotic fields from fractal and complexity theory. However, scientists differ in opinion on the scale at which niches become irrelevant. These differences of opinion, but also the search for unified ecological theories, will form another force by which the story will be carried along to its conclusion. A conclusion which, surprisingly, seeks to find a glimpse of the globe's future in the traces from its past.

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of tropical rainforests with Tropical Rainforest Guide: Exploring Biodiversity in Lush Jungles. This comprehensive guide takes you on a journey through the planet's most diverse and captivating ecosystems, from the vast Amazon Basin to the ancient rainforests of Southeast Asia and the rich biodiversity of Central America. Discover the incredible flora and fauna that call these lush jungles home, learn about the indigenous cultures intertwined with these landscapes, and explore the adventure and ecotourism opportunities that await. Whether you are a seasoned explorer, a passionate conservationist, or a curious traveler, this book offers invaluable insights, practical tips, and inspiring stories to deepen your appreciation for the beauty and importance of tropical rainforests. Join us in celebrating and protecting these irreplaceable natural treasures.

This year's Best Australian Essays ranges far and wide. There are portraits of Michael Jackson, Samuel Beckett, the kookaburra, Julia Gillard and Charles Darwin. There are dazzling pieces on commerce and cricket, extinction and translation, perfume and politics. There are journeys through landscapes scorched and recovering, and reflections on turning points both public and deeply personal. For Robyn Davidson, the best essays 'put oneself and the world to the test.' Here is a collection of pieces that do just that - and also entertain, inspire and provoke. Contributors include: David Sedaris, Tim Flannery, Tim Winton, Annabel Crabb, Chloe Hooper, David Marr, Drusilla Modjeska, JM Coetzee, Noel Pearson, Robert Dessaix and more.

- Stunning color photographs - Unrivalled and authoritative coverage of an area of great biological interest The remote, beautiful and poorly known rainforests of Cape York Peninsula tell a special story about Australia's historic and present-day connections to New Guinea. This book highlights the connections by examining the fascinating biology of some of the most spectacular birds and other animals shared between the two regions. The author recounts his own ground-breaking research on cross-dressing eclectus parrots, musical palm cockatoos and multi-colored pythons, together with the exotic lifestyles of other animals, while painting the bigger picture of the past when Australia and New Guinea were joined by extensive landbridges. Australia's disconnection from New Guinea is probably only temporary, and even today many bird species continue to fly the short distance between the two landmasses. The book uses the beautiful photographs of Michael Cermak and others to draw the reader in, and lively informative text to describe the remarkable behavior of many of the rainforest creatures, and to emphasize the shallow and transient nature of Torres Strait as a barrier between Cape York and New Guinea. Whether just browsing the beautiful photos and informative captions, or reading it in its entirety, this book will provide a useful guide for a greater understanding of the unique attributes of the Cape York rainforests.

The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020 is the most comprehensive review of the status of Australia's avifauna ever attempted. The latest in a series of action plans for Australian birds that have been produced every decade since 1992, it is also the largest. The accounts in this plan have been authored by more than 300 of the most knowledgeable bird experts in the country, and feature far more detail than any of the earlier plans. This volume also includes accounts of over 60 taxa that are no longer considered threatened, mainly thanks to sustained conservation action over many decades. This extensive book covers key themes that have emerged in the last decade, including the increasing impact of climate change as a threatening process, most obviously in Queensland's tropical rainforests where many birds are being pushed up the mountains. However, the effects are also indirect, as happened in the catastrophic fires of 2019/20. Many of the newly listed birds are subspecies confined to Kangaroo Island, where fire destroyed over half the population. But there are good news stories too, especially on islands where there have been spectacular successes with predator control. Such uplifting results demonstrate that when action plans are followed by action on the ground, threatened species can indeed be recovered and threats alleviated.