In Tropical Forest Ecology, Egbert G. Leigh, Jr., one of the world's foremost tropical ecologists, introduces the reader to the tropical forest, and describes the intricate web of interdependence among the great diversity of tropical plants and animals. Focusing on the tropical forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, Leigh shows what Barro Colorado can tell us about other tropical forests--and what tropical forests can tell us about Barro Colorado.
This book considers three essential questions for understanding the ecological organization of tropical forests. How do they stay green with their abundance of herbivores? Why do they have such a diversity of plants and animals? And what role does mutualism play in the ecology of tropical forests? Beautifully written and abundantly illustrated, Tropical Forest Ecology, will certainly appeal to a wide variety of scientists in the fields of evolution, tropical biology, botany, zoology, and natural history.

This book, the magnum opus of one of the most highly regarded tropical ecologists, is a synoptic comparison of tropical forests, based on a detailed understanding of one particular tropical forest, Barro Colorado Island, and illuminated by a lively interest in natural history and a sound theoretical understanding of ecological and evolutionary process. It covers various aspects of tropical forest biology including natural history, tree architecture and forest physiognomy, ecosystem dynamics, community ecology, niche differentiation and species diversity, evolutionary biology, and the role of mutualism in the ecological organization of tropical forest.