Review: Judging by various commentaries it would appear that there are two main "canaries" in the global warming "mine". The one that gets more coverage is the Arctic with evocative (even if inaccurate) pictures of polar bears standing on lone ice floes. The other would have to be the tropical regions where temperature and rainfall changes could wreak equal havoc. Given its proximity to population centres the impact could be even greater. Whilst there is much discussion there is little concrete work easily available which is where this book comes in. Its aim is to provide an overview of conservation issues but focussed solely on the tropics.

Chapter one opens the debate by outlining the actual loss of habitat by type and region. There are numerous data all pointing to the diminishing resources. There's also some attempt to highlight why this might be so. Chapter two takes the familiar line of ecosystem services - the idea that far from being a free good, tropical areas should be valued for what they provide (from climatic control to soil stability). Of course, services can only be provided when there is sufficient of a resource to produce it. This requires, as chapter three highlights, a sufficient size of a resource and not one which is fragmented. Starting with theory we are guided through some of the key aspects and impacts of fragmentation. Not all loss is through fragmentation. Large swathes of land are subject to burning - a process which alters landscape and biodiversity. There's the impact of alien species, fast becoming one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity change in all ecosystems. To all of these we can add the general threats caused by humans and described in chapter six. Bushmeat means the removal of species at possibly unsustainable rates (but see the counterpoint here). The wildlife trade also pays its part as does the medicinal uses of plants and animals although this again has become more complex as we better appreciate the dimensions of ethnobotany. Chapter 7 is a departure not just in topic but location as we are taken into issues on tropical waters. The usual culprits are mentioned e.g. bycatch, reef destruction, pollution etc. but these are brought together to highlight the multiple impacts upon this ecosystem. Chapter 8 looks at a topic mentioned in other parts of the book but just is passing - climate change. It is acknowledged that this will cause considerable issues for tropical regions and it is here that we get to see what this means. In a similar vein, chapter 9 describes the changes wrought by species extinction. Finally, we have an examination of some of the key problems facing the area and also some of the more positive ways forward.

There is much to recommend in this text. It covers a key area in some detail and provides the sort of overview that is needed if we are to better understand the connections between tropical ecosystems. The text is extremely well supported through numerous case studies and data. Each chapter has a useful summary and key selected texts. A highlight is the use of biographies whereby most chapters have a leading exponent of that work describe what they do and where they see conservation going. It brings the subject to life and helps the reader see who the main characters are - it's a great device for the beginner in a subject and one too little used. Overall, a very good text written in an accessible style. It deserves a wide readership.