The empty forest revisited
Tropical forests are among the most species‐rich ecosystems on the planet. Some authors argue that predictions of a tropical forest extinction crisis based on analyses of deforestation rates are overly pessimistic since they do not take account of future agricultural abandonment as a result of rural...
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Published in | Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Vol. 1223; no. 1; pp. 120 - 128 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Malden, USA
Blackwell Publishing Inc
01.03.2011
Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Tropical forests are among the most species‐rich ecosystems on the planet. Some authors argue that predictions of a tropical forest extinction crisis based on analyses of deforestation rates are overly pessimistic since they do not take account of future agricultural abandonment as a result of rural–urban migration and subsequent secondary regrowth. Even if such regrowth occurs, it is crucial to consider threats to species that are not directly correlated with area of forest cover. Hunting is an insidious but significant driver of tropical forest defaunation, risking cascading changes in forest plant and animal composition. Ineffective legislation and enforcement along with a failure of decision makers to address the threats of hunting is fanning the fire of a tropical forest extinction crisis. If tropical forest ecosystems are to survive, the threat of unsustainable hunting must be adequately addressed now. |
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Bibliography: | ArticleID:NYAS5908 istex:3166A76EFACF3A7586BD37534C28E0AA733B45D1 ark:/67375/WNG-G44HW68M-5 ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 |
ISSN: | 0077-8923 1749-6632 |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05908.x |