456 pages
6 x 9
Two 8-page color inserts, 97 photographs
Rainforests have long been recognized as hotspots of biodiversity—but they are crucial for our planet in other surprising ways. Not only do these fascinating ecosystems thrive in rainy regions, they create rain themselves, and this moisture is spread around the globe. Rainforests across the world have a powerful and concrete impact, reaching as far as America’s Great Plains and central Europe. In Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines, a prominent conservationist provides a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world’s rainforests today, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them.
In Rainforest, Tony Juniper draws upon decades of work in rainforest conservation. He brings readers along on his journeys, from the thriving forests of Costa Rica to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations have supplanted much of the former rainforest. Despite many ominous trends, Juniper sees hope for rainforests and those who rely upon them, thanks to developments like new international agreements, corporate deforestation policies, and movements from local and Indigenous communities.
As climate change intensifies, we have already begun to see the effects of rainforest destruction on the planet at large. Rainforest provides a detailed and wide-ranging look at the health and future of these vital ecosystems. Throughout this evocative book, Juniper argues that in saving rainforests, we save ourselves, too.
"[Juniper] tackles the rain forest as a topic from multiple angles in this heavily researched, smartly written, and singularly important title...This is science writing at its best, an immersive read with a powerful message about why what happens in one part of the world matters to all of us."
Booklist
"A thoughtful exploration, scientific and political, of the ecological web from raindrop to global climactic system...[Juniper] writes with a lightly worn but deep understanding of ecology, conservation biology, and population dynamics. He lucidly explains such matters as how to enlist rural populations in sustaining rainforests, identifying a host of big-picture problems such as poverty and political corruption, and making a strong case for 'the idea that in combating climate change there [is] no more effective step than halting deforestation.' A sturdy primer for anyone interested in learning about tropical rainforests and why it's essential to keep them healthy."
Kirkus
"Rainforest promises a series of environmental news stories by a far-ranging journalist, but this book delivers much more because of Tony Juniper’s high credibility. He has professional experience in both international environmentalism and public service. The book is persuasive and timely."
Natural Areas Journal
"This book is essential reading for anyone who wants a better future for our planet."
Choice
"People take action when they are inspired. And this is exactly what Tony's book does. It is an incredible, firsthand account of one of the most important environmental battles of our time, one that we simply cannot afford to lose. Because a fight for the rainforests is a fight for Planet Earth and for the peoples of the world."
Erik Solheim, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme, 2016-2018
Introduction: Rainforest Matters
PART 1. Earth’s Most Vital Systems
Chapter 1. Rainforest—A Clue in the Name
Chapter 2. Living Atmosphere
Chapter 3. The Ecological Weave
Chapter 4. Evolutionary Treasures
PART II. The Americas
Chapter 5. The “New World” Rainforest Peoples
Chapter 6. Forest Clearance in the Americas
Chapter 7. Counting the Cost: Green Shields
Chapter 8. Protest and Survive
Chapter 9. Forest Dividends in Costa Rica
Chapter 10. The Best Forest Custodians
Chapter 11. Temperate Zone Rainforest
PART III. Africa
Chapter 12. Last Frontiers: The Congo Basin
Chapter 13. The Lost Forests of West Africa
Chapter 14. Climate and Cocoa Challenges
PART IV. Asia and the Pacific
Chapter 15. A Short Tour of the Eastern Forests
Chapter 16. How to Destroy a Rainforest
Chapter 17. Tigers, Pangolins, and Honeycreepers
Chapter 18. Poachers into Gamekeepers?
PART V. Worth More Alive Than Dead
Chapter 19. Globalized Deforestation
Chapter 20. …And Global Solutions
Chapter 21. Valuing Nature and Rainforest
Chapter 22. Future Forests
Endnotes
Note on the Maps
Photo Credits
Acknowledgements
Index
Rainforests have long been recognized as hotspots of biodiversity—but they are crucial for our planet in other surprising ways. These ecosystems provide indispensable benefits, from capturing carbon and ensuring food security to contributing to breakthroughs in medicine, farming, engineering, and protecting numerous species.
In Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines, conservationist Tony Juniper journeys from the barren forests of the Americas to Indonesia, where palm oil plantations have supplanted much of the former rainforest. Along the way, he delivers a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world’s rainforests today, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them.
The photos below, included in full color in the book, showcase the beauty and diversity of our planet's rainforests.
All photographs by Thomas Marent.
Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They are crucial for the health of our planet in somtimes surprising ways—from regulating freshwater systems to mitigating climate change.
In Rainforest: Dispatches from Earth’s Most Vital Frontlines, prominent conservationist Tony Juniper provides a comprehensive view of the crucial roles rainforests serve, the state of the world’s rainforests today, and the inspirational efforts underway to save them.
Read the excerpt below to find out what makes rainforests so valuable for our planet:
