The Amazon

The Amazon -that name was given to the biggest river on earth and is often used for the whole area of its basin too. This geographical region is currently referred to as Amazonia, thus emphasizing the peculiar character of its aquatic and terrestrial reaches. The Amazon embodied the dream of many a naturalist to explore what for a long time was a terra incognita. In recent years, however, Amazonia has emerged as a main centre for 'development' by some of the countries in which it lies and by foreign industrialized nations. The development projects and enterprises have aroused woridwide interest and have given rise to discussions on their aims and their consequences to the Amazonian nature. Limnological and ecological investigations in Amazonia started only about 40 years ago. The editor had the good fortune to partake in them from the very beginning. He spent his decisive years in Amazonia, and dedicated his life's work to that research and to that country and the Amazonian people. Nearing the end of his scicntific activities, hc is gratcful to bc ablc to summarizc in this book most of the knowledge we possess at present of Amazonian limnology and landscape ecology.

`The range of topics included is impressively broad, covering ecology of aquatic and terrestrial environments, the geology and physiography of the basin, and the history, economics and econological impact of human development.'
Australian Journal of Ecology, 12 (1987)
`...well organized and abundantly illustrated... well produced and well edited, and is essential reading for all biologists, geographers, ecologists, and limnologists interested in the Amazon region.'
American Scientist (May/June 1986)
`The nature of a book like this means a warehouse of information in which present and future scientists on the spot find an indispensable and rich source of data. Interested readers can roam in it, dreaming of a fascinating world of forms and functions.'
Hydrobiological Bulletin, 19:1 (1985)
`The utilitarian value of the assemblage of articles, the wide spectrum of topics considered, the consistent expertness of the authors and the uniqueness of the collection make this book a very definite MUST for reachers in numerous fields tangential to limnology and ecology of tropical humid rain-forests.'
Interciencia