Neotropical Gradients and Their Analysis

The importance of the Neotropics to the world's climate, biogeochemical cycling 

and biodiversity cannot be questioned.  This book suggests that gradients are 

key to understanding both these issues and Neotropical ecosystem structure, 

function and dynamics in general.  Those gradients are either spatial, temporal 

or spatio-temporal, where many temporal and spatio-temporal gradients are 

initiated by disturbances (e.g., tree-fall, landslide, cultivation).  And in particular 

for the Neotropics, three large spatial gradients - latitude, longitude, altitude 

(elevation) - are of critical importance.  The editor has over 30 years of 

experience investigating Neotropical gradients in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, 

Peru and Ecuador, and has published 5 previous books on different aspects 

of the Neotropics.  Once again he has assembled top-shelf Neotropical 

scientists and researchers, here to focus on gradients: their nature, 

interactions and how they structure ecosystems.