Where Dwarfs Reign

Beelden van de dieren- en plantenwereld van het tropische regenwoud in Puerto Rico.

This book explains how to foresee and manage ecosystem changes in the Luquillo Mountains in Puerto Rico, by looking at underlying causes and effects. The lessons from the abiotic and biotic environments, populations, and ecosystems in this region apply to analogous forest biomes in Central and South America, as well as around the world.

From the Foreword Umberto Quattrocchi has brought us some amazing and useful works through the various dictionaries that he has compiled. This time it is for two very important plant families the palms and the cycads that are synthesized here in these two volumes. Each entry is fascinating not just for the botany and full nomenclature of the plant species but for all the associated uses, folklore and interactions with other organisms. ...These entries are fascinating glimpses of natural history. ... Botanists, conservationists, ethnobotanists, anthropologists, geographers, bird watchers, naturalists, historians and those of many other disciplines will find these volumes a most valuable and useful resource. It is the sort of book that will be in frequent use in my library. ----- Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS, VMH, Former Director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Following the same format as Umberto Quattrocchi’s highly praised and well-used previous works, The CRC World Dictionary of Palms: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology brings together the vast and scattered literature on palms and cycads to provide better access to information on these economically important plants. Each genus and species has a detailed morphological description and includes a list of synonyms and vernacular names in many languages. Bibliographies accompany each entry which are comprehensive, up-to-date and multi-lingual. The detailed information for every entry on habitats, economic uses, historical and biographical data, botanical exploration, and linguistics will be useful for any library involved with botany, herbal medicine, pharmacognosy, medicinal and natural product chemistry, ecology, ethnobotany, systematics, general plant science, agriculture or horticulture. Umberto Quattrocchi is the author of the bestselling CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names, winner of the prestigious Hanbury Botanical Garden Award. His most recent multi-volume work, CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants, received strong praise as being "... an unparalleled starting place—a tool of first resort for any thoughtful researcher. Quattrocchi and CRC have delivered a dictionary like no other, a learned finger pointing in the right direction." —John de la Parra, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, from Economic Botany, Vol. 68, 2014

Most travelers to eastern Puerto Rico come to see and hike El Yunque, the island's second-most-visited tourist destination after Old San Juan, and probably the world's most user-friendly rain forest. Others come for the east coast's three sprawling resort hotels, half a dozen excellent golf courses, the US Navy base, and one of the biggest yachting and sailing charter ports in the Caribbean. But this side of the island has much to offer that eludes most visitors to Puerto Rico, from a glorious, six-mile stretch of deserted beach between Luquillo and Las Cabezas de San Juan, to the red cliffs and lonely lighthouse in the southeast. As with most places, you have to scratch the surface to find the hidden rewards here. Spend a day or two wandering around LoA-za Aldea and talking to locals (or attending their fiestas patronales in late July) to get a deeper understanding of Afro-Caribbean culture. One of the old fishermen of Las Croabas may take you cay-hopping in his wooden sloop, setting you down on some deserted islet to swim in opaque waters. Local surfers gather at a few little-known breaks. Or visit one of the two other nature reserves on the east coast a€" Las Cabezas to San Juan and Humacao a€" where exotic waterfowl, mangrove and dry tropical forest ecosystems and a bioluminescent lagoon await. This guide tells you all about the history and culture of Puerto Rico, how to get there and how to get around, the general information you need. Then it zeros in on the eastern coastal area and all its places to stay and eat, the things to see and do, the fiestas, historic sites, museums, markets - everything you need to know. Filled with maps and photos.

Colonial Americans were enamored with the rich colors and silky surface of mahogany. As this exotic wood became fashionable, demand for it set in motion a dark, hidden story of human and environmental exploitation. Anderson traces the path from source to sale, revealing how prosperity and desire shaped not just people’s lives but the natural world.

“This book is a detailed, well-researched history of how a community of Puerto Ricans came to be in the heart if America. Puerto Rico owes a debt of gratitude to the author and should declare Dr. Tavenner an “honorary Boricua” for the extraordinary effort she has put into documenting the factual history and the fascinating life story of her Puerto Rican neighbor in Lorain, Ohio” ---Secretary of State and Lt. Governor of Puerto Rico, Kenneth McClintock “These Memoirs are reflective of an educational journey in search of ways to better understand and serve individuals, communities, and institutions as a servant leader, unconditionally.”] ---Dr. Generosa Lopez-Molina, Educational Leadership

Providing a global summary of the biology of disturbance ecology, this text offers both the conceptual underpinnings and practical advice required to comprehend and address the unprecedented environmental challenges facing humans. It examines both natural and anthropogenic disturbances in aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

To find the real Puerto Rico a€" the one that shopping malls and condos have yet to reach a€" head for the towns and villages of the Cordillera Central, or Central Mountains. Bisected by the Ruta Panoramica (Scenic Route), the mountains provide a relaxing getaway with an atmosphere so unlike the coast that it feels like an entirely different island. The Ruta PanorAmica is a driving adventure covering more than a hundred miles of countryside, including coffee plantations, old jA-baro country and four forests: Carite, Toro Negro, Guilarte and Maricao. Along the route are valleys, canyons, wide-open terraces and views of the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Visitors who don't have time to do the whole Ruta PanorAmica might consider a driving tour starting out from San Juan to the San Cristobal canyon in Aibonito, returning via Barranquitas a€" easily doable in a day if you start out early. Or take a few days to enjoy secluded swimming holes, hiking trails, cloud forest and the hospitality of the mountain locals. This guide tells you everything about the region: where to stay & eat, what to see & do, how to get around, the history & culture, the fiestas & the cuisine. Filled with maps & photos.