Academic literature on the topic 'Rainforest timber trends'

Cross-specific amplification of microsatellite loci greatly enhances the effectiveness of this marker system. This shortcut would greatly enhance our examination of the gene flow and population structure of trees in diverse tropical rainforests. To explore the effectiveness and limitations of this approach, we examined allelic diversity at six microsatellite loci, originally developed in a congeneric species, in three populations of Shorea platyclados from Peninsular Malaysia. Fragment sizing was performed by an efficient and sensitive (1 bp resolution) technique using capillary electrophoresis, ethidium bromide detection, and minimal clean-up. Fragment size ranges were conserved between species and null allele frequencies were low. Higher overall levels of genetic diversity were detected in our study. Variation among populations was directly related to geographic distance. Fragment size class distributions suggest that each locus should be studied using different evolutionary models. Direct sequencing of SSR fragments revealed that size differences were due to changes in both the flanking regions and repeat motifs. Several clear examples of size homoplasy were observed, along with the disruption of perfect repeats, suggesting that cross-specific amplification of microsatellite loci requires an additional level of confirmation at the DNA sequence level before the influence of size homoplasy and changes in repeat structure can be assessed. Simulation studies demonstrate that the increasing intensity of timber harvest leads to higher variability in levels of potential heterozygosity and decreasing total number of alleles in the remnant "mother trees" The careful selection of "mother" trees can greatly enhance the future genetic diversity of populations.   

Have you ever wondered how to grow your own rainforest trees? Is there a beautiful tree that you have always wanted to collect and propagate the seed from? Are you in the business of ecological restoration, rainforest propagation or environmental education? This long-awaited guide to rainforest seed propagation unlocks the secrets to growing 300 rainforest species. Providing specific information on how to sustainably collect, process and germinate seeds, this user-friendly book aims to support a growing movement of rainforest restoration. With invaluable information based on 30 years of research in northern New South Wales, users will find even difficult rainforest species delightfully easy to grow. Seeing a seed germinate, caring for the seedling and eventually planting the tree is deeply satisfying. And, in this time of widespread deforestation, millions of trees are needed for restoration and every tree counts. Whether you are growing one or one hundred thousand, why not start today?

Australian Rainforest Woods describes 141 of the most significant Australian rainforest trees and their wood. The introductory sections draw the reader into an understanding of the botanical, evolutionary, environmental, historical and international significance of this beautiful but finite Australian resource. The main section examines the species and their wood with photographs, botanical descriptions and a summary of the characteristics of the wood. A section on wood identification includes fundamental information on tree growth and wood structure, as well as images of the basic characteristics. With more than 900 colour images, this is the most comprehensive guide ever written on Australian rainforest woods, both for the amateur and the professional wood enthusiast. It is the first time that macrophotographs of the wood have been shown in association with a physical description of wood characteristics, which will aid identification. This technique was developed by Jean-Claude Cerre, France, and his macrophotographs are included in the book.

To many people, the suggestion that a kangaroo could live up a tree is fantasy. Yet, in the rainforests of Far North Queensland and New Guinea, there are extraordinary kangaroos that do just that. Many aspects of these marsupials' anatomy and biology suggest a terrestrial kangaroo ancestor. Yet no one has, so far, come forward with a convincing explanation of how, why and when mammals that was so superbly adapted for life on the ground should end up back in the trees. This book reviews the natural history and biology of tree-kangaroos from the time of their first discovery by Europeans in the jungles of West Papua in 1826 right up to the present day, covering the latest research being conducted in Australian and New Guinea. Combining information from a number of disparate disciplines, the author sets forth the first explanation of this apparent evolutionary conundrum.

From the lush forests of Appalachia to the frozen tundra of Alaska, and from the tallgrass prairies of the Midwest to the subtropical rainforests of Hawaii, the United States harbors a remarkable array of ecosystems. These ecosystems in turn sustain an exceptional variety of plant and animal life. For species such as salamanders and freshwater turtles, the United States ranks as the global center of diversity. Among the nation's other unique biological features are California's coast redwoods, the world's tallest trees, and Nevada's Devils Hole pupfish, which survives in a single ten-by-seventy-foot desert pool, the smallest range of any vertebrate animal. Precious Heritage draws together for the first time a quarter century of information on U.S. biodiversity developed by natural heritage programs from across the country. This richly illustrated volume not only documents those aspects of U.S. biodiversity that are particularly noteworthy, but also considers how our species and ecosystems are faring, what is threatening them, and what is needed to protect the nation's remaining natural inheritance. Above all, Precious Heritage is a celebration of the extraordinary biological diversity of the United States.

Not long ago, at the beginning of a course I was teaching on “The Literature of the Land,” I asked my undergraduate journalism students why they were having such a hard time thinking of things to write about. What, I wondered, was so hard about nature writing? A sophomore raised his hand. As often happens, the answer came back more succinct than I could have hoped. “It's hard writing about nature in Delaware,” he said, “because there is no nature in Delaware.” There was something emblematic in this comment, something that revealed the difficulty, at first blush, that young writers have in conjuring exactly what “nature writing” means. My first impulse was to list all the nearby “nature” out there that the student hadn't bothered to recognize: the Atlantic seashore, the Delaware and Chesapeake bays, the Appalachian Mountains on one hand; and DuPont chemical factories, massive landfills, and rampant suburban sprawl on the other. But instead I paused, and let the comment hang in the air for a moment. What, exactly, were we talking about? For the nonspecialist, “nature writing” can seem especially intimidating, since it seems, at first glance, to be a subject without human drama, without a narrative trajectory, without a beginning, a middle, and an end—as opposed to, say, writing about cops, or courts, or politics, or sports. It can seem overly technical, or ponderous, or misanthropic. It can seem abstract, even irrelevant, especially to urban audiences who think of “nature” as something they encounter on boutique holidays out west. Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It, according to legend, was rejected by a New York publisher because “it had too many trees in it.” But it isn't “nature” that is lacking, in Delaware or anywhere else. It is imagination, or perspective, or a “way of seeing.” Granted, a place like Delaware is notably lacking in the 14,000-foot mountains, Arctic fjords, and equatorial rainforests that have come to represent “nature” for suburban Americans. But this is precisely why a place like Delaware turns out to be such a useful place to talk about nature writing.