Navjot S. Sodhi

The biodiversity of Southeast Asia is gravely imperilled by drivers including massive habitat modifications, forest fires and the overexploitation of wildlife. This book contains the first comprehensive determination of the current state of Southeast Asia's terrestrial biotas and highlights the primary drivers responsible for the grave threat to the region's unique and rich biodiversity. The looming Southeast Asian biodiversity disaster demands tangible actions. However, such will continue to be constrained by socioeconomic variables (e.g. rampant poverty and lack of infrastructure). Any realistic solution should involve a multi-pronged strategy (e.g. political, socioeconomic and scientific), in which all major stakeholders (e.g. people, governments and national and international non-government organisations) must partake.

Conservation of Tropical Birds has been written by four conservation biologists whose expertise spans all the tropical regions of the world. It is the first book to cover all the major issues in tropical bird conservation. Current problems faced by tropical bird conservationists are summarised and potential solutions outlined based on the results of case studies. Birds are key indicators of ecosystem health, and such a well-studied group of organisms, that they provide an excellent lens through which to examine global conservation problems caused by phenomena such as climate change, declines in ecosystem services, habitat loss, fires, overexploitation, and invasive species. Therefore, the book also provides an engaging synopsis of the general issues in conservation and the problems faced by other wildlife. This book serves as an important resource and companion to all people interested in observing and conserving birds in the tropics and elsewhere.

This introductory textbook examines diminishing terrestrial and aquatic habitats in the tropics, covering a broad range of topics including the fate of the coral reefs; the impact of agriculture, urbanization, and logging on habitat depletion; and the effects of fire on plants and animal survival. Includes case studies and interviews with prominent conservation scientists to help situate key concepts in a real world context Covers a broad range of topics including: the fate of the coral reefs; the impact of agriculture, urbanization, and logging on habitat depletion; and the effects of fire on plants and animal survival Highlights conservation successes in the region, and emphasizes the need to integrate social issues, such as human hunger, into a tangible conservation plan Documents the current state of the field as it looks for ways to predict future outcomes and lessen human impact “Sodhi et al. have done a masterful job of compiling a great deal of literature from around the tropical realm, and they have laid out the book in a fruitful and straightforward manner…I plan to use it as a reference and as supplemental reading for several courses and I would encourage others to do the same.” Ecology, 90(4), 2009, pp. 1144–1145

The biodiversity of Southeast Asia is gravely imperilled by drivers including massive habitat modifications, forest fires and the overexploitation of wildlife. This book contains the first comprehensive determination of the current state of Southeast Asia's terrestrial biotas and highlights the primary drivers responsible for the grave threat to the region's unique and rich biodiversity. The looming Southeast Asian biodiversity disaster demands tangible actions. However, such will continue to be constrained by socioeconomic variables (e.g. rampant poverty and lack of infrastructure). Any realistic solution should involve a multi-pronged strategy (e.g. political, socioeconomic and scientific), in which all major stakeholders (e.g. people, governments and national and international non-government organisations) must partake.