Thousands of years ago, Asia was filled with forests that connected ecosystems from the foot of the Himalayas to the shores of the Pacific. Today, more than half of these woodlands are gone, mostly due to the demands of commerce and industry. And while conservation efforts are underway, more parcels disappear every year. On the Forests of Tropical Asia is a timely record of current forests and a much-needed explanation of the role humans played in the devastation and redevelopment of these forests.
On the Forests of Tropical Asia is the first book to describe the forests of the entire tropical Asian region, from Sind to New Guinea. It opens with chapters on physical geography and geological history and then moves on to address forest and tree structure and dynamics, floristics, and symbiotic organisms, as well as genetics, evolutionary history, species diversity, and human impact. A final chapter covers future policy and practice options for saving what remains. Hundreds of full-color illustrations serve as a lasting testimony to the diverse forests. Ashton combines existing research with his own experience and collaborations, creating a broad, comprehensive understanding of forest variation. By presenting a clear picture of where the forests stand today, he offers a framework for future research, policy, and conservation.

Peter Ashton is the Charles Bullard Professor of Forestry at Harvard University where he served as director of the Arnold Arboretum. He is also an honorary research associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Ashton has published more than 260 research papers and books and has field experience in the forests of all but three nations in the Asian tropics.

— Postgraduate Textbook Prize, Royal Society of Biology

— Award of Excellence in Botany, Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries

— Plant Science Bulletin

— Biotropica

— Biologist