As seen from Skylab a mere ten years ago, the Amazon Basin was a dense expanse of trees stretching from horizon to horizon. Broken only by winding rivers, it was a lush image of endless growth. More recent photographs, however, depict quite a different landscape: a blazing forestenshrouded in a vast cloud of smoke that thinned only at the foot of the Andes. Once it was difficult to comprehend the extent of rain forests; now it is hard to comprehend the extent of their destruction. In 1989 alone, more than 55,000 square miles of rain forests were lost around the world:burned for cattle ranching and small-scale farming, flooded by dam projects, plundered for precious ores, timber, and rare species of animals and plants, scarred by roads built by the ravaging invaders. If the present rate of deforestation continues, many rain forests in tropical America, Africa,and Asia will be gone by the end of the next century. In fact, less than .02 percent are currently being managed on a sustainable basis. The Last Rain Forests is an authoritative, comprehensive, and--with more than 200 full color photographs and maps--stunningly beautiful guide to the people, flora, and fauna of the richest habitats on earth. Prepared in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, aconsortium of some 500 major conservation organizations across the globe, and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, this is the first popular reference to map the world's rain forests, spell out the problems facing these regions, and propose realistic strategies for ensuring their survival. Itdiscusses in detail what the world's rain forests are, how they work, who lives in them, and why we need them, and explores the threats they face today. The volume then presents a unique, thoroughly up-to-date atlas of more than fifty rain forests, from the Caribbean to Central Africa, from Brazilto Bangladesh. It concludes with concrete proposals for saving these imperiled regions and, ultimately, our planet. A pictorial feast, an authoritative reference, and a blueprint for change, The Last Rain Forests allows readers to shape informed opinions--and take positive action--on one of the most pressing environmental issues of our day. Read Less