Origin and Evolution of Tropical Rain Forests

Résumé

Tropical rain forests can be found today in each of the three land areas which occur within the tropical zone (Richards, 1952, 1996; Longman and Jenik, 1974; Flenley, 1979a; Whitmore, 1998) and, prior to the destructive effects of humans during the past century, as a result of which much of the rain forest has now been destroyed, occupied about one-third of the tropical land surface (Ewel, 1980; Mabberley, 1992).