Over one third of the earth's terrestrial surface is situated in the tropics, with environments ranging from hot deserts to tropical rain forests. This introductory textbook, aimed at students studying tropical ecology, provides a comprehensive guide to the major tropical biomes and is unique in its balanced coverage of both aquatic and terrestrial systems, and its international scope. The volume also considers the human ecological dimension, with coverage of issues such as population growth, urbanisation, agriculture and fisheries, natural resource use and pollution, plus global issues such as the conservation of biodiversity, climate change and the concept of ecological sustainability. The text is supported throughout by boxes containing supplementary material on a range of topics and organisms, plus mathematical concepts and calculations, and is enlivened with clear line diagrams, maps and photographs. A cross-referenced glossary, an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index are included as further aids to study.