"Offering significantly more information than a field guide, Ashton and Lee provide a natural history of the tropical forests of Asia from the underlying bedrock and ancient geology, climatic patterns, and ecosystem descriptions to the people living in these landscapes in the past and today. . . . Major topics here include dipterocarp forests, seasonal evergreen forests, deciduous forests, thorn and scrub woodlands, and tropical montane forests, spanning Pakistan and India through Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Ecological patterns are integrated into each chapter, sometimes expanded on with discussions of nutrient cycling, animal pollinators, fire and disturbance regimes, species competition, tree pathogens, and more. Final chapters focus on human influence in forest landscapes, historically and today. The authors include a history of colonization, public policies, and forest use in postcolonial countries. . . . Color photographs, graphics, and other illustrations are featured throughout, and individual chapters provide lists of citations. This book will be useful to students or professionals working in the area of tropical forests. Highly recommended."

Choice

“This profoundly inspirational book, a personal—almost autobiographical—deep-dive into the ecology, evolution, biogeography, and conservation of the forests of tropical Asia, is a lyrically written, instant classic, a page-turner natural history saga in the mold of a modern-day Alfred Russel Wallace.”

Stephen P. Hubbell

“A fascinating, unique contribution to a scarce literature, and a book that perhaps could only have been written by these two authors. Ashton and Lee’s stories will inspire others to build a knowledgebase that the rich biodiversity of tropical Asian forests warrants, and that society seeks.”

Kamal Bawa, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and ATREE, Bengaluru

“A major scientific treatise that will be an essential reference for those who study tropical forests.”

Plant Science Bulletin, on "On the Forests of Tropical Asia"

“A monumental work. . . . For any tropical biologist on any continent, the book will provide an invaluable reference, a fascinating history, and a wellspring for novel ideas.”

Biotropica, on "On the Forests of Tropical Asia"

“A masterpiece of scientific scholarship in an area that is of tremendous importance for the biosphere.”

Biologist, on "On the Forests of Tropical Asia"