The Ecology of Sumatra

Abstract Sumatra is the focus of a large number of agricultural, social and industrial developments and yet the possible biological impacts of these are largely only guessed at by local and foreign scientists working on those projects. One reason for this is that the biology of Sumatra and its surrounding islands is poorly known. Another reason is that the information that does exist is spread through a disparate array of Dutch, English, German and Indonesian journals and reports. The Ecology of Sumatra has brought together nearly 1500 references relevant to understanding the components and functioning of the wide range of natural and man-made ecosystems on Sumatra. It was originally written in 1983 by a team at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies (CRES) at the University of North Sumatra and the team members have conducted field work throughout Sumatra to supplement existing information. This new edition includes a commentary on the last 17 years of development on Sumatra, as well as an additional bibligraphy of recent publications. The Ecology of Sumatra will prove useful to resource managers, ecologists, environmental scientists and local government personnel, and will be enlightening to Sumatra's inhabitants and visitors. It should also be of great interest to anyone wanting to learn about Southeast Asian Biology.