southamerica

In 1941, Richard Evan Schultes, often referred to as the father of ethnobotany, took a leave of absence from Harvard University and disappeared into the Colombian Amazon. Twelve years later he resurfaced having travelled to places no outsider had ever visited, mapped uncharted rivers, and lived among two dozen Amazonian tribes. Simultaneously, he conducted secret research missions for the U.S. government and collected some 30,000 botanical specimens, including 2,000 novel medicinal plants and 300 species new to science. The greatest Amazonian botanical explorer of the 20th century, Schultes was a living link to the naturalists of the Victorian era and a world authority on toxic, medicinal, and hallucinogenic plants. Over the course of his time in the Amazonian basin, Schultes took over 10,000 images of plants, landscapes, and the indigenous peoples with whom he lived. Originally published in 2004, “The Lost Amazon” was the first major publication to examine the work of Dr. Schultes as seen through his photographs and field notes. With text by Schultes’s protégé and fellow explorer Wade Davis, this impressive document takes armchair travellers where they have never gone before.

Adrian Forsyth draws on four decades of personal encounters with the animals of the rainforests, including Poison-dart frogs, Three-toed sloths, Bushmasters, and Umbrellabirds, as a starting point to communicate key ecological topics such as biodiversity, coevolution, rarity, chemical defense, nutrient cycling, and camouflage.

The stunning colour photographs include the now extinct Golden toad mating, a Jaguar on the prowl, and the Hermit hummingbird feeding. The behaviours and characteristics of the rainforest inhabitants featured here not only illustrate the text but also advance the scientific narrative and exemplify the critical importance of conservation. Thematic chapters are interspersed with four chapters devoted to specific habitats and regions of Costa Rica and Peru, areas with some of the most diverse arrays of plant and animal species in the world. The result is an exuberant celebration of the rainforest in text and images.

South Georgia is rich in wildlife and spectacular scenery, and it is a prime destination spot on most Antarctic tours. This beautifully illustrated field guide depicts the birds, mammals, insects, flowering plants, and other vegetation found in this unique part of the world. It features 368 full-colour photographs of more than 180 species, including 65 species of birds, 20 species of sea mammals, nearly 60 species of insects, and more than 40 species of flowering and nonflowering plants. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, with information on status, behaviour, threats, and distribution. This one-of-a-kind photographic guide also includes introductory chapters on South Georgia’s geography, climate, ecology, and conservation. This title features 368 photographs of more than 180 species. It covers birds, sea mammals, insects, and plants. It provides detailed species accounts. It includes chapters on geography, climate, ecology, and conservation. This is the only photographic field guide to focus specifically on South Georgia.