Tropical Rainforest---Footprints of a Photographer

Author: (English) Thomas Mallory
Translator: Hao Xiaojing
United Kingdom / UK
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features:
After sixteen years of perilous journeys across nearly all tropical rainforests on five continents, Swiss nature photographer Thomas Mallory has dedicated this visual feast to readers worldwide;
Hundreds of breathtaking photos bring readers face-to-face with the depths of rainforests rarely explored by humans, showcasing life forms unseen by humanity for the first time, bizarre and wondrous;
It is the most profound, comprehensive, and beautiful book ever published in color about the rainforest world;
Tropical rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth's total area but house over half of the world's species, yet they are rapidly being destroyed, with global attention growing daily;
Includes a CD with 70 minutes of enchanting sounds from tropical rainforests;
This book is printed on acid-free, eco-friendly paper, free of any tree pulp from rainforests;
Today, tropical rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth's total area but are home to over half of the world's species. Some scientists estimate that in the Amazon basin of South America, the Congo basin of Africa, and vast rainforests in Southeast Asia, there are millions of species. Although many of these plants and animals have been scientifically studied, others remain unknown. High in the rainforest canopy, many life forms are temporarily out of reach, with thousands of species yet to be discovered. Scientists continue to make groundbreaking new discoveries. In 2006, in the rainforest-covered mountains of New Guinea in Southeast Asia, an expedition discovered a world untouched by humans—a "lost paradise." They found new bird species, several frogs, butterflies, and plants that were unknown to science. Some may ask, "We rarely get the chance to visit those dark rainforests, so why should we make a great effort to protect the animals and plants that live there?" We must recognize that over the past few centuries, the rich resources of rainforests have benefited humanity. Rainforests provide us with food and drinks like bananas, avocados, and cocoa, as well as medicines like quinine (widely used to treat various diseases, including cancer), and industrial products derived from Brazilian rubber trees. The diversity of rainforests has had a very important impact on the development of human society. Indigenous peoples have also revealed many secrets of the rainforest, as their lives and cultures are deeply intertwined with it, giving them a deeper understanding of the rainforest.
This photographic collection was completed over sixteen years by Thomas Mallory. In it, he vividly portrays the unparalleled beauty of animals and plants in the rainforest, the diversity, complexity, and uniqueness created by nature. Beyond awe and surprise, we are more deeply moved. It serves as a special reminder that rainforests are invaluable and irreplaceable; no matter how great their potential value may be, we must protect them. Without rainforests, the Earth and its human inhabitants will struggle to survive in the long term.
Simon Кузел, Chairman of the Rainforest Foundation UK