Synopsis
For decades, researchers have been interested in the structure, function and inhabitants of forest canopies, but unfortunately, a large portion of this fascinating ecosystem was inaccessible. Recently, with the use of balloons, dirigibles, cranes, towers, suspended catwalks, and a variety of modern climbing equipment, scientists have begun to penetrate this dense foliage, allowing for a detailed, authoritative account of this enchanting world. Forest Canopies synthesizes the newly compiled data on canopy-dwelling organisms, including insects and other arthropods, lizards, birds, mammals, and, of course, the plants that both form and inhabit this unique aerial ecosystem.
About the Author
Biographical Sketch MARGARET DALZELL LOWMAN Chief Scientist, TREE Foundation In October 1999, Meg Lowman became the Chief Executive Officer of Selby Botanical Gardens, an institution that specializes in tropical plants, especially epiphytes. Under her leadership, the Gardens expanded membership by 45 per cent and fund-raising by over 100 per cent. For eight years prior, she had been the Director of Research and Conservation there, overseeing a staff of scientists and educators. Her expertise involves canopy ecology, particularly plant-insect relationships, and spans over 25 years in Australia, Peru, Africa, the Americas, and the South Pacific. She has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and three books. After eleven years of service, she resigned from Selby Gardens to devote more time to her passions for public science, pursuing research, education and conservation with TREE Foundation. Prior to joining Selby, Meg was an assistant professor in Biology and Environmental Studies at Williams College, Massachusetts where she pioneered several aspects of temperate forest canopy research and built the first canopy walkway in North America. From 1978-89, she lived in Australia and worked on canopy processes in both rain forests and dry sclerophyll forests. She was instrumental in determining the causes of the eucalypt dieback syndrome that destroyed millions of trees in rural Australia, and assisted with conservation programs for tree regeneration. She is also involved in long-term studies of rain forest regeneration. Meg has developed an expertise for the use of different canopy access techniques, including ropes, walkways, hot air balloons, construction cranes, and combinations of these methods. She frequently speaks about her jungle adventures and about rain forest conservation to educational groups, ranging from elementary classes to corporate executives to international conferences. She continues to travel worldwide to "map" the canopy for biodiversity, and to work on conservation. She received a Pew Fellow nomination (1993), the Margaret Douglas Medal for Achievement in Conservation Education from the Garden Club of America (1999), The Eugene Odum Prize for Excellence in Ecology Education from the Ecological Society of America, election to Leadership Florida (1997), Board of Trustees for New College, Kilby Laureate, and Earthwatch, and a fellow of the Explorers Club. Carolyn Shoemaker of the US Dept of the Interior named an asteroid after her. She co-chaired with First and Second International Conferences on Forest Canopies (1994, 1998), and was chief scientist for the Jason Project in Education (1995,1999). Her latest book, Life in the Treetops, received a cover review in the New York Times Sunday Book Review. It was a New York Times Notable Book (1999), and received the New Yorker New Authors Debut Award. Meg received a B.A. with honors in biology and environmental studies from Williams College (1976), MSc. in ecology from Aberdeen University (1978), and Ph.D. in botany from the University of Sydney (1983).
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