Few tropical ecosystems have been subjected to multi-disciplinary investigations as broad and exhaustive as those carried out on the Ilha de Maraca, a riverine island in the Brazilian Amazon. This diverse and remarkable ecological reserve, in Brazil s northernmost Amazon state of Roraima, includes environments and habitats ranging from rainforests and semi-deciduous forests to natural savannas, lakes, rivers and palm swamps. These have been subjected to an in-depth international scientific study whose primary aim was to undertake one of the most detailed ecological surveys ever conducted in Amazonia. The results of this enormous body of research, involving the collaborative fieldwork of some 200 workers, span the reserve s geology, geomorphology, botany, zoology, phenology, soils, limnology, ecology and historical human occupation. These have been carefully drawn together in this volume in such a manner as to provide not only a coherent and scholarly picture of an unique and fascinating environment, but also an important and enduring source of reference for a broad spectrum of disciplines to the Amazon environment. This book is a timely reminder of the crucial importance of our understanding of rainforest components and their interrelationships, appearing as it does at a period when there is an intense interest in this extremely endangered ecosystem.
