Publisher's Synopsis
Until recently, few people would have associated rainforest with Australia. The present-day distribution of Australian rainforest is limited but it was formerly more widespread and was the dominant vegetation type of the entire continent. The contraction to its present limits reflects environmental changes that have taken place over many millions of years. This book gives a general account of the Australian rainforests: what they are, where they are, and how their present distribution has evolved. The aim is to provide a broad framework that will enable new results to be placed in context. The book concludes with a historical account of human interaction with the rainforest from late Pleistocene times to the present. The history of the exploitation of the Australian rainforests and the development of a conservation ethic have important lessons for the conservation of rainforests world-wide.
