Publisher's Synopsis
There has been an increasing international awareness of the uneven socio-economic development between the industrialized nations of the north and the nations of the tropical belt. This disparity was originally thought to be the result of underdevelopment of the tropical regions. Many experts in the geosciences now believe that this underdevelopment is caused by major environmental factors in the region rather than lack of funding in the development process.;This book investigates these theories and provides the reader with the findings of various geoscientific experts for evaluation. It shows how a fundamental change in attitude towards the tropical world is needed to stop the wasteful land use practices currently in operation.;The book examines international efforts to overcome the ecological constraints with alternative farming practices, agricultural improvement packages, ecofarming and agroforestry.;The inter-relationship of parent rocks, climate induced weathering, ecologically decisive soil properties and micro-organism activities on structural features of natural forests are analyzed.;The book is aimed at undergraduates and postgraduates. It is suitable for the following courses: tropical geography, farming systems, humid environment ecology, Third World rural development. Also it is a reference work for development agents working in overseas development projects.
