Tropical Environments comprise a major sub-system of the ecosystem and events occuring in these systems necessarily have a global impact. Therefore an understanding of how tropical ecosystems function is becoming increasingly urgent for environmental issues and economic development. Tropical Environments presents a comprehensive introduction to the complex systems of the tropics. Covering a broad cross-regional range of humid through to semi-arid tropical climate zones, the book features a wealth of case studies drawn from throughout the tropical world. the book tackles the major problems within the tropics, from complex biological interactions and soil nutrient deficiencies, offering a balanced integration of biophysical and human management issues.