Amazonia and Other Forests of Brazil (Paperback)

As a young boy living in rural Brazil, Antonio Mendes Pontes' future looked bleak. However, his passion for nature, together with hard work and dedication, led him to England to study for a PhD at the prestigious Cambridge University. Whilst studying, he was given an invaluable opportunity to conduct some research in the Amazonia, leading to various conservation projects. He became involved in the discovery of a new species of the blond capuchin monkey, Cebus queirozi, and despite attempts to publicise his findings and even offering co-authorship to another party, this generous gesture backfired. Read with fascination as Antonio falls in love with nature and views a forest from the air for the first time. His disbelief and outrage at the injustice of hunting and his consequent desire to conserve nature is very much apparent as he struggles to continue to fulfil his dream, which becomes increasingly problematic and challenging, especially when he has to find sponsors to fund his ongoing research. This inspiring and engaging book serves both the scholar and the general reader alike, providing detailed information on the biodiversities and biomasses of all the animals he studied. Ecology and behaviour are analysed, along with the effects their immediate habitat can have on their densities, including the La Nina effect, man's influences, the local population and predators, in conjunction with the very real and grave dangers Antonio and his team of researchers were exposed to.