A Field Guide to the Common Trees and Shrubs of Sri Lanka

Description

The stimulus for The Field Guide to the common trees and shrubs of Sri Lanka wasthe success of a similar guide for Puerto Rico compiled by one of us (MA). Begun as a modest effort in 1985, it was boosted in 1988 with grants from the WWF-US and from the Environmental Program of the MacArthur Foundation.The collective inertia made this comprehensive end-product possible.This Guide is organized into three parts. The first part is a generalintroduction that deals with the geography, climate, geology, soils, naturalvegetation and the history of landuse on the island. This section intendsplacing the tree and shrub species described in context with the biological andcultural history of the island.The second part is the main body of the Guide which includes 95 familiesand 704 species of trees and shrubs, each with its own illustration. It is precededby a key to identification and with an explanation on how to refer to thedescriptions. All of the technical terms used are listed in a glossary. Theinformation is organized in a form accessible to the practical user as well as themore advanced botanical reader.The third part of the book is a reference to plant uses. It includes sectionson timber, medicinal, as well as food and other uses of the trees and shrubsdescribed. This section gives an overview to the general reader of the extent oftraditional and contemporary uses of plants in this country and provides moreprecise information to the forester.It is hoped that this book will serve a long-felt need by making availableinformation on the fascinating plant life of Sri Lanka to a wide range of people.It is a pioneer effort, and the authors would welcome suggestions and criticismsfrom those who use the book. We also hope that in the coming few years we cancompile a sequel to this book on the less common and rare trees and shrubs ofSri Lanka.