Biological Conservation 57 (1991) 235-237

Book Reviews

Sinharaja, A Rain Forest in Sri Lanka, revised edition. By Neela de Zoysa & Ryhana Raheem. March for Conservation, University of Colombo, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka. 1990. vii + 61 pp. ISBN 955 9022 01 4 (hbk). Price: £12.00, US$20.00.

Tropical rain forests once clothed the whole of south-west Sri Lanka, about 22 500 km 2. They have now been reduced to scattered fragments, with only 9% of the wet lowlands still forested. The most important fragment is Sinharaja, only some 20 x 6 k m in extent, and 300-1171m in elevation. Sinharaja was nearly lost when logging began in its vicinity in 1970 but a public outcry needled the government to contain exploitation to a 1200-ha block. Since then many local and some foreign naturalists and scientists have begun detailed studies, and increased awareness of the significance of this forest to Sri Lanka and the world. A wealth of scientific papers has been published and the area is both a UNESCO/MAB Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage area. There has been substantial assistance from outside aid agencies. This attractively produced, well-written and delightfully illustrated little book is one of the products, summarising what is known so far, including the setting and history of Sinharaja. It is a fine case study of the kind of actions which are becoming increasingly needed in the humid tropics. In many places, as at Sinharaja, rapid population increase, coupled to government's desire to make money from rain forests, is reducing them to fragments threatened with drastic alteration, degradation or extinction. March for Conservation, the body which published the book, continues in the vanguard of efforts to secure the future of Sinharaja. Notably it has begun to win over the local villagers whose use of the forest threatens its integrity.

235 Biol. Conserv. 57 (1991)--© 1991 Elsevier Science Publishers Ltd, England. Printed in Great Britain

236 Book reviews

This book should be purchased by everyone who is interested in the fate of tropical rain forests, for the very fine example it provides of how a band of active and dedicated people can fight back the tide of 'development', which in this context is tantamount to destruction.

T. C. Whitmore

Lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoros: the IUCN Red Data Book. By C. Harcourt & J. Thornback. IUCN, Cambridge. 1990. 240pp. ISBN 288032 957 4. Price: £18.00, $36.00.

Madagascar has a primate diversity similar to Brazil, Indonesia and Zaire, and has more endemic primates than any other country (93-3% of its species). The 30 primate species of Madagascar and the Comoros consist entirely of lemurs (Infraorder: Lemuriformes). Unfortunately, primates of Madagascar are the most endangered on earth. Since humans arrived there approximately 2000 years ago at least 14 species of lemurs have become extinct and many more will follow unless urgent measures are taken to decrease the rate of forest destruction. Approximately 1.2% of closed forest on Madagascar is cut down each year and in 1985 only 3.8 million hectares of dense rain forest remained. The outlook for lemur populations looks even more dismal in the light of the annual rate of human population increase of the island, which is presently at 2.9%. In addition, only a small proportion of lemurs have been studied in detail and accurate distributions and population numbers are not known for many species.

Conservation of lemurs on Madagascar is the highest priority of the Primate Specialist Group, because all of the species are declining every year. Governments of Madagascar have decreed many relatively small parks and reserves, which appears to be a good strategy to protect a wide range of endemic lemur species. Well-organized conservation efforts initiated both within and outside the island will be necessary to ensure the preservation of lemurs.

IUCN and its Primate Specialist Group have published a Red Data Book on lemurs of Madagascar. Well-researched accounts are presented for each lemur species and include sections on distribution, population, ecology, threats, conservation, and captive breeding. Sharp, nicely laid-out black- and-white photos and well-drawn distribution maps accompany species accounts. The comprehensiveness of the book will undoubtedly stimulate well-focussed and pertinent conservation programmes for Madagascan lemurs. Primatologists and conservationists will find this volume of the Red Data Book series very interesting and most useful.

Richard E. Bodmer