Hectare for hectare, steep and mountainous areas in the tropics are arguably the most environmentally important real estate on the planet. Why? For starters, it’s estimated that a third of the world’s biodiversity lives in mountainous areas, with much of that in the tropics. Mountains—especially tropical mountains—are notoriously rich in locally endemic species that occur … [Read more...] about Water for life: The urgent need to protect steep tropical environments
Bill Laurance
William Laurance is a Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia. He is director of the university’s Centre for Tropical Environmental and Sustainability Science, which has nearly 100 researchers working in more than 40 tropical countries around the world.