‘THE FISHES AND FOREST ‘OF THE AMAZON “The Fishes and the Forest: Explorations in ‘Amazonian Natural History, by Michael Goulding. University of Calomia Press. Borkeley, CA, 1981, 260 p,,ius., $20.00 (80- 51201), ‘This isan important book, both fr its cont bution to knowledge of the Amazon Region and animal plant interactions i general. and flso due to it timely appearance ata moment When current trends imply the rapid disap- pearance of many of Amazonia's natural eco- Systems. Deforestation is currently destroy fg the resource base supporting the human population in the Amazon—and at one of its most sensitive points: the flooded forests, which Goulding shows 10 be the start for many of the food chains leading to the re fion’s human population. Amazonia resi ents, especially those in poorer socioeco- omic groups, depend heavily on fish as 3 Source of protein, Some ofthe most important fish species would cease to fill his need with the destruction of remaining tracts of forest in the areas flonded during part of cach year when the Amazon an its tibutaries swell ‘with the annual rains. Although the impor tance of the ooded forests and their fishes for the human population is made clear in ‘brief introductory and concluding statements. itis not the main focus of the book. Rather most of the tent is devoted to a detaied fcconnt ofthe natural history of the fishes and plants in the flooded forests of one small Fiver, a tributary ofa tbutary of the Amazon, “The book is well written and special care was taken to present the material in language comprehensible to the nonspecialists while preserving accuracy by parallel mention of felevant technical terms, Goulding traces the imeractions among 40 diferent fruit- and seed-producing plant species and 38 species ‘Of fish. Many data are contained in tables semmsrizing the stomach contents of thou sands of indivisual fish caught in different babitats and at different times of year. Ses sgerminetion experiments and a variety of field Observations were used 10 draw conclusions ‘about the role of the fishes in seed dispersal and seed predation, Although natural history fs the theme of the book, Goulding is not afraid to speculate on the implications of his Findings for distribution patterns of plant srt fish species, evolution of the morphology and tpehavior of the species involved. feeding ‘geology and competition. species diversity. ‘and a variety of relationships at the populs- ‘don, community. and ecasystem levels. At the same time, he is careful to make the degsee of certainty of his information clear throughout: what he has observed himsc ‘what he has been told by local fishermen. nd What he has deduced by indirect means. ‘The book's value is increased by its having taken omanentre fain, Uniting observations made lover the complete annual eycle is also impor. January 1983 tant in producing a view of a system rather than a collection of isolated facts. This is especially so in the Nooded forest where hab fats change radically with the water level's rise and fall. The author's two years in the field makes the account different from 30 much of the literature oa the Amazon based ‘on quick visits to the region. ‘The Fishes and the Forest makes a significant contribution to our knowledge and under- Standing of the region, not only because of the Guamtty of data it contains, but also because helps fil the informational void that existed About this important complex of interactions, ‘The Amazon is still a largely unknown area for research in ecology and even for more venerable fields like taxonomy. Fish have been an especilly neslected part. Many more such studies would be needed to adequately {reat the diverse ecosystems ofthis enormous fegion. Unfortunately, increasing human dis turbance can be expected to make similar studies of coevolved ecological relationships impossible in the nol-too-distant future. Since the appearance ofthe book, oUr store of knowledge has continued to increase. but the forest has been shrinking at an even foster rate, Rondénia, the new state in the south: ‘western part of the Brivzilian Amazon and the place where Gouiding’s study area is located. Js the focus of the mat ate, migration and forest felling in the Amazos” In foverexploitation of fish stocks continucs 10 skyrocket to supply markets both insige and outside of Amazonia. The tambada (Color soma macropomum) one of the sced-eating fish species studied by Goulding and trash tionally the most important commercial spe- cies in the central and western Amazon. is becoming markedly rarer. smaller. and rels- tively more expensive in the fh markets of ‘Amazonian cities. If my memory serves me correctly. tambaqui sold in Manaus at the time of Goulding’s ficklwork four years ago were usually. atthe very least twice the size of those appearing today ition PHILIP M, FEARNSIDE Department of Ecolog’ ‘National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA) Manaus-Amazonas, Brasil [ii eee eee aoee\ 59