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| Preface | |
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| Ecotourism: Travel for the Environmentally Concerned | |
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| What Ecotourism Is and Why It's Important | |
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| How Ecotourism Helps; Ecotravel Ethics | |
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| Brazil: Biodiversity and Ecotourism | |
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| Brazil: Environmental Problems and Changing Attitudes | |
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| Geography and Habitats | |
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| Geography and Climate | |
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| Vegetation Patterns | |
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| Tree Shape and Forest Layering | |
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| Large-leaved Understory Plants | |
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| Tree Bases and Roots | |
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| Climbers and Vines | |
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| Epiphytes | |
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| Palms | |
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| Major Ecosystems and Habitats; Common Plants | |
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| Amazonian Forest | |
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| Varzea and Oxbow Lakes | |
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| Pantanal | |
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| Mangrove and Coastal Vegetation | |
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| Pastures, Farms, and Plantations | |
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| Why is Farming so Difficult in the Tropics? | |
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| Parks and Reserves: Brief Descriptions | |
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| Northeastern Amazon (NEA) and Coastal Mangrove Forest (CMF) | |
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| Northwestern Amazon (NWA) | |
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| Southern Amazon (SAM) | |
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| Pantanal (PAN) | |
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| Blackwater Rivers and Whitewater Rivers: Water Colors in the Amazon and Pantanal | |
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| Environmental Threats and Conservation | |
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| Environmental Threats | |
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| Amazon | |
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| Pantanal | |
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| Conservation | |
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| Extractive Reserves | |
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| Sustainable Agriculture | |
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| Ecotourism | |
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| How to Use This Book: Ecology and Natural History | |
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| What is Natural History? | |
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| What is Ecology and What Are Ecological Interactions? | |
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| How to Use This Book | |
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| Information in the Family Profiles | |
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| Information in the Color Plate Sections | |
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| Insects and Other Arthropods | |
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| Introduction | |
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| General Characteristics and Classification of Arthropods | |
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| Features of Tropical Arthropods | |
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| Seeing Arthropods in Brazil | |
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| Order and Family Profiles | |
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| Dragonflies and Damselflies | |
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| Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Cockroaches | |
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| Termites | |
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| Cicadas and Relatives | |
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| Antlions | |
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| Beetles | |
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| Butterflies and Moths | |
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| Flies | |
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| Ants, Wasps, and Bees | |
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| Spiders | |
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| Crustaceans | |
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| Amphibians | |
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| Introduction | |
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| General Characteristics and Classification of Amphibians | |
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| Seeing Amphibians in Brazil | |
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| Family Profiles | |
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| Toads | |
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| Rainfrogs | |
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| Treefrogs | |
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| Poison-dart Frogs | |
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| Other Frogs | |
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| Frog Population Declines | |
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| Reptiles | |
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| Introduction | |
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| General Characteristics and Classification of Reptiles | |
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| Seeing Reptiles in Brazil | |
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| Family Profiles | |
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| Crocodilians | |
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| Turtles | |
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| Colubrids: Your Regular, Everyday Snakes | |
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| Dangerous Snakes and Boas | |
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| Amphisbaenians | |
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| Geckos | |
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| Iguanas and Relatives | |
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| Other Lizards: Teids, Microteids, and Skinks | |
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| Endemism and High Species Diversity: Why Brazil? | |
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| Birds | |
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| Introduction | |
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| General Characteristics and Classification of Birds | |
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| Features of Tropical Birds | |
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| Seeing Birds in Brazil | |
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| Family Profiles | |
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| Pelicans, Cormorants, and Anhingas | |
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| Terns | |
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| Herons and Egrets | |
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| Marsh and Stream Birds | |
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| Ducks | |
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| Shorebirds | |
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| Tinamous and Rhea | |
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| Guans and Trumpeter | |
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| Vultures | |
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| Hawks, Eagles, and Kites | |
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| Falcons and Osprey | |
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| Pigeons and Doves | |
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| Parrots | |
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| Cuckoos and Anis | |
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| Owls | |
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| Nightjars and Potoos | |
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| Swifts and Swallows | |
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| Hummingbirds | |
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| Trogons | |
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| Kingfishers | |
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| Jacamars and Puffbirds | |
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| Motmots | |
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| Barbets and Toucans | |
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| Woodpeckers | |
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| Woodcreepers | |
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| Ovenbirds | |
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| Antbirds | |
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| Manakins | |
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| Cotingas | |
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| American Flycatchers | |
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| Jays | |
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| Wrens and Gnatcatchers | |
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| Thrushes and Mockingbirds | |
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| Wood Warblers and Vireos | |
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| Conebills and Honeycreepers | |
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| Tanagers | |
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| American Orioles and Blackbirds | |
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| Sparrows and Finches | |
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| Frugivory: Animals That Eat Fruit and the Trees That Want Them To | |
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| Mammals | |
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| Introduction | |
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| General Characteristics and Classification of Mammals | |
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| Features of Tropical Mammals | |
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| Seeing Mammals in Brazil | |
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| Family Profiles | |
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| Opossums | |
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| Anteaters, Sloths, and Armadillos | |
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| Bats | |
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| Primates | |
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| Carnivores | |
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| Peccaries and Deer | |
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| Rodents and Rabbit | |
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| Manatee and Tapirs | |
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| Dolphins | |
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| Of Kingfishers and Competition: Big Bills and Little Bills and How They Got that Way | |
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| Freshwater Fish of the Amazon | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Catfish and Characins | |
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| Knifefish | |
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| Cichlids | |
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| Habitats and Niches | |
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| Conservation | |
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| References and Additional Reading | |
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| Habitat Photos | |
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| Identification Plates | |
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| Species Index | |
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| General Index | |