One of the most important problems in the coastal areas all over the world is erosion which has threatened human activities in the areas exposed to such hazard. Coastline retreat could result in very serious economic, environmental, and social impacts depending on the eroded area.

Mangroves are complex ecosystems that provide coastal bioshield to save guard coastal habitats and societies from natural disasters. Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 it was reported that mangroves and coastal forests are

This book contains valuable informaton on rain forest biology, ecology, evolution, management and conservation. There is a well balanced pool of data on rain forests from Amazonia, Africa and Malesia. The composition of the rain forests, particularly the trees, other life forms and the characteristics of primary and secondary forests are well documented. Various forest types near the fringes are also briefly outlined. Unlike most textbooks on the subject, the addition of chapters like 'How Rain Forests Are Studied', 'Evolution' and 'How Species Are Formed' in this book, give a complete picture of rain forest study. Therefore this book gives valuable teaching and reference material for academics, biologists, foresters and undergraduates. Government law enforcers and decision-making bodies would also benefit from reading the book in order to appreciate the need for continued rain forest research and conservation. The use of the first person narrative style of writing makes this book easy to read. Most of the simple diagrams, flow charts and sketches, keep the reader in perpetual fascination. The display of subject matter in point form, for example in chapters 16 (Values of The Forest) and 17 (Damage and Destruction) is very effective in maintaining the reader's interest. Furthermore the brief review of relevant references particularly from Dutch, German and French sources, should be appreciated by English speaking readers. The summary of contents at the end of each chapter further enhances the quality of this book as a teaching aid. The author perhaps touched too briefly on certain subjects, for example climate and soil. However, this is more than compensated by the professional discussion on forest composition, dynamics and protection. One could almost share the author's love of the rain forests and his helplessness and grief at the current rate of degradation. In conclusion, this book is strongly recommended as a textbook for University courses dealing with conservation and management issues. It should also be a good reference book for postgraduate students, research assistants and nature lovers.