a field guide to the planet - by Damon Ramsey
The tropical rainforest of Asia is the second most diverse in the world, but it is being cleared rapidly...
Rainforest is the dominating natural vegetation type in much of tropical Asia, especially before humans began to develop the region. It ranges over a huge area; from Bali, then west through Java, Sumatra, north into Borneo, peninsula Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and up into southern China, then west into India and Sri Lanka. Within that large zone it obviously varies in plant and animal composition, particularly with many of the spots being separated by ocean in our current interglacial.
Additionally, within that moist forest, there is variation in altitude which results in many vegetation communities, from steamy lowland jungle on the coast, to stunted cloud forest in the mountains.
Mammals in Asian tropical rainforest
Places to see Asian tropical rainforest
Thinking of travelling again after everything settles down? One of the first expeditions I am booked to work on is the NZ sub-Antarctics with Silversea Expeditions. And here is a shortened version of one of my lectures in a warmer part of the world.