Over the past several decades, tropical rain forests have seen a tremendous growth in logging, mining, and oil and gas development. These extractive industries, as well as the infrastructure associated with them – roads, pipelines, and transmission lines – have had a significant environmental impact worldwide and often conflict with the growing concern for conservation of tropical biodiversity. Even though extractive industries are threatening the last undisturbed tropical ecosystems of the planet, developing countries in these regions rely heavily on revenue generated from resource extraction ... More

Over the past several decades, tropical rain forests have seen a tremendous growth in logging, mining, and oil and gas development. These extractive industries, as well as the infrastructure associated with them – roads, pipelines, and transmission lines – have had a significant environmental impact worldwide and often conflict with the growing concern for conservation of tropical biodiversity. Even though extractive industries are threatening the last undisturbed tropical ecosystems of the planet, developing countries in these regions rely heavily on revenue generated from resource extraction, and development of delicate ecosystems will continue in spite of its controversial nature. This book examines the technical, environmental, social, and legal issues related to the development of modern infrastructure and resource extraction in tropical forests. Through a variety of case studies, this volume examines the environmental practices of natural resource companies and biodiversity‐conservation agencies.