This is an integrated account of all aspects of humid tropical environments. The authors begin by addressing the problem of defining the humid tropics, reviewing past research. The chapters that follow consider in turn: the controls of weather and climate; climatic characteristics; soils; vegetation; landforms; and hydrology. Throughout, they stress the complexity of, and the inter-relationships between, the various environmental systems and also these systems' inter-relationships with human populations. The book's penultimate chapter examines human activity and its effect upon the environment, covering such pressing problems as soil erosion and deforestation, as well as the importance of resources and hazards. The authors discuss these subjects in depth, adopting a multi-disciplinary approach. The volume closes with a consideration of the future prospects for the humid tropics, from a variety of perspectives - demographic and political, as well as that of possible climate change.