A Magic Web: The Forest of Barro Colorado Island

This tour of a lush, forested island in Panama is a mostly successful blend of coffee-table nature book and science narrative on tropical ecology. Photographer Ziegler and ecologist Leigh spent more than a year on Barro Colorado Island trying to capture the essence of what makes the island a priceless jewel, to ""lift the green curtain"" on the rainforest. Through words and pictures, the interconnectedness of all living things on the island becomes apparent. Wild nutmeg trees depend on toucans for seed dispersal; herbivorous insects keep the leafy biomass under control; bats, in turn, eat the insects. Each species is intimately involved with the next, and Ziegler offers some amazing close-up shots of these evolutionary partnerships in action. But readers eager for an immersive rainforest story to go with the photos will find it only after hunting through results of scientific studies related in textbook fashion. Leigh is at his best when describing the eerie calls of howler monkeys or evoking the light within a green cathedral of trees. Despite the contrast between style and substance, the book contains a wealth of information and images for rainforest enthusiasts. 200 illustrations.