Preface

Mexico and Central America is a very special, interesting, and important region from faunistic, floristic, and ecological viewpoints. Mesoamerica (starting from the southern states of Mexico) differs from Central America, which is a more general geopolitical name. The expression "Middle America" is in use as well, which involves all areas south from the border of the United States including the islands of the Caribbean.

In the maintenance and conservation of our planet's biodiversity, knowledge of current biogeographical patterns, Earth-historical changes, speciation, or invasion processes, flora, fauna, natural history, and ecology have outstanding importance. Many areas of biodiversity are still completely undiscovered. The ecological impacts of global climate change, urbanization, overpopulation, environmental pollution, deforestation, land cover, and land-use changes also have a significant impact on biodiversity, flora, and fauna through biogeographical patterns.

This book presents interesting information about a wide spectrum of topics including the biodiversity and ecology of plant communities, tropical subterranean and marine ecosystems, endangered and rediscovered species, and applied or human ecological topics, fishing, urbanization, and sustainable diet.

*Natural History and Ecology of Mexico and Central America* gives a very interesting report about the frontiers of this geographical area. I am sure that this book will be very useful for everybody who would like to get some insight into the recent problems of biodiversity research and ecology of this region.

> **Levente Hufnagel** Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Ecotheology, John Wesley Theological College, Budapest, Hungary

**1**

Section 1

Natural History and

Ecosystems

Section 1
