American Tropics

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The book explores the historical origins of biodiversity as a crucial concept in international conservation, tracing its roots to early 20th-century tropical fieldwork and the expansion of U.S. empire. Megan Raby highlights how ecologists leveraged U.S. landholdings in the circum-Caribbean to establish permanent research stations, fostering a community of American "tropical biologists." This group played a pivotal role in developing the scientific principles and values that shaped the contemporary understanding of biodiversity.