Though still a relatively young field, the study of Latin American
environmental history is blossoming, as the contributions to this
definitive volume demonstrate. Bringing together thirteen leading
experts on the region, A Living Past synthesizes a wide range of
scholarship to offer new perspectives on environmental change in Latin
America and the Spanish Caribbean since the nineteenth century. Each
chapter provides insightful, up-to-date syntheses of current scholarship
on critical countries and ecosystems (including Brazil, Mexico, the
Caribbean, the tropical Andes, and tropical forests) and such
cross-cutting themes as agriculture, conservation, mining, ranching,
science, and urbanization. Together, these studies provide valuable
historical contexts for making sense of contemporary environmental
challenges facing the region.