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The article offers information on various meetings related to life sciences. The fifth annual Research and Development Management Program, conducted by Ohio University and Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, will be held from September 24-October 6, 1967. It offers information on the conference "The Chemistry of Learning: An Evaluation of Planarian Research and Other Invertebrate Preparations," held at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan in September 1966. The conference featured several investigators representing biochemistry, physiology and zoology who discussed issues related to learning of planaria and other invertebrates. It offers information on the first International Symposium on Tropical Root Crops held from April 2-8, 1967 in Saint Augustine, Trinidad.

The article describes the structure of the tropical rain forest and speciation in the humid tropic regions. It points out that both geographical and ecological types of isolation characteristic of holarctic plant species are good illustrations of the principles of incompatibility of closely allied species under the same environmental conditions. It describes several tropical species which are represented in the tropical rain forest community, including Annonaceae, Burseracear and Caesalpiniaeae.

The article studies the seasonal periodicity in the growth and development of some forest trees in the rain forests in Nigeria. The climate is markedly seasonal at Ibadan, Nigeria, with distinct dry and rainy seasons, with six consecutive months each have less than 10 centimeter of rainfall, according to the author. Observations on seasonal periodicity were made during the period of 1957 to 1961 on a number of trees growing in the Botanical Garden of the University College in Ibadan. The trees, according to the author, are of natural occurrence, and had been growing under secondary forest conditions in the area before it was constituted into a botanical garden in 1949.

The article describes the structure, physiognomy and floristics of montane and lowland rain forest in Ecuador. Information about the temperature, relative humidity and light conditions in the forests is presented. The area visited for the study lies at the extreme west of the Oriente province of Ecuador, a province which stretches from the top of the eastern cordillera of the Andes to the frontiers with Peru and Colombia, well down into the Amazon basin, according to the authors. The authors summarize the geology and soils of the eastern Andes and their foothills in Ecuador.

The article reports on the study that measures tree height and canopy spread among standing trees in the untouched rain forest in New South Wales. The forest examined is typical of very wide areas of Ceratopetalum forests which adopt many streams on the north coast of New South Wales. It is stated that layering is rarely well defined and the big number of immature trees offers an appearance of youthfulness to the forest. It appears that the Ceratopetalum forests have the capability of growing under a slightly lower rainfall than the denser New South Wales rain forests.

The article discusses the ecological survey around the rain forest of Sarawak and the comparison of a typical area of rain forest in the eastern tropics within the area in British Guiana. It mentions about the Oxford Expedition from August to December 1932 around the district of Sarawak which includes ecological observation on the Tinjar valley and Mount Dulit, Sarawak. The authors also explains on several types of vegetation in the region of Dulit as compared to the forest types of Moraballi Creek area in British Guiana.

Examines laterite in relation to soils of the tropics by researchers from the U.S. Variance of soils in perennially hot and warm regions of low altitudes; Geographic line of division between soils of tropical regions and those of temperate climates; Control of precipitation effectiveness on the general type of vegetation.

Comments on the contents of books about the principle of population. 'Mankind at the Crossroads'; 'Population'; 'Agriculture in the Tropics.'

The article discusses the world food crisis as the most serious problem in the tropics, and cites the importance of tropical agriculture in the zone. The author highlights the tropical agriculture research on cash and plantation crops, and informs the presence of great opportunities for biologists to make significant contributions on food shortage prevention. He considers the increase of food production as the most realistic short-range method of solving the crisis. He believes that tropical food production can be increased through conventional agriculture by overseas technical programs, but he claims that training the young people in developing countries is the best method.

Conservation in Latin America is being given much more serious consideration than it was 10 or even 5 years ago. There is an awakening to realities and the knowledge, for instance, that a rain forest which appears to be inviolable now could be lost to future generations by the activities of a single lumbering crew. Effective comrnunications have been established between the Latin American countries themselves and private nongovernmental conservation organizations both in Latin America and the United States. The Latin American Desk of The Nature Conservancy, headed by Dr. Maria Buchinger, is doing pioneer work in this field, and it is the hope of the author that there will soon be a Nature Conservancy in every one of the Latin American countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]