Chuck Peters

Abstract

This article is a brief appreciation of the career of tropical field ecologist Chuck Peters at the Institute of Economic Botany of the New York Botanical Garden. Peters’ research in Amazonian Peru, Indonesia, and other tropical forests is featured. His preference for research on disturbed, heavily managed, and often young, forests with especial importance for local communities distinguish his work as a tropical ecologist and conservationist. Several of Peters’ contributions to understanding local traditions of forest management and his use of quantitative field research methods to describe and monitor forests and benefit local communities are emphasized.