566 Index Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES) software 5:357–358, 5:460–462T artificial reefs 5:61 Artiodactyla characteristics 4:695–697 convergent evolution 4:701T desert ecosystems 2:476T dietary tolerance 5:225T late Quaternary extinction event (LQEE) 4:727T number of species 4:690T Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum 5:7–8 representative species 2:587F species diversity 2:587, 4:690T tropical rain forests 6:309T Artioposthia triangulata 3:225, 6:240 Artium tomentosum 1:590 Artocarpus 1:263 Artocarpus integrifolia 2:663 Aruba 4:560F, 6:507T arum lily 5:220 arum lily frog 5:220 Arunachal macaque 6:256–258T Arundinaria alpina 7:275 Arundinella 2:376F Arundinella 1:70 Arundinera 1:70 Arundo donax 5:486 Arundo mediterranea 5:486 Arvicanthis ectos 5:462 Arvicola terrestris 2:552F arylaminopropionic acids 4:92T arylesterase 5:269T aryloxyphenoxy propionate 4:90T arylsulfatase 5:269T Asan Bay 1:276T Ascaphus montanus 4:517 Ascaphus truei 1:172–173, 4:517 Ascaris lumbricoides 5:660–661, 5:660T, 5:671T, 6:132, 7:425–428, 7:428T Ascension frigatebird 7:185 Ascension Island 6:78 Ascetospora 5:669–670T Aschelminthes characteristics 4:392 lake and pond ecosystems 4:461T Aschiza 3:489–491T, 3:491–492 Ascidiacea 4:381T ascidians mangrove ecosystems 5:20T marine environments 4:382F Asclepiadaceae 3:129T, 6:316T Asclepias 1:24F Ascomycota 2:644, 3:628–629, 3:628F Ascothoracida 2:416–417T Asellus aquaticus 7:56, 7:56F Asenophonus nasoniae 5:679 asexual reproduction 5:659–660 Asfarviridae 5:136 ash borers 4:361 Ashbya gossypii 3:638–639 Ashgillean event 3:415–418, 3:416T, 5:161F ash trees 4:361, 6:124F, 7:125 ashy red colobus 6:256–258T Asia botanical gardens 6:505–506, 6:506T, 6:507F, 6:510T C4 plants 2:371T crop distribution 1:88T deforestation 1:677F, 2:448T, 2:452T, 2:454T Diptera 3:488T domesticated ruminants 1:702–703 ecosystems 1:254–280 alpine life zone 1:149T animal species 1:258, 1:261T artificial ecosystems 1:279 biogeographic provinces 1:262–263T biomes 1:258–260, 1:262–263T boreal and polar Asia boreal forest 1:262–263T, 1:273–274 characteristics 1:273–274 polar and mountain tundra 1:262–263T, 1:274–275 climatic zonation 1:257T, 1:258, 1:262–263T conservation status 1:279, 3:171–173T deserts 2:469–470 dry regions characteristics 1:267–268 Dzungaria 1:270 Gobi Desert 1:270 Mediterranean ecosystems 1:262–263T, 1:268–269 Middle Asian deserts 1:270 subtropical deserts 1:262–263T, 1:267–268 Tarim Basin 1:270 temperate grasslands 1:262–263T, 1:269 temperate semi-deserts and deserts 1:262–263T, 1:269–270 Tibetan Plateau 1:270 evolutionary history 1:256T forest ecosystems 3:532T geographic characteristics 1:255 geologic history 1:256, 1:256T humid monsoon region characteristics 1:262–263T, 1:270–271 laurel forests 1:270–271 mountain regions 1:272–273 pine forests 1:272 temperate deciduous forests 1:271 physiographic characteristics 1:255–258, 1:255F plant species 1:258, 1:259T, 1:260T regionalization 1:258–260 regional species richness controls 2:602 river water composition 3:562T tropical Asia characteristics 1:260–263 humid tropical forest 1:260–263, 1:262–263T, 1:266T monsoon forests (moist deciduous forests) 1:262–263T, 1:263–266 tropical dry forest, scrub, and savanna 1:262–263T, 1:266–267 tropical moist forest 1:277T tropical rain forests 6:314T tropical/subtropical humid mountain areas 1:262–263T, 1:266T, 1:267 vegetation belts 1:266T tropical rain forests 6:314T, 6:316T, 6:317T vegetation types and coverage percentage 1:264–265T wetlands and coastal ecosystems 1:275–279, 1:275T, 1:276T endangered mammals 3:194T energy use 3:252T fish diversity 3:473 floodplain agriculture 7:146 freshwater ecosystems 4:370T grasslands and savannas 6:333 habitat destruction 3:403 indigenous peoples 4:269T, 4:271T intercropping systems 2:383, 2:384F invasive species 4:353–354 land-use trends 4:559F Lepidoptera 5:389T logging operations 2:454T maize production 1:86 megaherbivores 5:224T, 5:225T, 5:232F native crops East Asia 2:663 Southeast Asia 2:663 southwest Asia 2:662–663 natural history museums and institutions 5:406 plant species 6:82T primates primate diversity 6:250–252, 6:251T threatened species 6:258T protected area systems 6:491T regional carbon stocks 1:678F regional cultivars 3:32F resource management 6:386–387, 6:387T rice production 1:86, 1:88, 1:388–389 savannas biodiversity 1:70 biome distributions 1:64F characteristics 6:333 classifications dipterocarp savanna forests 1:69F, 1:70 dry deciduous forests 1:69–70, 1:69F dry thorn forests 1:69, 1:69F general characteristics 1:68–69 moist sal savannas 1:70 climate change effects 1:71–72 future outlook 1:71–72 geographic distribution 1:59–60, 1:59F global carbon cycle 1:70–71 tree cover variations 1:60F temperate Asia 2:448T termites 4:409T threatened birds 7:181 transboundary protected areas 6:489T tropical Asia 2:448T tropical rain forests distribution 6:324T loss and change 6:324T model-based assessments 6:324T species richness loss 6:328T wheat production 1:87–88