Mountain Goats: Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation of an Alpine Ungulate

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Review "Many projects anxiously tout their own achievement; others move along— steadfast, earnest, and with modesty. The goat project by Festa-Bianchet and Côté typifies the latter, with a critical exception—its achievements are anything but modest. A delightful blend of behavioral ecology, wildlife management, and conservation, this sixteen-year effort offers a rich body of knowledge. It is also a must-read for anything interested in field biology and its application to conservation, especially for one of the world's most difficult-to-study large mammals." (Joel Berger senior scientist, Wildlife Conservation Society)"Mountain goats at Caw Ridge are the focus of a long-term study that provides remarkable insights into the evolutionary ecology and population biology of a wild mammal. These insights are eloquently described here by two researchers who have pioneered the study of wild vertebrate populations. Mountain Goats presents important new analyses and brings together results from the many journal articles inspired by this study." (Tim Coulson Division of Biology, Imperial College London)"Marco Festa-Bianchet and Steeve Côté have spent years studying mountain goats, an enigmatic North American ungulate that is neither goat nor sheep. Their findings on social behavior, reproductive success, population dynamics, and predation are fundamental to devising conservation strategies that will protect a species under increasing stress from human encroachment. This is an important book, a profound contribution to the literature of alpine ungulates." (Tony Sinclair Professor of zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver)"An invaluable source for ecologists and wildlife conservationists...highly recommended." (Midwest Book Review)"Information is presented in a way that will be accessible to all...Overall, Mountain Goats is an excellent progress report on an important project that should continue to provide great insights into this remarkable animal. As such, the volume should be of great interest to a wide audience." (Quarterly Review of Biology)"I tremendously enjoyed reading this book. It is very well written and organized, and as such is easily accessible...(it) deserves and should find a much wider readership than simply people interested in mountain goats." (Ecology)"I found this book to be quite readable...It certainly will be of interest to wildlife managers, biologists, and even conservation biologists in any geographical area." (Natural Areas Journal) Read more About the Author Marco Festa-Bianchet is professor of ecology at the Université de Sherbrooke, in Sherbrooke, Quebec. His research links individual reproductive strategies withpopulation dynamics and conservation. Steeve D. Côté is associate professor of animal ecology at Université Laval in Quebec City, Quebec. His research interests include behavioral ecology of large herbivores, evolution of life-history strategies, wildlife management, conservation biology, and population genetics. Read more