Martens and Fishers (Martes) in human-altered environments : an international perspective /

The genus Martes is composed of seven species of roughly domestic-cat-sized, semi-arboreal carnivores related to weasels. Their ecological requirements and often-valuable fur, their predatory lives, and their exceedingly large home ranges mean that human activities impact most of them severely around the globe. The 14 papers/chapters are grouped as part 1, "Status, Distribution, and Life History"; part 2, "Habitat Relationships"; and part 3, "Research and Management Approaches." Fifteen of the 39 authors reside outside North America, so one gets, for example, an ecological comparison of the European stone marten and the genet in Portugal, and learns that very little is known about the yellow-throated and Nilgiri martens of Asia. This book usefully adds to the information presented in the rather more comprehensive book Martens, Sables, and Fishers, edited by S. W. Buskirk (1994). ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate students and above. A. S. Mossman emeritus, Humboldt State University