Review by Choice Review
The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) has received considerable attention from European mammalogists for more than a century. In recent decades, however, new scientific methods of studying its biology and population dynamics have brought about better understanding of its role in European ecosystems. In 14 chapters, 39 European contributors to this volume discuss its biology and the reasons why this species has managed to survive and indeed extend its range and density in most parts of the continent. One of the smaller European ungulates, roe deer are very tolerant of humans and can be found in a wide range of habitats, except for "alpine areas above the treeline and the most open grasslands." They utilize a great variety of plants, including some with low nutritive quality. They avoid dietary overlap with most allied species, but they are at the same time "surprisingly sensitive to competition from larger herbivores." The roe deer's unique reproductive cycle has been critical to its success; it is the only member of the deer family in which delayed implantation takes place. Some attention is given to the deer's role as a key source of food for predators and to the importance of sound game management practices. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals. K. B. Sterling Pace University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
