In the ten years since the previous Koala book was published in the Australian Natural History Series by Lee and Martin, a great deal of basic research has been done on the koala. The conservation status of wild populations has been a topic of much debate and this new edition includes maps of the current distribution of the species and a commentary on the status of wild populations. Other recent studies have enhanced our knowledge in the areas of reproductive biology, endocrinology, energetics, and growth. Facts from all these studies have been woven into the narrative of this new natural history of the species. Headway has also been made in our understanding of koala disease, particularly Chlamydia, and this new information has caused a revision in our thinking as to its role and impact on koala populations. The book includes a chapter on koala population biology which is necessary for an understanding of the many complex issues for the management of the species. It concludes with a discussion of the most difficult management issues: conservation of sparsely distributed populations and the problem of overabundance.

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