Exmoor National Park comprises 265 square miles, of which about two-thirds lie in west Somerset and the remaining third in north Devon. Its northern boundary is the Bristol Channel coast, stretching in a dramatic series of cliffs interrupted only by the Vale of Porlock, from North Hill above Minehead in the east to Little Hangman above Combe Martin in the west. This collection of walks ranges from the bare expanses of the Chains, the last real wilderness on Exmoor, to a picturesque riverside route along the Exe, from Badgworthy Water to a coastal walk taking in the spectacular Valley of the Rocks.

This title features 26 carefuly chosen rides in areas of natural beauty. These range from tough, adventurous, high moorland excursions taking in technical singletrack and adrenalin pumping downhills right through to quiet, safe, leisurely off-road excursions for novices developing their skills or for family enjoyment.

This collection of over 140 photographs depicts one of England's little gems, the Quantock Hills. Craig Hutchings demonstrates his love of this wonderful landscape, not only through the well known vistas but those secret places only a local would know.

Human exploitation of other mammals has passed through three histori cal phases, distinct in their ecological significance though overlapping in time. Initially, Homo sapiens was a predator, particularly of herbivores but also of fur-bearing predators. From about 11 000 years ago, goats and sheep were domesticated in the Middle East, rapidly replacing gazelles and other game as the principal source of meat. The principal crops, including wheat and barley, were taken into agriculture at about the same time, and the resulting Neolithic farming culture spread slowly from there over the subsequent 10 500 years. In a few places such as Mexico, Peru and China, this Middle Eastern culture met and merged with agricultural traditions that had made a similar but independent transition. These agricultural traditions provided the essential support for the industrial revolution, and for a third phase of industrial exploita tion of mammals. In this chapter, these themes are drawn out and their ecological signifi cance is investigated. Some of the impacts of humans on other mammals require consideration on a world-wide basis, but the chapter concen trates, parochially, on Great Britain. What have been the ecological consequences of our exploitation of other mammals? 2. 2 HISTORICAL PHASES OF EXPLOITATION 2. 2. 1 Predatory man Our nearest relatives - chimpanzees, orang utans and gorillas - are essentially forest species, deriving most of their diet from the fruits of forest trees and the shoots and leaves of plants.