Saltmarsh

Saltmarshes are often remote inhospitable places neither land nor sea as hard to pin down as they are to navigate In this saline odyssey Clive Chatters has explored his favourite creeks pools and mudflats to bring us an absorbing celebration of the ecology biology geology and history of this scarce and mysterious habitat There are Tadpole Shrimps and rare sedges waders and Wild Celery - even inland saltmarshes - in this tour de force by a superb naturalist and writer BRETT WESTWOOD naturalist author and radio presenter Saltmarshes are among Britain's most diverse and dynamic landscapes They abound around our shores but may also be found inland and at altitude - wherever water salt and vegetation combine The species they support range from extreme rarities of specialised habitats to the
less demanding denizens of coastal wetlands Here is a landscape of international importance for migratory birds endemic plants and an exceptional variety of invertebrates Clive Chatters has a lifetime's affinity with saltmarshes In this fifth volume of the British Wildlife Collection he celebrates their natural history and diversity from the highly distinctive marshes in the Scottish Highlands to the urban remnants of the Thames estuary now engulfed within the capital By examining the past of these complex habitats we can gain an insight into how they have developed and an understanding of their relationship with people In addition to their exceptionally diverse natural history saltmarshes are sources of food and medicine they play a pivotal role in flood defence and carbon sequestration
and have inspired artistic endeavour