” 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 & mudflats to bring us an absorbing celebration of the ecology, biology, geology & history of this scarce & mysterious habitat. There are Tadpole Shrimps, & rare sedges, waders & Wild Celery
- even inland saltmarshes
- in this tour de force by a superb naturalist & writer.”BRETT WESTWOODSaltmarshes are among Britain`s most diverse & dynamic landscapes. They abound around our shores but may also be found inland & at altitude
- wherever water, salt & 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 & 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 & 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, & an understanding of their relationship with people. In addition to their exceptionally diverse natural history, saltmarshes are sources of food & medicine, they play a pivotal role in flood defence & carbon sequestration, & have inspired artistic endeavour.- Fully illustrated with over 250 colour photographs- Beautiful jacket artwork by Carry Akroyd