Review by Choice Review
The second of a six-volume series covering the major bird habitats of Great Britain, and organized along the lines of Bird Life of Mountain and Upland by D.A. Ratcliffe (CH, Feb'92). Ferns's well-done ecological treatment emphasizes British coastlines but other types of coastal communities in the world, i.e., mangroves, are mentioned briefly. Major chapters treat the ecology of coastlines generally, and of the open sea, rocky shores, cliffs, shingle beaches, sandy shores, mud flats, and the "coastal fringe" (mainly vegetated dunes and salt marshes) specifically. The book ends with a chapter on the threats to coastal birds and environments. Like the earlier volume in the series, the book relies on the considerable British literature on the birds to present complex ecological relationships in an easy, readable style, and in this, Ferns has succeeded brilliantly. Highly recommended. General; community college; undergraduate; pre-professional. S. W. Harris; Humboldt State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
