The ecology of Atlantic shorelines /

Bertness has assembled much information, from unpublished observations and journal articles, into a compact yet generally thorough primer on boreal (New England) to subtropical (Georgia) coastal Atlantic ecosystems. Not a guide to organism identification per se, the book's emphasis is on the processes that are important in generating patterns of species distribution and abundance. The first four chapters are devoted to discussion of general principles of community ecology (e.g., feeding strategies, competition), the last three to rocky, soft-sediment, and salt-marsh community organization and dynamics. Tropical Atlantic regimes such as mangrove swamps are only briefly mentioned, and treatment of high-energy sandy beaches is rather sparse. Some of the figures (of organisms) suffer from lack of contrast and/or accuracy, vague legends, and transposed captions; but many of them are simple graphs or diagrams that are effective, stand-alone summarizations of important points raised in the text. The book will be especially valuable as adjunct reading in a university coastal ecology course, with its clear, flowing prose and wealth of references. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through faculty. R. E. Knowlton; George Washington University