SALT MARSHES A Natural and Unnatural History

SALT MARSHES

A Natural and Unnatural History

Judith S. Weis and Carol A. Butler

“Rutgers University biologist Weis and science writer Butler compile an outstanding study of North American salt marshes, their natural histories, contributions to human well-being, and what their destruction means to human life and property. After describing the formation and maintenance of coastal marshlands (through tidal and river flows), Weis and Butler discuss in detail the plants and animals that populate marshes, arranged by general complexity, beginning with small invertebrates and insects. Next is a historical overview, introducing the calamitous, long-held belief that marshes are little more than wastelands (the first attempts to “reclaim” marshlands came from European settlers) and a painful exploration of invasive species and their effects. Research data on the widespread benefits of marshlands precede a specific case study, looking at how the Hackensack Meadowlands were destroyed by more than 250 years of “development, drainage, diking, filling, garbage dumping, and sewage pumping.” Ongoing restoration projects are also profiled, and the volume concludes with thorough notes. This account should make an informative treat for any armchair conservationist.”

      __ Publisher’s Weekly, 8/31/2009

“Judith S. Weis and Carol A. Butler put salt marshes into a broad environmental context. With chapters on marshland species, pollution, and restoration, this book is both valuable and encompassing for anyone interested in the future of salt marshes.”

—John M. Teal, scientist emeritus, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Exploring the fascinating biodiversity of these boggy wetlands, Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History (Paper $23.95, August 2009, 978-0-8135-4570-7), by Judith S. Weis and Carol A. Butler, offers readers a wealth of essential information about a variety of plants, fish, and animals, the importance of these habitats, consequences of human neglect and thoughtless development, and insight into how these wetlands recover.

“In an accessible and sophisticated manner, Salt Marshes draws on extensive ‘local knowledge’ and a thorough grasp of much broader scientific literature to show the impact of humans on marshes and estuaries. This book is an important contribution to popular writing on coastal systems.”

—R. Scott Warren, Tempel Professor of Botany Emeritus, Connecticut College

SALT MARSHES

A Natural and Unnatural History

Judith S. Weis and Carol A. Butler

Paper $23.95 | ISBN 978-0-8135-4570-7

Cloth $49.95 | ISBN 978-0-8135-4548-6 | 272 pages | 72 illustrations | 6 x 9

Publication Date: August 2009

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