Synopses & Reviews
With
The Nature of North Carolina's Southern Coast, Dirk Frankenberg's effort to provide a comprehensive field guide to the state's dynamic shoreline is complete. Picking up where his 1995 book
The Nature of the Outer Banks left off, this book covers the coastal region from Ocracoke Inlet to the South Carolina border. Along the way, it provides a close-up look at the area's natural environment, highlighting the processes that have shaped, and continue to shape, North Carolina's southern coast.
The book guides the reader to more than fifty different natural areasincluding barrier islands, coastal waters, estuaries, wetlands, and foreststhat have been preserved along 180 miles of coastline. Drawings, maps, and photographs amplify the text, aid in identifying common plants, and illustrate the local natural communities. In a final section, the author explores the effects of human land use on coastal areas, calling attention to a number of current environmental threats and discussing ways in which these issues might be addressed. Informative and useful, this book will aid and encourage the responsible exploration and enjoyment of North Carolina's coastal environment.
Review
Dirk Frankenberg has succeeded in writing the best kind of a book.
North Carolina Historical Review
Review
Reading this book is almost as good as being there.
Todd Miller, Executive Director, North Carolina Coastal Federation
Review
Anyone planning to spend some time in this coastal fringe will find this book an invaluable companion.
Choice
About the Author
Dirk Frankenberg was professor of marine sciences and former director of the Marine Sciences Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.