West Coast
Whether you live here or just happen to be passing through, the many facets of the West Coast leave an imprint upon each of us, giving us a ‘sense of place’ – the sum of all that we take in from our surroundings. Through a series of illustrated essays that touch upon various aspects of its natural history, this book provides a guide for those intrigued by the wonders of the West Coast.
From the beaches of the Cape Peninsula to southern Namibia, and inland as far as the Cederberg Mountains, the West Coast is a region of diverse landforms, plant and animal life, climate and history. On a stroll along the beach one can encounter folded bedrock 560 million years old, dune sand 5000 years old, shell middens 1500 years old, and seaweed stranded on the last high tide.
This book explores how the many habitats and life forms have evolved through time, including the increasingly large impact that we are having on the West Coast.
First published 2021 by Earthspun Books
© 2021 John S. Compton All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-0-620-90449-0 (print)
ISBN 978-0-620-90450-6 (pdf)
Chapter 1 West Coast Defined
Power of place – 11 The building of a continent – 14
Malmesbury shale – 18 Granite intrusion – 22 Gaps in deep time – 29
Cape Supergroup – 32 Breakup and the Great Escarpment – 39
An old, eroded surface – 42 Hardgrounds and soft – 48 Earthquakes – 52
Submerged landscapes – 55 A Mediterranean-type climate – 59
Rivers – 64 Salt – 68 Beaches – 70 Dunes – 74
Langebaan Lagoon – 78 Diamonds, pumice stones and volcanoes – 82
Chapter 1 excerpts: click photo to download pdf
Chapter 2 West Coast Living Landscapes
A thin veneer – 88 Life at sea – 90 Life along the shore – 94
Life in the lagoon – 97 Plants past – 100 Plants present – 103
Rhinoceros bush, grass and large animal herds – 106
Sandstone mountain fynbos and dust – 109 Afromontane forest – 111
Succulent Karoo shrublands – 113 Mystery of mysteries – 115
Animals before people – 119 Human arrival – 122 Animal turnover – 125
A seafood diet – 128 First people – 130 Pastoralists – 134 Europeans – 138
Decimated and dispossessed – 142 Man the hunter – 145 Demise of the hippo – 152
Chapter 2 excerpts: click photo to download pdf
Chapter 3 West Coast Redefined
Welcome to the Anthropocene – 155 Arrival of the British – 159
Darwin at the Cape – 163 A need of water – 165 A need of food – 169
Guano wars – 171 Overkill – 172 The total want of wood – 175
Power to burn – 177 A need of shelter – 181 Iron – 186
Reconfigured landscapes – 190 Aliens – 194 A garden city – 197 Rewilding – 201
Global warming – 204 A new world – 207
Chapter 3 excerpts: click photo to download pdf
Acknowledgements – 214
Illustration credits – 215
Notes – 218
Bibliography – 222
Index – 228