Wetlands occupy an estimated 6 per cent of the world’s land surface. Detailed inventories of type... more Wetlands occupy an estimated 6 per cent of the world’s land surface. Detailed inventories of types and location, however, are substantially incomplete and information on functions, values and status is extremely limited at the global scale.
Very many people around the world will recognize the World Wildlife Fund logo; many people have g... more Very many people around the world will recognize the World Wildlife Fund logo; many people have given support to the WWF (now World Wide Fund for Nature); but rather few, perhaps, know about more than a tiny fraction of the way in which this organization operates and has spent over US $110,000,000 of diligently-collected funds. This special twenty-fifth Anniversary Yearbook, the largest yet in the series, should help to explain how WWF is tackling the global environmental problem. In nearly 600 pages it reports on 275 conservational and other projects in sufficient detail for the value and challenges of each project to be appreciated, but not at such great length that its part in the worldwide picture could be lost. The book contains much reference-material, including profiles of WWF national organizations, names of Council members, recipients of honours and awards, and an index. This and previous Yearbooks are landmarks (perhaps comparable with IUCN's Red Data Books) in the field of conservation, giving snapshots of the current worldwide conservation scene. The threats to habitats and species are hammered home to the reader, yet not in the all-toodepressing manner which conservation news usually takes. Here we see how the challenges are being met, how successes have been achieved, and how there should be real optimism that, with sufficient funds, a very great deal can be done to protect the environment. Perusal of this Yearbook shows how WWF has obtained vast experience of conservation issues, and gained international respect. This major reference-source should be regarded as essential for libraries and teachers, and a good buy for any active conservationist. Through its text, and its many illustrations, the reality of conservation in action is communicated vividly; anyone with an interest in the environment should seriously consider buying this volume, and regard paying the substantial price as another way in which they will be helping the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Human perception of and relationships with wetlands have evolved over time, together with the tra... more Human perception of and relationships with wetlands have evolved over time, together with the transformations that have taken place in the organisation and aspirations of society, technological innovations and the level of scientific understanding. Early human communities were strongly and directly dependent on the wetlands of river, lake and coastal margins for water, food, shelter, fuel, security, tradable products and transport. Understanding of how the ecosystem worked, in terms of hydrology, biogeochemical cycling and ecological dynamics, was not defined, but was simply part of everyday life, and this conditioned the community's relationship with the flood cycle, provision of potable water and harvesting of fish and wildlife. Whilst such knowledge was rarely codified into forms that would eventually become a distinct scientific discipline, its understanding has been highly influential in the development of civilisation. The early Sumerians, and subsequently the Babylonians, were as well versed in the ecology of the Tigris-Euphrates marshes as they were farmers, architects and politicians (Kramer, 1963). There are still high levels of direct dependency on wetland resources by human communities in many parts of the world. This is due to the ability of wetlands to perform certain functions such as flood control and storm protection, and to supply products such as wildlife, fisheries and forest resources. There are many examples of wetlands that have retained their functions and are considered as important resources for the local communities. These include lake Megali Prespa in Greece that performs groundwater recharge, lakes Volvi and Langada in Greece that provide effective flood control, the Odiel Marshes in Spain that perform sediment/toxicant retention, the Akgol Lagoon in Turkey and the Danube delta in Romania and Ukraine that provide local villages with fish and thatching materials, and the Camargue in France that is used for hunting and a wide range of other amenities, including village tourism (Hollis and Finlayson, 1996). Human decisions currently being taken to exploit wetlands result more from a response to economic, social and political pressures than any appreciation of the sustainable benefits that can derive from natural ecosystem functioning (Maltby, 1991). Despite considerable improvements in public awareness, there is still a failure to appreciate that human wellbeing and economic development can be consistent with, and indeed enhanced by, the maintenance of fully functioning wetland ecosystems. Historically, human endeavour has concentrated on the conversion of wetland ecosystems such as swamps, bogs, marshes and floodplains to non-wetland conditions, allowing their more intensive or direct economic utilisation for farming, forestry or urban development. Wetland degradation and loss has continued throughout Europe, while the conservation community and, increasingly, environmental scientists, resource planners and economists claim growing evidence for their importance for biodiversity, and for the maintenance or enhancement of various aspects of environmental quality. Thus, while society seems to have become increasingly detached from wetlands, this independence may be more apparent than real. The structures and investments necessary to replace the functions previously carried out by wetlands may be both more expensive as well as unsustainable.
Peat mines may accumulate up to 2.25 t C per hectare per year. Peatlands cover about 397 m ha. Pe... more Peat mines may accumulate up to 2.25 t C per hectare per year. Peatlands cover about 397 m ha. Peatlands may well contain 329-528 billion tonnes of carbon. However alteration of peatlands for agriculture and forestry is probably expanding at an annual rate of 550,000 ha. The CO[sub 2] source resulting, added to the lost sink, totals 426-730 mt CO[sub 2] per year. Exploitation of both mines and peatlands will result in the rapid release of a carbon store which has accumulated over millenia. 200 refs., 19 figs., 45 tabs.
Wetland ecosystems perform functions which give rise to goods and services for direct and indirec... more Wetland ecosystems perform functions which give rise to goods and services for direct and indirect human use, environmental quality and biodiversity. Yet policies for wetland protection and management, especially in Europe and the developing world, have been based primarily on wildlife criteria and traditional nature conservation approaches. This chapter examines the wider functional significance of wetlands with particular reference to water quality benefits and the case for new policies to capture greater societal advantages from their protection. Examples are given at various scales of the effort to reduce the gap between scientific knowledge of how wetlands work and the new methods emerging to improve decision making and ensure stronger linkage to policies.
An important element of all peatland restoration projects is a programme of monitoring to check r... more An important element of all peatland restoration projects is a programme of monitoring to check results and progress. Several peat project workshops identified a demand for technical guidance on monitoring techniques. So Natural England commissioned this study to: -Review the range of peatland restoration monitoring techniques available. -Identify those that were consistent, informative and easily applicable for peatland restoration projects at a range of scales and budgets. Tables to identify appropriate monitoring techniques for specific projects are published in the Technical Information Note TIN097 - Guidelines for monitoring peatland restoration. Further information on these techniques is provided in this report. The findings of this study have been used to: -Inform the JNCC project to design a research programme on UK Peatland Green House Gas and Carbon Flux. -Develop thinking on monitoring peatlands in the IUCN UK Peatland Programme. -Inform hydrological monitoring ...
Wetlands occupy an estimated 6 per cent of the world’s land surface. Detailed inventories of type... more Wetlands occupy an estimated 6 per cent of the world’s land surface. Detailed inventories of types and location, however, are substantially incomplete and information on functions, values and status is extremely limited at the global scale.
Very many people around the world will recognize the World Wildlife Fund logo; many people have g... more Very many people around the world will recognize the World Wildlife Fund logo; many people have given support to the WWF (now World Wide Fund for Nature); but rather few, perhaps, know about more than a tiny fraction of the way in which this organization operates and has spent over US $110,000,000 of diligently-collected funds. This special twenty-fifth Anniversary Yearbook, the largest yet in the series, should help to explain how WWF is tackling the global environmental problem. In nearly 600 pages it reports on 275 conservational and other projects in sufficient detail for the value and challenges of each project to be appreciated, but not at such great length that its part in the worldwide picture could be lost. The book contains much reference-material, including profiles of WWF national organizations, names of Council members, recipients of honours and awards, and an index. This and previous Yearbooks are landmarks (perhaps comparable with IUCN's Red Data Books) in the field of conservation, giving snapshots of the current worldwide conservation scene. The threats to habitats and species are hammered home to the reader, yet not in the all-toodepressing manner which conservation news usually takes. Here we see how the challenges are being met, how successes have been achieved, and how there should be real optimism that, with sufficient funds, a very great deal can be done to protect the environment. Perusal of this Yearbook shows how WWF has obtained vast experience of conservation issues, and gained international respect. This major reference-source should be regarded as essential for libraries and teachers, and a good buy for any active conservationist. Through its text, and its many illustrations, the reality of conservation in action is communicated vividly; anyone with an interest in the environment should seriously consider buying this volume, and regard paying the substantial price as another way in which they will be helping the World Wide Fund for Nature.
Human perception of and relationships with wetlands have evolved over time, together with the tra... more Human perception of and relationships with wetlands have evolved over time, together with the transformations that have taken place in the organisation and aspirations of society, technological innovations and the level of scientific understanding. Early human communities were strongly and directly dependent on the wetlands of river, lake and coastal margins for water, food, shelter, fuel, security, tradable products and transport. Understanding of how the ecosystem worked, in terms of hydrology, biogeochemical cycling and ecological dynamics, was not defined, but was simply part of everyday life, and this conditioned the community's relationship with the flood cycle, provision of potable water and harvesting of fish and wildlife. Whilst such knowledge was rarely codified into forms that would eventually become a distinct scientific discipline, its understanding has been highly influential in the development of civilisation. The early Sumerians, and subsequently the Babylonians, were as well versed in the ecology of the Tigris-Euphrates marshes as they were farmers, architects and politicians (Kramer, 1963). There are still high levels of direct dependency on wetland resources by human communities in many parts of the world. This is due to the ability of wetlands to perform certain functions such as flood control and storm protection, and to supply products such as wildlife, fisheries and forest resources. There are many examples of wetlands that have retained their functions and are considered as important resources for the local communities. These include lake Megali Prespa in Greece that performs groundwater recharge, lakes Volvi and Langada in Greece that provide effective flood control, the Odiel Marshes in Spain that perform sediment/toxicant retention, the Akgol Lagoon in Turkey and the Danube delta in Romania and Ukraine that provide local villages with fish and thatching materials, and the Camargue in France that is used for hunting and a wide range of other amenities, including village tourism (Hollis and Finlayson, 1996). Human decisions currently being taken to exploit wetlands result more from a response to economic, social and political pressures than any appreciation of the sustainable benefits that can derive from natural ecosystem functioning (Maltby, 1991). Despite considerable improvements in public awareness, there is still a failure to appreciate that human wellbeing and economic development can be consistent with, and indeed enhanced by, the maintenance of fully functioning wetland ecosystems. Historically, human endeavour has concentrated on the conversion of wetland ecosystems such as swamps, bogs, marshes and floodplains to non-wetland conditions, allowing their more intensive or direct economic utilisation for farming, forestry or urban development. Wetland degradation and loss has continued throughout Europe, while the conservation community and, increasingly, environmental scientists, resource planners and economists claim growing evidence for their importance for biodiversity, and for the maintenance or enhancement of various aspects of environmental quality. Thus, while society seems to have become increasingly detached from wetlands, this independence may be more apparent than real. The structures and investments necessary to replace the functions previously carried out by wetlands may be both more expensive as well as unsustainable.
Peat mines may accumulate up to 2.25 t C per hectare per year. Peatlands cover about 397 m ha. Pe... more Peat mines may accumulate up to 2.25 t C per hectare per year. Peatlands cover about 397 m ha. Peatlands may well contain 329-528 billion tonnes of carbon. However alteration of peatlands for agriculture and forestry is probably expanding at an annual rate of 550,000 ha. The CO[sub 2] source resulting, added to the lost sink, totals 426-730 mt CO[sub 2] per year. Exploitation of both mines and peatlands will result in the rapid release of a carbon store which has accumulated over millenia. 200 refs., 19 figs., 45 tabs.
Wetland ecosystems perform functions which give rise to goods and services for direct and indirec... more Wetland ecosystems perform functions which give rise to goods and services for direct and indirect human use, environmental quality and biodiversity. Yet policies for wetland protection and management, especially in Europe and the developing world, have been based primarily on wildlife criteria and traditional nature conservation approaches. This chapter examines the wider functional significance of wetlands with particular reference to water quality benefits and the case for new policies to capture greater societal advantages from their protection. Examples are given at various scales of the effort to reduce the gap between scientific knowledge of how wetlands work and the new methods emerging to improve decision making and ensure stronger linkage to policies.
An important element of all peatland restoration projects is a programme of monitoring to check r... more An important element of all peatland restoration projects is a programme of monitoring to check results and progress. Several peat project workshops identified a demand for technical guidance on monitoring techniques. So Natural England commissioned this study to: -Review the range of peatland restoration monitoring techniques available. -Identify those that were consistent, informative and easily applicable for peatland restoration projects at a range of scales and budgets. Tables to identify appropriate monitoring techniques for specific projects are published in the Technical Information Note TIN097 - Guidelines for monitoring peatland restoration. Further information on these techniques is provided in this report. The findings of this study have been used to: -Inform the JNCC project to design a research programme on UK Peatland Green House Gas and Carbon Flux. -Develop thinking on monitoring peatlands in the IUCN UK Peatland Programme. -Inform hydrological monitoring ...
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