ARKive celebrates World Wetlands Day
World Wetlands Day (WWD) is an annual celebration held on the 2nd February in order to raise worldwide awareness of the importance of wetlands. The date is particularly significant, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands, also known as the Ramsar Convention, which is an international treaty that represents the commitment of its members to the preservation of their wetlands.
Wetlands are areas where water is a dominant feature of the habitat, and can include coastal lagoons, areas of marsh and the habitat around lakes and rivers. Wetlands make up roughly 6% of the Earth's land surface, and are home to an incredibly diverse array of plants and animals. Here at ARKive, we thought we’d celebrate WWD by highlighting a few of the spectacular species that rely upon wetlands for their survival.
Many species of bird, such as these northern pintails, rely on wetlands for breeding and feeding, and will often migrate many miles to reach them.
As well as housing spectacular biodiversity, wetlands are also among the world's most productive environments, and are important to the survival of many people. They provide water and food such as rice, which is a common wetland plant. The increasing global population is putting immense pressure on the world's wetlands, and the Ramsar Convention aims to conserve these important habitats through a sustainable 'wise use' initiative.
Article continues: http://blog.arkive.org/2012/02/arkive-celebrates-world-wetlands-day/