Publisher's Synopsis
From the vast deltas of the Amazon, Indus and Volga, to the bogs of the arctic tundra, the salt lakes of Central Australia and the mosaic prairie Potholes of North America, wetlands are everywhere around us - natural and artificial, permanent and temporary, freshwater, brackish and salt. They are the fragile interface between land and water.;These areas of immense value, both economically and in terms of quality of life, are among the most productive ecosystems on earth and yet, by exploitation, pollution, dumping, draining and development, are fast becoming among the most threatened.;Feature chapters present the following absorbing detail: the book covers the major wetlands of the world; the natural functions of wetlands; the main characteristics of these areas; and information on wetland conservation.
