490
brackish and freshwater systems. There are a
number of important inland deltas in the SE
Europe. Further, there are extensive salt
marshes and mud fl ats along the Atlantic
Ocean and the North Sea coastlines of
Europe from the Mira Estuary in Portugal to
the Wadden Sea of the Netherlands, Germany
and Denmark. These marshes contrast with
the extensive salt marshes of North America.
2. In Russia , the Vasyugan Swamp is one of the
largest swamps in the world situated in western Siberia. The swamp is a major reservoir
of freshwater for the region and serves as a
source of several rivers. In addition, The
Kulyagash is said to be the biggest wetland
in Tatarstan in Russian Federation. Also, the
Bi-Ob’ region of central Russia is a large
fl oodplain on the Ob River between
Kazakhstan to the south and the Ob River’s
estuary to the north on the Kara Sea. The
region has been described as ‘the largest single breeding area for waterfowls in Eurasia’.
Further, on the edge of the Caspian Sea, the
Volga River forms one of the world’s largest
inland deltas, called the Volga River Delta.
3. In Estonia , the Matsalu Bay is a water
meadow and a reed marsh. It has been known
as an important bird habitat since many
years. The wetland harbours numerous
swans, mallards, pintails, coots, geese,
cranes, etc., during migration in the spring
season.
Further, the Endla Bog in Estonia and the
Berezinski Bog (area c 76,000 ha) in
Byelorussia are both examples of peatlands
that have been protected as nature preserves
and in semi-natural states. Further, the
Colchis wetlands is a lowland inland delta of
eastern Georgia .
4. In the United Kingdom (UK) , some of the
signifi cant wetlands are Askham Bog,
Crymlyn Bog, Matley Bog, Max Bog,
Moseley Bog, Portlethen Moss, Yanal Bog,
North Kent Marshes, Romney Marsh, Ings,
Carrington Moss, etc. Out of the above,
Askham Bog is an area of peat bog located in
the Vale of York in North Yorkshire. Crymlyn
Bog is a nature reserve, located near Swansea
in South Wales . Matley Bog is an ancient
woodland bog located in the New Forest,
Hampshire in England. Max Bog is a wetland
situated west of the village of Winscombe,
North Somerset. Moseley Bog is a nature
reserve in the Moseley area of Birmingham
in England. The Portlethen Moss is an acidic
bog nature reserve in the coastal Grampian
region in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Yanal
Bog is a 1.6-ha biological SSSI on the southern edge of the North Somerset Levels, just
north of the village of Sandford, North
Somerset. The North Kent Marshes , located
in the north of the county of Kent on the
Thames Estuary in southeast England, is one
of 22 Environmentally Sensitive Areas recognised by the UK government’s Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA). The Romney Marsh is a sparsely
populated wetland area in the counties of
Kent and East Sussex in the southeast of
England. Ings is an old Yorkshire word for
water meadows and marshes. Ings often
teem with large number of waterbirds and
other wildlife. Carrington Moss is a large
area of peat bog near Carrington at Trafford
in Greater Manchester, England. The Bough
Beach Reservoir in Kent is a signifi cant lentic body in England. There are small lentic
bodies in many university campuses, notably
York University. They serve as natural laboratories for limnological studies. Further, the
‘loch’ (lakes) in Scotland has a signifi cant
role in the livelihood of the local people.
5. In France , the Rhone River delta formed
France’s one of the most important wetlands,
the Camargue . The Camargue is a home to
one of the world’s 25 major fl amingo nesting
sites and France’s only such site. Further, Les
Moëres are a marshy region in the area of
Dunkirk in France.
Further, one of the better-known coastal
wetland areas in France is at the Normandy–
Brittany border near the world famous abbey
of Mont Saint-Michel, perched atop a promontory in a bay of the English Channel.
6. In Germany , the High Fens are an upland
area in the province of Liège, in Belgium and
22 Wetlands of Europe
brackish and freshwater systems. There are a
number of important inland deltas in the SE
Europe. Further, there are extensive salt
marshes and mud fl ats along the Atlantic
Ocean and the North Sea coastlines of
Europe from the Mira Estuary in Portugal to
the Wadden Sea of the Netherlands, Germany
and Denmark. These marshes contrast with
the extensive salt marshes of North America.
2. In Russia , the Vasyugan Swamp is one of the
largest swamps in the world situated in western Siberia. The swamp is a major reservoir
of freshwater for the region and serves as a
source of several rivers. In addition, The
Kulyagash is said to be the biggest wetland
in Tatarstan in Russian Federation. Also, the
Bi-Ob’ region of central Russia is a large
fl oodplain on the Ob River between
Kazakhstan to the south and the Ob River’s
estuary to the north on the Kara Sea. The
region has been described as ‘the largest single breeding area for waterfowls in Eurasia’.
Further, on the edge of the Caspian Sea, the
Volga River forms one of the world’s largest
inland deltas, called the Volga River Delta.
3. In Estonia , the Matsalu Bay is a water
meadow and a reed marsh. It has been known
as an important bird habitat since many
years. The wetland harbours numerous
swans, mallards, pintails, coots, geese,
cranes, etc., during migration in the spring
season.
Further, the Endla Bog in Estonia and the
Berezinski Bog (area c 76,000 ha) in
Byelorussia are both examples of peatlands
that have been protected as nature preserves
and in semi-natural states. Further, the
Colchis wetlands is a lowland inland delta of
eastern Georgia .
4. In the United Kingdom (UK) , some of the
signifi cant wetlands are Askham Bog,
Crymlyn Bog, Matley Bog, Max Bog,
Moseley Bog, Portlethen Moss, Yanal Bog,
North Kent Marshes, Romney Marsh, Ings,
Carrington Moss, etc. Out of the above,
Askham Bog is an area of peat bog located in
the Vale of York in North Yorkshire. Crymlyn
Bog is a nature reserve, located near Swansea
in South Wales . Matley Bog is an ancient
woodland bog located in the New Forest,
Hampshire in England. Max Bog is a wetland
situated west of the village of Winscombe,
North Somerset. Moseley Bog is a nature
reserve in the Moseley area of Birmingham
in England. The Portlethen Moss is an acidic
bog nature reserve in the coastal Grampian
region in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Yanal
Bog is a 1.6-ha biological SSSI on the southern edge of the North Somerset Levels, just
north of the village of Sandford, North
Somerset. The North Kent Marshes , located
in the north of the county of Kent on the
Thames Estuary in southeast England, is one
of 22 Environmentally Sensitive Areas recognised by the UK government’s Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA). The Romney Marsh is a sparsely
populated wetland area in the counties of
Kent and East Sussex in the southeast of
England. Ings is an old Yorkshire word for
water meadows and marshes. Ings often
teem with large number of waterbirds and
other wildlife. Carrington Moss is a large
area of peat bog near Carrington at Trafford
in Greater Manchester, England. The Bough
Beach Reservoir in Kent is a signifi cant lentic body in England. There are small lentic
bodies in many university campuses, notably
York University. They serve as natural laboratories for limnological studies. Further, the
‘loch’ (lakes) in Scotland has a signifi cant
role in the livelihood of the local people.
5. In France , the Rhone River delta formed
France’s one of the most important wetlands,
the Camargue . The Camargue is a home to
one of the world’s 25 major fl amingo nesting
sites and France’s only such site. Further, Les
Moëres are a marshy region in the area of
Dunkirk in France.
Further, one of the better-known coastal
wetland areas in France is at the Normandy–
Brittany border near the world famous abbey
of Mont Saint-Michel, perched atop a promontory in a bay of the English Channel.
6. In Germany , the High Fens are an upland
area in the province of Liège, in Belgium and
22 Wetlands of Europe