491
nearby parts of Germany, between the
Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. Further,
the Rhine River Delta is an important wetland. The Lake Constance is one of the biggest lentic bodies in Europe. The lake at
Titije in Germany gets frozen during winter.
7. In Switzerland , there are raised and transitional bogs. Also, the Lake Lugano and Lake
Lucerne’ are signifi cant lentic bodies in
Switzerland.
8. In Austria, the Moorbad Gmös is one of the
few moorland areas in the Alpine foothills of
Upper Austria. Quite a large number of bird
species are said to fi nd the best conditions
for breeding in this wetland.
9. In Italy , the Pontine Marshes are a roughly
quadrangular area of former marshland in
the Lazio region of Central Italy. The marsh
was an extensive alluvial plain at approximately sea level. Lake Santa Clausa is a signifi cant lentic body in Italy.
10. Further , the saline deltaic marshes of the
Mediterranean sea are some of the most biologically rich biotopes in Europe.
11. In Spain , the Ebro Delta is one of the principal deltas on the Spanish Mediterranean
coast. The lagoons are populated by a wide
variety of avian species. Further, Fuente de
Piedra Lagoon is a wetland situated in the
Málaga Province of Spain . It is a habitat for
the pink fl amingos for their annual reproduction cycle.
12. In Yugoslavia , the Pannonian plain is a
lowland landscape in the north of Serbia. In
the south of Montenegro, there is one of the
largest freshwater lakes in Europe, Lake
Skadar.
13. In Roumania , 30 Important Bird Areas
include wetland habitats in the form of natural wetlands, fi sh ponds and reservoirs. The
area covering Ramsar sites is c 664,586 ha.
Nevertheless, the fl oodplains and wetlands of
the Danube basin are uniquely valuable
ecosystems.
14. In Hungary , the Biharugra Fishponds are
one of the most valuable bird habitats, which
support signifi cant proportion of threatened
breeding waterbirds.
15. The Danube River Delta is one of the largest
and most natural European wetlands which
has been degraded by drainage and agricultural activities.
16. In Portugal , wetland coverage has been estimated as 130,943 ha approx., of which
approx. 66,096 ha accounted for Ramsar sites.
Further, the natural wetland sites, mainly in
the coastal areas, are under severe threat.
17. The European peatlands are important wetland systems. There are c 3.46 million km
2 of
northern boreal and subarctic peatlands. The
peatlands spread across a signifi cant portion
of Ireland, Scandinavia, Finland, northern
Russia and many of the countries of the former Soviet Republic.
Suggested Readings
Comin FA, Romero JA, Astorga V, Garcia C (1997)
Nitrogen removal and cycling in restored wetlands
used as fi lters of nutrients for agricultural runoff.
Water Sci Technol 35:255–261
Dugan P (1993) Wetlands in danger. Michael Beasley/
Reed International Books, London, p 192
Finlayson CM, Volz J (1994) A strategic action plan for
the conservation of the wetlands of the lower Volga,
Russia. In: Mitsch WJ (ed) Global wetlands: old world
and new. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 729–736
Fleisher S, Gustafson A, Joelsson A, Johansson C, Stibe L
(1994) Restoration of wetlands to counteract coastal
eutrophication in Sweden. In: Mitsch WJ (ed) Global
wetlands: old world and new. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp
901–907
Gorham E (1991) Northern peatlands: role in the carbon
cycle and probable responses to climatic warming.
Ecol Appl 1:182–195
IUCN (1993) The wetlands of Central and Eastern
Europe. IUCN, Gland/Switzerland/Cambridge, p 83
Kessler E, Jansson M (1994) Wetlands and lakes as nitrogen traps. Spec Iss Ambio 23:319–386
Woff WJ (1993) Netherlands- Wetlands. In: Best EPH,
Bakker JP (eds) Netherlands-wetlands. Kluwer
Academic, Dordrecht, pp 1–14
Suggested Readings
nearby parts of Germany, between the
Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. Further,
the Rhine River Delta is an important wetland. The Lake Constance is one of the biggest lentic bodies in Europe. The lake at
Titije in Germany gets frozen during winter.
7. In Switzerland , there are raised and transitional bogs. Also, the Lake Lugano and Lake
Lucerne’ are signifi cant lentic bodies in
Switzerland.
8. In Austria, the Moorbad Gmös is one of the
few moorland areas in the Alpine foothills of
Upper Austria. Quite a large number of bird
species are said to fi nd the best conditions
for breeding in this wetland.
9. In Italy , the Pontine Marshes are a roughly
quadrangular area of former marshland in
the Lazio region of Central Italy. The marsh
was an extensive alluvial plain at approximately sea level. Lake Santa Clausa is a signifi cant lentic body in Italy.
10. Further , the saline deltaic marshes of the
Mediterranean sea are some of the most biologically rich biotopes in Europe.
11. In Spain , the Ebro Delta is one of the principal deltas on the Spanish Mediterranean
coast. The lagoons are populated by a wide
variety of avian species. Further, Fuente de
Piedra Lagoon is a wetland situated in the
Málaga Province of Spain . It is a habitat for
the pink fl amingos for their annual reproduction cycle.
12. In Yugoslavia , the Pannonian plain is a
lowland landscape in the north of Serbia. In
the south of Montenegro, there is one of the
largest freshwater lakes in Europe, Lake
Skadar.
13. In Roumania , 30 Important Bird Areas
include wetland habitats in the form of natural wetlands, fi sh ponds and reservoirs. The
area covering Ramsar sites is c 664,586 ha.
Nevertheless, the fl oodplains and wetlands of
the Danube basin are uniquely valuable
ecosystems.
14. In Hungary , the Biharugra Fishponds are
one of the most valuable bird habitats, which
support signifi cant proportion of threatened
breeding waterbirds.
15. The Danube River Delta is one of the largest
and most natural European wetlands which
has been degraded by drainage and agricultural activities.
16. In Portugal , wetland coverage has been estimated as 130,943 ha approx., of which
approx. 66,096 ha accounted for Ramsar sites.
Further, the natural wetland sites, mainly in
the coastal areas, are under severe threat.
17. The European peatlands are important wetland systems. There are c 3.46 million km
2 of
northern boreal and subarctic peatlands. The
peatlands spread across a signifi cant portion
of Ireland, Scandinavia, Finland, northern
Russia and many of the countries of the former Soviet Republic.
Suggested Readings
Comin FA, Romero JA, Astorga V, Garcia C (1997)
Nitrogen removal and cycling in restored wetlands
used as fi lters of nutrients for agricultural runoff.
Water Sci Technol 35:255–261
Dugan P (1993) Wetlands in danger. Michael Beasley/
Reed International Books, London, p 192
Finlayson CM, Volz J (1994) A strategic action plan for
the conservation of the wetlands of the lower Volga,
Russia. In: Mitsch WJ (ed) Global wetlands: old world
and new. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 729–736
Fleisher S, Gustafson A, Joelsson A, Johansson C, Stibe L
(1994) Restoration of wetlands to counteract coastal
eutrophication in Sweden. In: Mitsch WJ (ed) Global
wetlands: old world and new. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp
901–907
Gorham E (1991) Northern peatlands: role in the carbon
cycle and probable responses to climatic warming.
Ecol Appl 1:182–195
IUCN (1993) The wetlands of Central and Eastern
Europe. IUCN, Gland/Switzerland/Cambridge, p 83
Kessler E, Jansson M (1994) Wetlands and lakes as nitrogen traps. Spec Iss Ambio 23:319–386
Woff WJ (1993) Netherlands- Wetlands. In: Best EPH,
Bakker JP (eds) Netherlands-wetlands. Kluwer
Academic, Dordrecht, pp 1–14
Suggested Readings