A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,[ Ramsar treaty participants meet regularly to identify and agree to protect "Wetlands of International Importance", especially those providing waterfowl habitat.
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, there are 2,544 Ramsar sites around the world, protecting , and 172 national governments are participating.[
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Site listings
The non-profit organisation Wetlands International provides access to the Ramsar database via the Ramsar Sites Information Service.[ Ramsar.org: Ramsar Sites Information Service website, by Wetlands International. Accessed 03.10.2016.]
Ramsar site criteria
A wetland can be considered internationally important if any of the following nine criteria apply:
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Criterion 1: "it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region."
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Criterion 2: "it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities."
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Criterion 3: "it supports populations of plant and/or animal species important for maintaining the biological diversity of a particular biogeographic region."
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Criterion 4: "it supports plant and/or animal species at a critical stage in their life cycles, or provides refuge during adverse conditions."
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Criterion 5: "it regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds."
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Criterion 6: "it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird."
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Criterion 7: "it supports a significant proportion of indigenous fish subspecies, species or families, life-history stages, species interactions and/or populations that are representative of wetland benefits and/or values and thereby contributes to global biological diversity."
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Criterion 8: "it is an important source of food for fishes, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration path on which fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere, depend."
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Criterion 9: "it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of wetland-dependent non-avian animal species."
Classification
The Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type is a wetland classification developed within the Ramsar Convention intended as a means for fast identification of the main types of wetlands for the purposes of the Convention.[ "Ramsar Classification System for Wetland Type", Annex I of the Information sheet]
Marine/coastal wetlands
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Saline water:
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Permanent:
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( A) Permanent shallow marine waters: Less than 6m deep at low tide; including sea and
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( B) Marine subtidal aquatic beds: Underwater vegetation; including and sea grass beds, and tropical
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( C) Coral reefs
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( D) Rocky marine shores
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( E) Sand, shingle or pebble shores
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Saline or brackish water:
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Intertidal:
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( G) Intertidal mud, sand or salt flats
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( H) Intertidal marshes
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( I) Intertidal forested wetlands
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Lagoons:
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( J) Coastal brackish/saline
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Estuarine waters:
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Saline, brackish water, or fresh water:
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Subterranean:
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( Zk(a)) Karst and other subterranean hydrological systems
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Fresh water:
Inland wetlands
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Fresh water:
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Flowing water:
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Permanent:
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Permanent inland ( L)
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Permanent /Stream/ ( M)
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Freshwater springs, oases ( Y)
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Seasonal/intermittent rivers/creeks/streams ( N)
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/Stream pool:
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Permanent >8 ha ( O)
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Permanent < 8 ha( Tp)
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Seasonal / Intermittent > 8 ha ( P)
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Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha( Ts)
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on :
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Permanent (herb dominated) ( Tp)
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Permanent / Seasonal / Intermittent (shrub dominated)( W)
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Permanent / Seasonal / Intermittent (tree dominated) ( Xf)
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Seasonal/intermittent (herb dominated) ( Ts)
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Marshes on peat soils:
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Permanent (non-forested)( U)
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Permanent (forested)( Xp)
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Marshes on inorganic or peat soils:
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Marshes on inorganic or peat soils / High altitude (alpine) ( Va)
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Marshes on inorganic or peat soils / Tundra ( Vt)
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Saline, brackish water or alkaline waters:
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Permanent ( Q)
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Seasonal/intermittent ( R)
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Marshes/pools
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Permanent ( Sp)
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Seasonal/intermittent ( Ss)
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Fresh, saline, brackish water or alkaline waters:
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Geothermal ( Zg)
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Subterranean ( Zk(b))
Human-made wetlands
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( 1): Aquaculture
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( 2): Ponds (farm and stock ponds, small , or area less than 8 ha)
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( 3): Irrigated land
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( 4): Seasonally flooded agricultural land
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( 5): Salt exploitation sites
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( 6): Water Storage areas/Reservoirs
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( 7): Excavations
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( 8): Wastewater treatment areas
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( 9): Canals and drainage channels or ditches
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( Zk(c)): human-made karst and other subterranean hydrological systems
See also
External links
