
Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
List of terms for Biodiversity
A generic term for all the different kinds of habitats where the land is wet for some time each year but not necessarily permanently wet. Wetlands include swamps, marshes and bogs. They are an important habitat for birds and other wildlife and are responsible for cleaning water by trapping sediment and capturing nutrients from waters that flow through them. Wetlands are protected by an international treaty called the Ramsar Convention.. [UCB]