Deep time ecology – implications for management targets

The Ramsar Convention was established in the 1970s to arrest the loss and degradation of wetlands. So, there should be no surprise that wetlands have changed from their ‘baseline’ character. The sediment record attests to ongoing and almost universal change. Are we obliged to restore wetlands? If so, which character do we choose and how do we manage to achieve that state?

Peter Gell

Federation University, Diatoma

Peter Gell is a palaeoecologist examining evidence for long term change in wetlands from their sediments. He is a Fellow of the Global Research Project ‘Past Global Changes’ and co-editor of the
emerging Elsevier volume ‘Ramsar Wetlands: Values, Assessment, Management’.