Part 2—Create Report and Compare Wetland Characteristics

Step 1 –
Select Variables and Create Reports for Wetlands in Each Country

  1. You can generate a report about all the RAMSAR wetland sites in a country, or request a specific wetland by name. In our example, we'll look for a RAMSAR wetland in the countries of Mauritania and then Niger. To generate the report go to Ramsar Sites Information Service.
  2. From the main menu at the top, choose Database > Search for Sites. You can also click on Ramsar Sites Database.
  3. From the Country drop-down menu, choose Mauritania and then click Search
  4. The search results display with 4 results. Use Parc National du Banc D' Anguin for this example. Click the Summary description link in that row to read general information about this park.
  5. Return to the table of Mauritania's wetlands by clicking your browser's "back" button.
  6. Click the Site Overview link to examine the list of variables that you can include in a report about this park.
  7. Include the following selections to provide the data you need in your report. Click the check box before each of the following items:
    • Coordinates of site center
    • Total site area
    • Total wetlands area
    • Minimum elevation
    • Maximum elevation
    • Current land use
    • Threats
    • Salinity
    • Permanence
    • Soil type
    • Wetland Category
    • Wetland Type
    • Biological Values
  8. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Report Checked button.
  9. To save the report, choose File > Save As... in your browser. Another option for saving the report is to make and save a "screen-grab" of it.
    • On a Windows system, press Alt and Printscreen at the same time to save the report window to the computer's clipboard. Open a new document in a word processing or picture application and choose Edit > Paste.
    • On a Macintosh, press shift-command-4 (command key=apple key)and drag a box over the report window. This will save the image, in a file named Picture1.png, on your desktop.
  10. Repeat steps 1 - 4 for the country of Niger. From the list of sites, choose Lac Tchad (the same site from Part 1) and repeat steps 5 - 9 for the site.

Step 2 –
Review Reports of Each Site

Compare each of the reports to enhance your knowledge of the wetland sites. Take a close look at the uses within the sites and the threats to the site and its surrounding area and consider the following questions:

  • What is the significance of the biological species and diversity?
  • How would the biological diversity change if the wetland were to diminish?
  • What types of problems does human land use create for the wetland?
  • Will an increasing human population have an impact on the area?
  • Are natural resources in the area susceptible to over-extraction?
  • What types of changes could occur with climate change?