Ramsar site

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ramsar-site

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Ramsar site?Over 250 million hectares
2. What is the convention adoption date?February 2, 1971
3. What is the number of contracting parties?Over 170
4. Why did people create the Ramsar Convention?People saw that many wetlands were being filled, polluted, or turned into farms and cities. They made the Ramsar Convention to protect wetlands and help keep them safe for animals and people.
5. How do scientists decide which wetlands become Ramsar sites?Scientists use special rules that look at how many birds, fish, or plants live there, how the wetland helps the water, and how it is important for endangered species. If a wetland meets these rules, it can become a Ramsar site.

Ecosystem Services: Benefits that humans receive from natural ecosystems.
Ecological Character: The combination of ecosystem components, structures, functions, and their relationships.
Contracting Party: A country that has officially agreed to be bound by the terms of the Ramsar Convention.