Main Characteristics, Progress and Prospect of International Wetland Science Research

This paper concludes the main characteristics of international wetland science research. It shows that the wetland science has a long history, slow progress of development in the past and rapid progress in modern time. It has become a key subject and research field in the science research in the world. Its content and field of the research have been enlarged. It has been strengthened in both synthesis and split research. The uneven development of international wetland science exists in the world, and developed countries occupy advanced places in the wetland science research of the world; but the gap of research level between developed and developing countries is gradually reduced. It makes a detail introduction to the hot point, forward position field, progress, prospect and development trend of international wetland research in the 21st century. The main hot points and forward position fields of wetland research in the world are as follows; conservation and management of wetland, formation, development and succession of wetland, paleoenvironment reconstruction, ecological process and dynamics of wetland, greenhouse gases, greenhouse effect and global change, biodiversity, health and assessment of wetland and constructed wetland, restoration and reconstruction of degradation wetland, wise utilization of wetland, peatland and peat, wetland ecological engineering and application of new techniques and instrument.