The World's Largest Wetland Landscape
Swarts F. A. (ed.). 2000 The Pantanal: Understanding and Preserving the
World's Largest Wetland. Paragon House, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. 301 pp.,
US $19.95 (soft cover). ISBN 1-55778-791-3
Review appearing in Wetlands, Journal of the Society of Wetland Scientists
Here, at last, is an entire book about perhaps the
world's largest wetland landscape, and as a bonus for those language-challenged
North Americans like me, it is written in English. This soft cover volume of
about 300 pages contains selected papers and addresses from two World
Conferences on Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal,
convened in February and October, 1999 in Washington. DC. Quoting from the
editors introduction ".... it is my hope that the serious dearth of
information on the Pantanal in English might be addressed,...... allowing the
world wide community a better look at this national wonder and the challenge it
faces (p. xiiii)," Indeed, it is an informative volume, written by those
who know the Pantanal best. The 30 chapters cover 7 major topics, overviews of
the Brazilian, Paraguayan, and Bolivian Pantanal; preservation issues; economic
development; the roles of international organizations: lessons from other
systems; economic development and environmental preservation; and selected
conference addresses by some of the notable speakers.
The first chapter is an introduction and overview of
the Pantanal by the editor, Frederick Swarts. Here, we lean that the Pantanal
covers about 140,000 square kilometers along the northern-most part of the
Paraguay River and its tributaries, within the countries of Brazil, Bolivia, and
Paraguay. Most of it is extensively flooded during the wet season (may to
October) and drains slowly southward, leaving an April-to-September dry season.
This seasonal pattern dictates the biological diversity and the composition of
this vast area.
The Paraguay River is one of the world's few large
rivers that remain free-flowing. Nevertheless, human development threatens the
future of the Pantanal. Currently, cattle ranching, agriculture, mining (gold,
diamonds, iron, manganese), fishing, and tourism are industries that have
co-existed uneasily with ecological stability. However, two major mega projects
threaten this weak stability: Gasbol, The Bolivia-Brazil Gas Pipeline, is
already under construction and is projected to pass through the southern
Pantanal: and Hidrovia, a proposed Paraguay-Parana waterway, which proponents
hope will open up over 3440 kilometers of the two rivers to year-round barge
convoy navigation. It will also make major changes in the hydrology of the
Paraguay River that presently maintains the seasonal flooding of the Pantanal.
These existing and Proposed human development threats cast a sobering, often,
discouraging pall over the Pantanal's future.
Most of the chapters in this book deal more
intensively with the geography of and human impacts on the Pantanal that with
its ecology. The exception is chapter 7 by Adalbert Eberhard which gives and excellent,
although brief, impression of geomorphic structure and hydrology and their
relationship to spatial diversity and biology. Nevertheless, little is known
about the processes that drive the Pantanal ecosystem, other than a rather
limited understanding of the importance of hydrology. In contrast to
dearth of process of ecology, there is considerable discussion of the
political and economic ramifications of development and conservation seen from
the viewpoint of the different countries involved, was well as the different
stakeholders.
The lack of a good discussion of the ecology of the
Pantanal is a disappointment that points to the need for extensive ecological
process research to understand the system well enough to make reasoned decisions
for its management. It is interesting, therefore, to read some chapters that
compare the Pantanal with other much more intensively studied systems: the
Florida Everglades (Ernest Barnett), the Amazon River basin (Wolfgang J. Junk),
and the Korean wetland systems (Soo Young Park and Chan Won Lee). These chapters
are excellent synopses of their respective topics that stand alone with or
without the rest of the book. Another bright spot is the chapter by Janet
Abramovitz about the world-wide shift toward a sustainable economy, a fine
"big picture" overview and an excellent primer for everyone. Lest I
leave the impression that the Pantanal is lost to development. Noel Brown's
chapter presents optimistic examples of people and institutions working together
to achieve the goal of wetland conservation and restoration.
"The Pantanal" is an excellent summary of
this immense wetland and the problems it faces. It is certainly the best and
most comprehensive English-language volume. As with most edited volumes, it is
uneven in the coverage of topics and in the content of some the of the chapters,
Overall, however, it is an excellent introduction to the Pantanal and a useful
reference volume for the serious wetland scientist.
James G. Gosselink
Rock Island. Tennessee, USA 38581