The two volumes on "Wetlands as a Natural Resource" in the book series Ecological th Studies (Volumes 190,191) are based on the highlights of the 7 INTECOL International Wetland Conference in Utrecht,25-30 July 2004. This conference brought together about 900 participants from 61 countries, who discussed a very broad range of science-, poli- and management-oriented issues related to wetland ecology and hydrology, wetland conservation and creation, the impact of global change and wetlands as a resource in terms of food, flood protection and water quality enhancement. The participants were from...