Biodiversity Enrichment in Diverse World.pdf (2024)

Wetlands: Significance, Threats and their Conservation

Wetlands are defined as land transitional between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. We use the world wetland to refer to all areas with water covered periodically, seasonally, or permanently, such as, respectively, tidal flats, and flooded areas near rivers, rice paddies, swamps or lakes. Wetland performs numerous valuable function such as recycle nutrients, purify water, attenuate floods, recharge ground water and also serves in providing drinking water, fish, fodder, fuels, wildlife habitat, control rate of runoff in urban areas, buffer shorelines against erosion and recreation to society.

Wetland- An Ecological Boon for the Environment

East African Scholars Journal of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Introductory Chapter: Wetlands – Characteristics, Functions, and Values

IntechOpen eBooks, 2023

Protection and conservation of wetland and its international importance

Wetlands are one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the earth. They are primary habitat for hundreds of species of waterfowl as well as many other birds, fish, mammals and insects. Wetlands naturally filter and recharge the water that later comes out of our faucets downstream. They act like giant sponges, slowing the flow of surface water and reducing the impact of flooding. Wetlands also prevent soil erosion, and they buffer water bodies from potentially damaging land use activities such as agriculture. And wetlands can remove and store greenhouse gases from the Earth's atmosphere, slowing the onset of global warming. More than half of the original 221 million acres of wetlands that existed in the continental U.S. at the time of white settlement were destroyed by the 1980s. The story has been much the same in Canada, with analysts estimating between a 30 and 70 percent of that country's wetlands lost during the same period. Conservation on Wetlands is among the most productive ecosystems in the world, covering about 4% of the planet. They provide tremendous economic, ecological, and social benefits to people worldwide. However, wetlands are also among the most threatened habitats in the world, due mainly to pollution, drainage for land reclamation and overuse by competing land uses such as agriculture and urban development. .Wetlands, as the term might suggest, are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface all year or at least for substantial parts of the year, especially during the growing season. Some of our most valuable and productive wetlands are only seasonally wet. Wetlands are an important link between the land and water and are as productive as are rain forests and coral reef ecosystems. Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil. Wetlands may support both aquatic and terrestrial species. Generally, the prolonged presence of water creates conditions favoring specially adapted plants (hydrophytes). Wetlands vary widely because of regional and local difference in soils, topography, climate, hydrology, water chemistry, existing vegetation, and other factors, especially human disturbance. Wetlands cover approximately 4% of the planet and are the most threatened habitats in the world. Wetlands are found from arctic tundra to the tropics and on every continent except Antarctica. Definition of wetland: The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the protection of wetland signatory countries. It defines the wetland as takes "areas of marsh, fen, peat land, or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters". The main emphasis of the Convention is the List of Wetlands of International Importance.(Art.1) Generally, wetlands mean rivers, lakes, reservoirs and forests, and water logged lands in and around human habitation. The Nepali term for wetland is Simsar, which means lands with perennial sources of water. Plants, animals and birds are abundant in wetlands. So wetland means; 'Wetlands denotes perennial water bodies that originates from underground sources of

Wetland and aquatic habitats

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 1992

Ecosystem services of wetlands

International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management, 2015

WETLANDS; A REVIEW OF THEIR CLASSIFICATION, SIGNIFICANCE AND MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

2019

A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is inundated by water, either permanently or seasonally, where oxygen-free processes prevail. Wetlands are very important and valuable components of the ecosystem. They serve as habitat for man and animal, source of food, shelter and other ecosystem services which provide many societal benefits: water quality improvement; flood storage; shoreline erosion control; economically beneficial natural products for human use; and opportunities for recreation, education, and research. There are different wetlands in the world and Nigeria owns one of the internationally recognized wetlands in the world, the first wetland recorded as a Ramsar site. The main wetland types are swamp, marsh, bog, fen; sub-type includes mangrove forest, carr, pocosin, floodplains, mire, vernal pool, sink, and many others. There are different challenges facing wetlands globally, some of which are pollution, excessive agricultural activities, industrialization and urbanization. Some of the challenges in wetlands are due to the lack of monitoring and sustainability measures.

Wetland Functions: Not Only About Size

Ecological Health of Wetland Ecosystem: An overview

Wetlands are unique, productive ecosystems where terrestrial and aquatic habitats meet. Wetlands play a critical role in maintaining many natural cycles and supporting a wide range of biodiversity. Wetlands can also contribute to the wellbeing of the community by acting as urban green spaces which provide aesthetic appeal, landscape diversity and recreational opportunities. Globally wetlands are under threat due to altered hydrology, destruction of vegetation, fragmentation, dumping of waste, being drained and other anthropogenic reasons. Wetlands provide numerous ecological goods and services but are under tremendous stress due to rapid urbanization, industrialization and agricultural intensification. An inventory of wetlands of any region is a prerequisite for their conservation and management. One of the aims of monitoring is to provide information for ecological assessment, which can provide early warning of changes that could negatively affect species or ecosystems.

What are Wetlands? Wetland Conservation for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Needs a Shift in Land and Water Resources Policies

Historically wetlands were integrated into the socio-cultural ethos of the people of South and Southwest Asia. However, during the past century wetlands have been lost and degraded primarily because they were labelled as wastelands and did not receive attention in the development plans. Wetlands are treated as dustbins for wastewaters and solid wastes. Conservation of wetlands for protecting their biodiversity, specific biophysical characteristics and obtaining optimum benefits (ecosystem goods and services) from them requires a major shift in policies related to land and water resources.