Wetland Ecosystem Flashcards
Meaning of wetland
According to the Ramsar convention on wetlands of 1971, “wetlands are 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 6 metres.
Intermediate stage between deep water habitats and terrestrial habitats
In simple words it is an area that is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally.
For example ponds, lakes, estuaries, reservoirs, creeks, mangroves etc.
In terms of the geographical proportion, the highest proportion of wetland is in Gujarat (17.5%). Lowest proportion is in Mizoram (0.66%)
Among union territories the highest proportion is in Lakshadweep (96%) and the lowest is in Chandigarh (3%)
Characteristics of wetland
Covered by water or has water logged soil for at least 7 days during growing season
Adapted plant life like hydrophytes
Hydric soil (Not enough oxygen for some plants)
Classifications of wetland
Marsh:
A type of wetland ecosystem characterised by poorly drained mineral soils and by plant life dominated by grasses
Swamp:
A wetland ecosystem characterised by mineral soils with poor damage and by plant life dominated by trees
Bog:
A type of wetland ecosystem characterised by wet, spongy, poorly drained peaty soil dominated by the growth of bog mosses
Fen:
A type of wetland ecosystem characterised by peaty soil, dominated by grasslike plants, grasses, sedges and reeds
Functions of wetlands
Habitat to aquatic flora and fauna species of birds, like migratory species
Filtration of sediments and nutrients from surface water
Nutrients recycling
Water purification
Floods mitigation
Maintenance of streamflow Groundwater recharging
Providing drinking water, fish, fodder, fuel etc
Control rate of runoff in urban areas
Buffer shore lines against erosion
Comprise important resource for sustainable tourism, recreation and cultural heritage
Stabilization of local climate
Sources of livelihood to the local people
Genetic reservoir for various species of plants (like rice)
Supporting specific diversity
Threats to wetlands
Conservation of lands for agriculture
Overgrazing
Removal of sand from beds
Aquaculture
Habitat destruction and deforestation
Pollution
Domestic waste
Agricultural runoff
Industrial effluents
Climate change
Mitigation
Survey and demarcation
Protection of natural regeneration
Artificial regeneration
Protective measures
Afforestation
Weed control
Soil conservation measures and afforestation
Wildlife conservation
Removal of enroachments
Eutrophication abatement
Environmental awareness
Distinction from lake
The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has not adopted a clear distinction between lakes and wetlands
The national Lake conservation program considered a lake as a standing water body with a minimum water depth of 3 metres
Generally it covers a water spread of more than 10 hectares
They are use primary for drinking water supply irrigation and/or recreation
Generally lakes are less important than wetland from the view point of ecosystem and biodiversity conservation
Lakes originate in various processes. Wetlands have fluvial or geomorphic origins
Lakes have permanent water turnover but wetlands can have permanent or temporary water turnover
Lakes have relatively small water level changes while wetlands have relatively large water level changes
Lakes have small littoral pelagial ratio but wetlands have large littoral pelagial ratio
Lakes have thermal stratification but wetlands don’t have thermal stratification
Lakes have thermally regulated vertical mixing but wetlands have wind regulated vertical mixing
Lakes have phytoplanktons as dominant producer but wetlands have macrophytes as dominant producers
Lakes have a grazing pathway food chain while wedlands have a detritus pathway of food chain
Microbial loops are not important in the nutrient cycles of the lakes while in the wetlands it is dominant
Lakes have low productivity while wetlands have high productivity
The traffic status of lakes is oligotrophic while it is eutrophic in wetlands
Biodiversity is generally low in lakes but it is generally high in wetlands
Flood control function is not significant in lakes but is significant in wetlands
Groundwater recharge is negligible or low in lakes but it is high or low in wetlands
Waste management is not existent in lakes but it is existent in wetlands
Management objectives include the control of eutrophication and high water quality in lakes, and biodiversity conservation and specific functions in wetlands.
Ramsar convention
Signed in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar
It came to force in 1975
One of the oldest inter governmental Accords for preserving the ecological character of wetlands
Its aim is to develop and maintain International network of wetlands
The three pillars of the convention are:
Work towards wise use of all their wetlands
Designate suitable wetlands for the list of wetlands of international importance (ramsar list) and ensure their effective management
Corporate internationally on trans boundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared species
There are 2455 wetlands in the world and 170 Ramsar contracting parties
At the time of joining the convention each contracting party under took to designate at least one wetland site for the inclusion in the list of wetlands of international importance
India was one of such parties at this convention
Ramsar sites in India (as of 2022)
There are 75 sites in India with 10 new sites located
Maharashtra’s first ramsar site is in nandur madhameshwar
Punjab added three more ramsar sites, keshopur miani, beas conservation reserve and Nangal
UP added 6 more: Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, saman, samaspur, sandi, sarsai Nawar
They are:
Ashtamudi wetland in Kerala
Beas conservation reserve in Punjab
Bhitarkanika mangroves in Orissa
Bhoj wetland in Madhya Pradesh
Chandra taal in Himachal Pradesh
Chilika Lake in Orissa
Deepor beel in Assam
East Kolkata wetlands in West Bengal
Harike wetland in Punjab
Hokera wetland in Jammu and Kashmir
Kanjli wetland in Punjab
Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan
Keshopur miani community reserve in Punjab
Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh
Loktak lake in Manipur
Nalsarovar bird sanctuary in Gujarat
Nandur madhmeswar in Maharashtra
Nangal wildlife sanctuary in Punjab
Nawabganj bird sanctuary in UP
Parvati Agra bird sanctuary in UP
Point calimere wildlife and bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Pong dam lake in Himachal Pradesh
Renuka lake in Himachal Pradesh
Ropar wetland in Punjab
Rudra Sagar lake in Tripura
Saman bird sanctuary in UP
Samaspur bird sanctuary in UP
Sambhar Lake in Rajasthan
Sandi bird sanctuary in UP
Sarsai Nawar jheel in UP
Sasthamkotta lake in Kerala
Haiderpur wetland in UP
Sundarban wetland in West Bengal
Surinsar mansar lakes in Jammu and Kashmir
Tsomoriri in Ladakh
Upper Ganga river in UP
Vembanad Kol wetland in Kerala
Wular lake in Jammu and Kashmir
Asan barrage in Uttarakhand
Kanwar taal or kanar taal lake in Bihar
Sur sarovar in UP
Lonar lake in Maharashtra
Tso kar in Ladakh
Sultanpur National Park in Haryana
Bhindawas wildlife sanctuary in Haryana
Thol lake in Gujarat
Wadhvana wetland in Gujarat
Bakhira sanctuary in UP
Khijadiya bird sanctuary in Gujarat
Karikili bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Pallikaranai Marsh reserve forest in Tamilnadu
Pichavaram mangrove forest in Tamilnadu
Pala wetland in Mizoram
Sakhya Sagar in Madhya Pradesh
Satkosia Gorge in Orissa
Nanda lake in Goa
Gulf of mannar Marine biosphere reserve in Tamilnadu
Ranganathittu bird sanctuary in Karnataka
Vembannur wetland complex in Tamilnadu
Vellore bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Udayamathandapuram bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Vedanthangal bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Sirpur wetland in Madhya Pradesh
Kunthankulam bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Tampara lake in Orissa
Hirakud reservoir in Orissa
Ansupa lake in Orissa
Yashwant Sagar in Madhya Pradesh
Chitrangudi bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Suchindram theroor wetland complex in Tamil Nadu
Vaduvur bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Kanjirankulam bird sanctuary in Tamilnadu
Thane creek in Maharashtra
Hygam wetland conservation centre in Jammu and Kashmir
Shallbugh wetland conservation reserve in Jammu and Kashmir
Montreux record under arms are convention
Voluntary mechanism
To highlight specific wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention
Register of listed ramsar sites: where changes in ecological character have occurred or are occurring or are likely to occur as a result of technological development, pollution or other human interference
As of 1st April 2022, 2 wetlands from India are placed under the Montreux record: keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan and loktak lake in Manipur
Sites added can be removed from the record only with the approval of contracting parties in which they lie
Chilika Lake in Orissa was placed in the records but was removed later
