CONSERVATION OF WETLAND ECOSYSTEM

Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, CEO, GEO http://e-geo.orgCenter for Climate Change and Environment Advisory (CCCEA)

Dr. MCR HRD Institute of AP14th July 2011

 Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Sustainable Development 

12-14 July 2011

Why is conservation education important?

Effective conservation will not be achieved without public insistence

What Is a Wetland?Although wetlands are often wet, a wetland might not be wet year-round. In fact, some of the most important wetlands are only seasonally wet. Wetlands are thelink between the land and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to produce a unique ecosystem characterized by hydrology, soils, and vegetation

Wetlands provide fundamental ecological services and are regulators of water regimes and sources of biodiversity at all levels - species, genetic and ecosystem. Wetlands constitute a resource of great economic, scientific, cultural, and recreational value for the community. Wetlands play a vital role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Progressive encroachment on, and loss of, wetlands cause serious and sometimes irreparable environmental damage to the provision of ecosystem services. Wetlands should be restored and rehabilitated, whenever possible. Wetlands should be conserved by ensuring their wise use

The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975, and it is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem. The Convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.

WETLANDS

Organism examples:Primary Producers: cattail, wild rice, smooth cord grass, sweet flag, blue iris,switch grassPrimary Consumers: meadow voles, mice, rabbits, aquatic macroinvertebrates,deer, fish, waterfowlSecondary Consumers: birds of prey, snakes, foxes, fish, humansTertiary Consumers: turkey vultures, ravens, crabs, humansDecomposers: fungi, bacteria

As well as sequestering net CO2, peatlands may also emit methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). In the case of peatland drainage, CH4 emissions from peat soils decrease whereas CO2 (and N2O) emissions increase. In case of peatland rewetting, the opposite occurs: CO2 and N2O emissions strongly decrease while CH4 emissions increase.

Wetlands depend on flows from rivers. Dams, diversions and river management have reduced flooding to these wetlands, altering their ecology, and causing the death or poor health of aquatic biota

Sr. No. Name of Wetlands State/UT Sr. No. Name of Wetlands State/UT

1 Wullar Jammu and Kashmir 35 Rasik Beel W. Bengal2 Tso Morari Jammu and Kashmir 36 Nawabganj Uttar Pradesh3 Tisgul Tso Jammu and Kashmir 37 Sandi Uttar Pradesh4 Renuka Himachal Pradesh 38 Lakh Bahoshi Uttar Pradesh5 Pong Dam Himachal Pradesh 39 Samaspur Uttar Pradesh6 Chandratal Himachal Pradesh 40 Sultanpur Haryana7 Harike Punjab 41 Bhindawas Haryana8 Ropar Punjab 42 Magadhi Karnataka9 Kanjli Punjab 43 Gudavi Bird Sanctuary Karnataka10 Chilka Orissa 44 Bonal Karnataka

11 Kabar Bihar 45 Hidkal and Ghataprabha Karnataka

12 Sambhar Rajasthan 46 Kaliveli Tamilnadu13 Kolleru Andhra Pradesh 47 Pallikarni Tamilnadu14 Loktak Manipur 48 Great Rann of Kachh Gujarat15 Ashtamudi Kerala 49 Thol Bird Sanctuary Gujarat

16 Sasthamkotta Kerala 50 Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary Gujarat

17 Ujni Maharashtra 51 Little Rann of Kachh Gujarat18 Nalsarovar Gujarat 52 Pariej Gujarat19 Deepar Beel Assam 53 Wadhwana Gujarat20 Rudrasagar tripura 54 Nanikakrad Gujarat21 Hokersar Jammu and Kashmir 55 Barna Madhya Pradesh22 Mansar-Surinsar Jammu and Kashmir 56 Yashwant Sagar Madhya Pradesh23 Pangong Tsar J and K (Ladakh) 57 Wetland of Ken River Madhya Pradesh

24 East Calcutta West Bengal 58 National Chambal Sanctuary Madhya Pradesh

25 Sunderbans West Bengal 59 Ghatigaon Madhya Pradesh26 Point Calimer Tamil Nadu 60 Ratapani Madhya Pradesh27 Kottuli Kerala 61 Denwa Tawa wetland Madhya Pradesh28 Palak Mizoram 62 Kanha Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh29 Tamdil Mizoram 63 Pench Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh30 Barilla Bihar 64 Sakhyasagar Madhya Pradesh31 Kusheshwar Asthan Bihar 65 Dihaila Madhya Pradesh32 Ban Ganga Jhilmil Tal Uttaranchal 66 Ranjitsagar Jammu and Kashmir33 Rewalsar Himachal Pradesh 67 Govindgarh Madhya Pradesh34 Ahiron Beel W. Bengal 68 Udhwa Jharkhand

Wetlands mitigate impact of tidal surge, cyclones, coastal

erosion and tsunamis

The coastal domain from 200 m above to 200m below sea level: Occupies 18% of the surface of the globe Is the area where around a quarter of global primary productivity occurs Where around 60% of the human population lives Where two thirds of the world cities with population of over 1.6 million people are located Supplies approximately 90% of world fish catchThe coastal ocean accounts for: 8% of the ocean surface < 0.5% of the ocean volume Around 14% of global ocean production Up to 50% of global oceanic denitrification 80% of the global organic matter burial 90% of the global sedimentary mineralisation 75-90% of the global sink of suspended river load and its associated elements/pollutants In excess of 50% of present day global carbonate deposition

Inland Wetlands1. Natural

Lakes/Ponds Ox-bow lakes/ Cut-off meanders Waterlogged (Seasonal) Playas Swamp/marsh

2. Man-made Reservoirs Tanks Waterlogged Abandoned quarries Ash pond/cooling pond

Coastal Wetlands1. Natural

Estuary Lagoon Creek Backwater (Kayal) Bay Tidal flat/Split/Bar Coral reef Rocky coast Mangroove forest Salt marsh/marsh vegetation Other vegetation

2. Man-made Salt pans Aquaculture

Water storageSurface water holdingGroundwater rechargeGroundwater dischargeFlow regulationFlood mitigation

Water quality controlWater purificationRetention of nutrientsRetention of sedimentsRetention of pollutants

Hydrological regulating functions of wetlands (Ramsar, 1999)

Emissions from drained land are disproportionally large. Drained peatlands, covering a mere 0.3% of the global land surface, are responsible for some 6% of total global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Worldwide, CO2 emissions from drained peatlands have increased by 25% since 1990.

Wetlands – Kidneys of Earth

Wetlands are the kidneys of Earth. They purify the waters that pass through them and distill out poisonous sediments, chemicals and pollutants. Wetlands purify waste matter through a natural process of oxidation, radiation, bio-degradation and pisciculture (fish cultivation). Wetlands also regulate and maintain the planet’s air and water cycles including the levels of oxygen, nitrogen, sulpher, methane and carbon-dioxide.

The remaining area is grown for wetland rice, consisting of irrigated, rainfed, and deepwater rice.  The global wetland rice area harvested annually in the early 1980s was about 123.2 million hectares (total harvested area including upland rice is 144 Mha), over 90 per cent of which was in Asia.

Input / pollutant Quantum - Annual

1. Sediments 1600 million tonnes

2. Industrial effluents 50 x 106 m3

3. Sewage - largely untreated 0.41 x 109 m3

4. Garbage and other solids 34 x 106 tonnes5. Fertilizer - residue 5 x 106

6. Synthetic detergents - residue 1,30,000 tonnes7. Pesticides - residue 65, 000 tonnes8. Petroleum hydrocarbons (Tar balls

residue)3,500 tonnes

9. Mining rejects, dredged spoils & sand extractions

0.2 x 106 tonnes

Ref: Present state of the coastal environment in IndiaElrich de Sa, Director, National Institute of Oceanography.

Wetlands of Namibia Poster

Or

http://www.nnf.org.na/NNF_docs/Wetlands%20poster.ppt

Kinds of Wetlands• Bog – peat-accumulating with no

inflows or outflows; supports mosses

• Bottomland – lowlands along streams and rivers

• Fen – ground-water fed; peat accumulating

• Marsh – frequently inundated; emergent herbaceous vegetation

• Mire – peat-accumulating (Europe)

• Moor – peat-accumulating (Europe)

• Muskeg – Large expanses of peatlands or bogs (Canada/Alaska)

• Peatland – any wetland that accumulates decaying plant matter

• Playa – marshlike ponds similar to potholes (southwest U.S.)

• Pothole – shallow, marshlike pond; found in Dakotas and Canada

• Reedswamp – marsh dominated by common reed (Europe)

• Slough – swamp or shallow lake system

• Swamp – wetland dominated by trees or shrubs

• Vernal Pool – shallow, intermittently flooded wet meadow

• Wet Meadow – grassland with waterlogged soil near the surface – without water for most of year

• Wet Prairie – similar to marsh but water levels intermediate between marsh and wet meadow

Vary based on geographic location

Source: Mitsch and Gosselink, 1993.

•Salt Marshes:  SALTWATER

-Atlantic &Gulf coasts

-open areas filled with seas of grasses

-calm spots away from wind (bays, inlets)

-LOTS of wildlife

http://connecticutwatertrails.com/img64.jpg

Mangrove Swamps:  SALTWATER

-tropical fresh & saltwater

-Florida

-migrating stop for birds

-oysters, mangrove crabs, fish, herons, egrets, storks

•Swamp: FRESH WATER

-slow-moving streams/rivers

-wet during growing season, dry during summer

-inches to feet of water

-huge trees & shrubs

Marsh: FRESH WATER

-perennial grasses, NO trees

-wet areas,

-muskrats important

-migratory birds need

http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/vtour/map4/access/Alameda1/B10_FreshwaterMarsh.JPG

•Bogs:  FRESHWATER

-Lots of peat (40 ft or more!)

-colder regions b/c little water flows in or out

-too much rain or snowhtt

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• Maintain biodiversity

• Maintain water quality

• Support commercial fishing• Reduce flood damage

•Bird watching, Boating

• Aesthetic value

Wetland Values

Wetland Values

• Habitat : Nesting, spawning, rearing and resting sites for aquatic and land species, food chain production

• Hydrology: Protection of other areas from wave action and erosion, storage areas for storm water and flood water, ground and surface water aquifer recharge

• Water: Water quality protection

Types of Monitoring

1.Biological quality elements (diatoms, macro-invertebrates, fish,etc)

2.Hydromorphological quality elements (water flow, bed structure, etc)

3.Physico-chemical quality elements (temperature, salinity, conductivity, N, P, etc)

Field Measurements

• Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)• Water Temperature • pH• Conductivity• Turbidity (NTUs)• Transparency (cm)

Abiotic factors

Water

Soil

Light

Temperature

Biotic factors

Mangroves

Algae

Birds

Turtles

fish

Factors that affect life in the wetland ecosystem.

Wetlands and Wildlife:

•Migration: between winter & summer homes, birds “refuel”(egrets, herons, geese, sandpipers, plovers)

•Natural Nurseries: hatch & hide!

•Habitat & breeding grounds: animals live here and breed esp. (WATERFOWL, moose, frogs, raccoon, turtles, opossum, snakes, insects, fish)

•Rare species: 1/2 US endangered species live here: (wood stork, nail kites, whooping cranes, American crocodile)

Plant Life: Emergents:  plants that grow out of the water

Floating plants:  float on the surface, roots floating as well

Plant Life: Submergents: grow under the water

Thank you…http://e-geo.orgRef:

http://....http://www.wetlandsofindia.orgMajority of photos are by Presenter