WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)What are the different types of wetlands?Characteristics of wetlands
WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)
Simply put, a wetland is a part of our landscape that is defined by the presence of water. Specifically, a wetland is an area where the presence of water determines or affects most, if not all, of the local biochemistry, i.e. the biological, physical and chemical characteristics of a particular site.
Most wetlands are transitional zones between upland and freshwater ecosystems, although others are scattered across the landscape and downslope catchments or in areas where groundwater rises. The amount of water in a wetland can vary greatly. Some wetlands are permanently flooded, while others flood only seasonally but retain floodplains during most non-flooding periods. Other wetlands may not flood, but saturated soil conditions last long enough to support wetland crops and have groundwater quality. Hydraulic soils are formed when chemical changes occur in the soil due to low oxygen conditions associated with prolonged saturation. Different plant communities can be found in different types of wetlands, and each type corresponds to the hydrology of the area (the amount, distribution and movement of water in a given area). Aquatic plants are often called hydrophytes because they are well adapted to grow in saturated soil. Many species of birds, insects and other wildlife are completely dependent on wetlands for critical periods in their life cycle, while many other species use wetlands for food, recreation or nutrition.WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)What are the different types of wetlands?Characteristics of wetlands
What are the different types of wetlands?
There are four types of wetlands: swamps, marshes, fens and bogs. All these sub-watersheds have been described below:
Marsh -
These are types of wetlands that are often flooded with water and have grasses from the wetlands. Swamps come in many forms, such as coastal, inland, saltwater, freshwater, Everglades, and swamps. Some of these wetlands are fed by groundwater, and some are fed by groundwater.
Swamp -
Wet land that is covered with trees is called a swamp. Different swamps depend on the quality of the soil filled during the flowering period. Many rare species depend on this environment. The two main types of swamps are forest swamps and shrub swamps.
Swamp -
Wetlands receive nutrients from rainfall. This comes from surface sources such as drainage and groundwater movement. Therefore, this type of wetland has a higher level of nutrients than grassland. When the fen starts to get less food, it turns into a pack. These types of wetlands can be found in the northeastern United States, Canada, the Rocky Mountains, and temperate growing seasons.
Description of WETLANS -
Although we can easily define the characteristics of wetlands and what they do, there has been much discussion about how to define exactly what a wetland is. Functional definitions have become important for habitat classification for legal purposes, particularly to identify lands protected by state and federal laws. The US Fish and Wildlife Service defined wetlands as follows in 1979:
Wetlands are transitional lands between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is often near or near the surface, or shallow water covers the land. . . . A wetland must have one or more of the following three characteristics: 1) at least part of the time, the soil supports hydrophytes; 2) the seed is usually a hydric soil without water; and 3) water covering the seeds or covering them with shallow water at certain times during the growing season each year. WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)
What are the value?
Wetland is running around a powerful environment. A wetland is an area of land that is permanently or seasonally flooded with water. Wetlands can be freshwater, brackish (salty) or saline (very salty). Wetlands are known as the earth's kidneys because, like your kidneys, they perform the vital function of filtering water. As water passes through the wetland, sediments and pollutants stick to it, making the water cleaner. Wetlands also help reduce flooding and prevent coastal erosion.
Wetlands can be natural or man-made. The only continent in the world that does not have land is Antarctica. Artificial wetlands can be constructed for water management in urban areas. What is unique about all wetlands is that they have vegetation that adapts to these water conditions. Plants that live in humid areas should be very responsive to productive wet soils.
WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)
Characteristics of wetlands -
For an area to be considered a wetland, it must have three specific characteristics. One of these characteristics is the presence of water during the growing season each year. Another characteristic is the durability of hydrophytes, or plants that are specially adapted to saturated areas, so that they thrive in areas with a lot of water, such as water habitat.
The final characteristic is that the bottom of the wetland must be hydric. A hydric soil is a soil that has been flooded for so long that it has become anaerobic. This creates what is known as peat, which is a substance that decomposes whenever there is no oxygen. This decomposition releases a natural gas called methane, which warms the atmosphere and causes global temperatures to rise.
What are carbon credits?( कार्बन क्रेडिट क्या है?)
How important are wetlands?
Wetlands are highly productive ecosystems that provide the world with nearly two-thirds of its fish harvest. Wetlands play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. The combination of shallow water and a high level of food is good for the development of organic matter that forms the main food web and feeds many types of fish, amphibians, crustaceans and insects. Microorganisms, plants and animals are part of the global water, nitrogen and sulphur. Wetlands store carbon in their plant tissues and soil instead of releasing it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Wetlands act as natural buffers that hold and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater and floodwater. Grasses slow down the speed of flood water, reduce the intensity of flooding and reduce soil erosion. Wetlands are essential to human life and the planet. More than a billion people depend on it to survive and 40% of the world's species live and breed in wetlands. Wetlands are a source of food, raw materials, genetics for medicine and hydropower.WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)What are the different types of wetlands?Characteristics of wetlands
They play an important role in travel, tourism and the cultural and spiritual well-being of the people. They provide habitat for animals and plants and many have a wide variety of life, supporting plants and animals that are not found elsewhere.
Many wetlands are beautiful places that support tourism and many are important to citizens. Wetlands also provide important benefits for businesses. For example, they develop nurseries for fish and freshwater species in other waters and are important to the commercial and recreational fishing industry. What are the threats to wetlands?
Urbanization:-
Wetlands near urban areas are under development pressure for residential, industrial and commercial purposes. Urban wetlands are important for maintaining public water supplies.
Agriculture:-
Large areas of wetlands have been converted to rice fields. The construction of a large number of dams, canals and reservoirs for irrigation has significantly changed the hydrology of the affected wetlands.
Pollution:-
Wetlands act as natural water filters. However, they can clean fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural rainwater, but not mercury from industrial sources and other types of pollution.
There is growing concern about the impact of industrial pollution on drinking water and the biodiversity of wetlands.
Climate Change:-
Increase in air temperature; changes in rainfall; increased frequency of storms, droughts and floods; increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide; and sea level rise can also affect wetlands.
Dredging:-
Removal of material from waterways or waterways. The flow of streams lowers the surrounding water table and erodes adjacent wetlands.
Drainage:-
Runoff from wetlands is done by seepage into the ground that collects and transports the water to the wetland. This keeps the water low and cools the soil.
Introduced species:-
Indian wetlands are threatened by introduced alien plant species like water hyacinth and salvinia. They block waterways and compete with native vegetation.
Salinization:-
Accumulation of groundwater has led to salinization. What are wetland conservation efforts?
Ramsar Convention:-
The convention started in 1975. The purpose of the Conference is "to protect and use wisdom in everything from local to national and international cooperation, as a contribution to the achievement of sustainable development worldwide".
The pillars of the Convention are:
Work on the wise use of all their wetlands. Designate wetlands for the List of Internationally Important Wetlands (“Ramsar List”) and ensure their good management.Global cooperation on transboundary wetlands, shared wetland systems and shared models.
Montreux List:-
It is listed as part of the Ramsar List.The Montreux Index is a record of water sites on the list of wetlands of international importance where changes in environmental characteristics have occurred, are occurring or may occur as a result of technological development, pollution or interference others. Two wetlands in India are found in the Montreux Record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur). Chilka Lake (Odisha) was put on file but later withdrawn. Wetland Act in India: Wetlands are regulated under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Act 2017.
The 2010 version of the Act provided for a Central Wetland Regulatory Authority, but the new 2017 Act replaced it at the state level and created the National Wetland Committee, which has an advisory role. The new law exempts certain definitions of "wetlands," including fishponds, lakes, streams and estuaries.
As part of the 2017 law, the process of identifying wetlands is handed over to the state.
WHAT IS WETLAND?(वेटलैंड क्या है? या दलदल क्या हैं?)
Conclusion -
To prevent unplanned urban development and population growth, water management must be an integrated approach in terms of planning, implementation and monitoring.
Effective collaboration between academics and professionals, including ecologists, hydrologists, planners and decision makers for comprehensive wetland management. Raising awareness by initiating awareness programs on the importance of wetlands and regular monitoring of their water quality will provide the necessary means to protect wetlands from further damage.
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