Wetlands, an Important Ecosystem
February 2, is celebrated each year as the World Wetlands Day all over to raise public awareness about the ecosystem and promote its conservation.
As is obvious by the name, wetlands are water bodies. But a wetland is not just any water body, but it is land that is covered with shallow water - either still or flowing, in which the water table is close to the surface. Swamps, marshes, oases in deserts, mud flats, and paddy fields are all examples of wetlands. Stretches of marine water where the depth does not exceed 6 meters at low tide are also categorized as wetlands. It is an entire ecosystem with its associated plant and animal life.
Wetlands are world's most productive environments with stunning biological diversity. Wetlands stretch from mountains to seas and include a wide variety of habitats from rivers and lakes, lagoons and mangroves to coral reefs. These habitats support a variety of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Some are shrimp farms or fisheries, while others are purely for recreation purposes,
valuable in Eco-tourism.
However, not all wetlands are natural. Some are man-made. Fish and shrimp farms, ponds, irrigated land like paddy fields, salt pans and reservoirs are artificial wetlands.
Wetlands like mangroves provide a barricade between the sea and land and help in stabilizing the shoreline. They help in preventing soil erosion and also in reclaiming land. They are breeding ground for marine organisms like shrimps and a variety of fish. Some wetlands help in checking floods and siltation of water ways, others help in checking erosion of forests. Wetlands, which are freshwater bodies, are sources of water supply.
For thousands of years mangrove forests have provided a natural shield against cyclones and storms that have frequently hit the shores of southern India. It has now been documented that coastal trees and shrubs saved the lives of hundreds of people in the tsunami disaster.
Sunderbans in West Bengal is the largest mangrove forest in the world. India has 19 wetlands sites which are of international importance.It is interesting to note that wetlands cover a tiny portion of the earth's surface, but by the nature of their unique ecosystem, it becomes all the more important to protect and conserve them.
Wetlands are world's most productive environments with stunning biological diversity. Wetlands stretch from mountains to seas and include a wide variety of habitats from rivers and lakes, lagoons and mangroves to coral reefs. These habitats support a variety of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Some are shrimp farms or fisheries, while others are purely for recreation purposes,
valuable in Eco-tourism.
However, not all wetlands are natural. Some are man-made. Fish and shrimp farms, ponds, irrigated land like paddy fields, salt pans and reservoirs are artificial wetlands.
Wetlands like mangroves provide a barricade between the sea and land and help in stabilizing the shoreline. They help in preventing soil erosion and also in reclaiming land. They are breeding ground for marine organisms like shrimps and a variety of fish. Some wetlands help in checking floods and siltation of water ways, others help in checking erosion of forests. Wetlands, which are freshwater bodies, are sources of water supply.
For thousands of years mangrove forests have provided a natural shield against cyclones and storms that have frequently hit the shores of southern India. It has now been documented that coastal trees and shrubs saved the lives of hundreds of people in the tsunami disaster.
Sunderbans in West Bengal is the largest mangrove forest in the world. India has 19 wetlands sites which are of international importance.It is interesting to note that wetlands cover a tiny portion of the earth's surface, but by the nature of their unique ecosystem, it becomes all the more important to protect and conserve them.
