WETLANDS

Wetlands are... areas where a water table is at, near, or just above the surface
and where soils are water-saturated for a sufficient length of time such that excess
water and resulting low soil oxygen levels are principal determinants of vegetation
and soil development. wetlands will have a relative abundance of obligate
hydrophytes in the vegetation community and soils featuring “hydric” characteristics.

1. WETLANDS
Presenter: Mr. BhartenduVimal
Guest Faculty-Asst. Prof.
College of Fisheries, Kishanganj, BASU, Patna

2. WETLANDS
•Anareafullyorpartiallyimmersedin
waterforapartorwholeoftheyear
•Wetlandsarefoundalongthe
shorelinesofoceans,lakes,riversand
inlocaldepressions.
•Watersaturationdetermineshowthe
soildevelopsandthetypesofplant
andanimalcommunities

3. Wetlands cover 7% of the earth’s land surface and deliver
45% of the world’s natural productivity (Source: www.MAweb.org).

4. Wetlandsare...areaswhereawatertableisat,near,orjustabovethesurface
andwheresoilsarewater-saturatedforasufficientlengthoftimesuchthatexcess
waterandresultinglowsoiloxygenlevelsareprincipaldeterminantsofvegetation
andsoildevelopment.wetlandswillhavearelativeabundanceofobligate
hydrophytesinthevegetationcommunityandsoilsfeaturing“hydric”characteristics.
DEFINITION

8. IMPORTANCE OF WETLANDS
•Ecosystemgoodsprovidedbythewetlandsmainlyinclude:waterforirrigation,fisheries,non-timberforest
products,watersupplyandrecreation.
•Wetlandssuchastanks,ponds,lakes,andreservoirshavelongbeenprovidingmultiple-usewaterservicesinclude
waterforirrigation,domesticneeds,fisheriesandrecreationaluses,ground-waterrecharge,floodcontrolandsilt
capture
•Majorservicesinclude:carbonsequestration,floodcontrol,groundwaterrecharge,nutrientremoval,toxics
retentionandbiodiversitymaintenance
•Swamps,mangroves,peatlands,miresandmarshesplayanimportantroleincarboncycle.
•Wetlandsedimentsarethelong-termstoresofcarbon,short-termstoresareinwetlandexistingbiomass(plants,
animals,bacteriaandfungi)anddissolvedcomponentsinthesurfaceandgroundwater
•Wetlandsactasasinkforcontaminantsinmanyagriculturalandurbanlandscapes.
•Wetlandshelptolessentheimpactsoffloodingbyabsorbingwaterandreducingthespeedatwhichfloodwater
flows.
•Wetlandsareimportantinsupportingspeciesdiversityassomevertebratesandinvertebratesdependonwetlands
fortheirentirelifecyclewhileothersonlyassociatewiththeseareasduringparticularstagesoftheirlife.
•ThusJames(1995)hasrightlytermedtheseareasasNature’sKidney.”

9. IMPORTANCE OFWETLANDS
❖Integral to a healthyenvironment
❖Socio-economicimportance
•Flood Control→peatlands and wet grasslands act as sponges, absorbing rainfall and controlling itsflow
intostreams
•Help to retain water during dry periods, water tablestable
•Provide clean water→they act as the earth’sfilters
•Wetlands removes pollutants fromwater
•Add moisture to theatmosphere

10. •Wetlands capture and retain rainfall, it prevent sediments from being washedinto
lakes andrivers
•Productiveenvironment
•Maintain biologicaldiversity
•Important feeding, breeding and drinking areas forwildlife
•A source of life for people andwildlife

11. •Foodsupply
•Shoreline and stormprotection: Coastal wetlands act as frontline defenses
against potentialdevastation Physical barriers that slows down storm
surges and tidalwaves
•Culturalvalue
•Materials andmedicines
•Recreationareas
•Vitalhabitat: 40% species and 12% of animalspecies
•A refuge for migratingbirds

14. WETLANDS VARYWIDELY:
1.Regional and local differences insoils
2.Topography
3.Hydrology
4.Waterchemistry
5.Vegetation
6.Humandisturbance
Wetlands occur in all continents exceptAntarctica

15. TYPES OFWETLANDS
➢Wetlands can generally be classified into five basic systems, namely: Lacustrine, Riverine,
Palustrine, Marine and Estuarine (Frazier, 1996).

18. TIDALORCOASTALWETLANDS
•Seawatermixeswithfreshwatertoformanenviornmentofvaryingsalinities→Due
totidalaction
•Shallowcoastalareasareunvegetatedmudflatsorsandflats
•Grassesandgrasslikeplantssurvivethiscondition
•Mangrooveswampswithsaltlovingshrubsortreesarecommonintropicalclimate
The Ramsar Classification of Wetland Type, divides wetlands into three main categories, namely:
❑ Coastal/Marine or TidalWetlands
❑ Inland or Non-TidalWetlands
❑ “Man-Made” Wetlands
➢The categories have further subdivisions which gives a total of 40 wetland types

19. NON-TIDALWETLANDS
❖Commoninfloodplainsalongriversandstreams→RiparianWetland
❖Isolateddepressionsurroundedbydryland→Playas,BasinsandPotholes
❖AlongtheMarginsoflakesandponds
❖Low-lyingareaswheretheGWinterceptsthesoilsurfaceorwhereprecipitation
sufficientlysaturatesthesoil→VernalpoolsandBogs
❖Marshesandwetmeadows→Herbaceousplants

20. Tidal marsh along the Edisto River, South Carolina(source
–the US Environmental Protection Agencywebsite).

21. CREEK
❖A tidal inlet, typically as a salt marsh or mangrove swamps. The stream is thetidal
stream.
FEN
•Wetland fed by surface or groundwater.
•Flora is characterised by their waterchemistry
•Fens are alkaline rather than acidareas
•Characterized by peaty soil, dominated by grasslike plants, grasses, sedges andreeds

23. BOG:type of wetland ecosystem characterized by wet, spongy, poorly drainedpeaty soil,
dominated by the growth of bog mosses, Sphagnum, andheaths,particularly
Chamaedaphne
•Bogs are usually acid areas, frequently surrounding a body of openwater.
•Bogs receive water exclusively fromrainfall.

24. SWAMPS
•Temporary or permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallowbodies of
water
→hummockspresent
→Aquaticvegetation
→Shrubs are present
Slow-moving water associated with adjacent rivers orlake
ESTUARY
•Semi enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers flowing into it orthe
river meets thesea
•High biologicalproductivity
•Characterized bysedimentation
•pH, salinity and water level changes depending on the river and theocean

25. SWAMP

26. FJORD
▪Long narrow estuary with steep sides, created in a glacially carved valley that filled
by rising sea waterlevels
LAGOON
▪Shallow salt or brackish water separated from deeper sea by a shallowsandbanks,
coralreefs….
▪The enclosed body of water behind a barrier reef enclosed by an atollreef

27. RAMSAR WETLAND TYPE
❑COASTAL/MARINE ORTIDALWETLANDS
A.Permanentshallowmarinewaterslessthansixmetresdeepatlowtide;includesseabaysandstraits.
B.Marinesubtidalaquaticbeds;includeskelpbeds,sea-grassbeds,tropicalmarinemeadows.
C.Coralreefs.
D.Rockymarineshores;includesrockyoffshoreislands,seacliffs.
E.Sand,shingleorpebbleshores;includessandbars,spitsandsandyislets;includesdunesystems.
F.Estuarinewaters;permanentwaterofestuariesandestuarinesystemsofdeltas.
G.Intertidalmud,sandorsaltflats.
H.Intertidalmarshes;includessaltmarshes,saltmeadows,saltings,raisedsaltmarshes;includestidalbrackishand
freshwatermarshes.
I.Intertidalforestedwetlands;includesmangroveswamps,nipahswampsandtidalfreshwaterswampforests.
J.Coastalbrackish/salinelagoons;brackishtosalinelagoonswithatleastonerelativelynarrowconnectiontothe
sea.
K.Coastalfreshwaterlagoons;includesfreshwaterdeltalagoons.

28. RAMSAR WETLAND TYPE
❑INLAND OR NON-TIDAL WETLANDS
L.Permanent inland deltas.
M. Permanent rivers/streams/creeks; includes waterfalls.
N. Seasonal/intermittent/irregular rivers/streams/creeks.
O. Permanent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha); includes large oxbow lakes.
P. seasonal/intermittent freshwater lakes (over 8 ha); includes floodplain lakes.
Q. Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes.
R. Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline lakes and flats.*
Sp. Permanent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/pools.
Ss. Seasonal/intermittent saline/brackish/alkaline marshes/ pools.*
Tp. Permanent freshwater marshes/pools; ponds (below 8 ha), marshes and swamps on inorganic soils; with emergent
vegetation water-logged for at least most of the growing season.
Ts. Seasonal/intermittent freshwater marshes/pools on inorganic soil; includes sloughs, potholes, seasonally flooded
meadows, sedge marshes.*
U. Non-forested peatlands; includes shrub or open bogs, swamps, fens.
Va. Alpine wetlands; includes alpine meadows, temporary waters from snowmelt.
Vt. Tundra wetlands; includes tundra pools, temporary waters from snowmelt.
W. Shrub-dominated wetlands; shrub swamps, shrub-dominated freshwater marsh, shrub carr, alder thicket; on inorganic
soils.*
Xf. Freshwater, tree-dominated wetlands; includes freshwater swamp forest, seasonally flooded forest, wooded swamps;
on inorganic soils.*
Xp. Forested peatlands; peatswampforest.*
Y. Freshwater springs; oases.
Zg. Geothermal wetlands.
Zk. Subterranean karst and cave hydrological systems.
* as appropriate, includes: floodplain wetlands such as seasonally inundated grassland (including natural wet meadows), shrublands, woodlands or forest.

29. ❑"MAN-MADE" WETLANDS
1.Aquaculture (e.g. fish/shrimp) ponds.
2.Ponds; includes farm ponds, stock ponds, small tanks; (generally below 8 ha).
3.Irrigated land; includes irrigation channels and rice fields.
4.Seasonally flooded agricultural land.**
5.Salt exploitation sites; salt pans, salines, etc.
6.Water storage areas; reservoirs/barrages/dams/impoundments; (generally over 8 ha).
7.Excavations; gravel/brick/clay pits; borrow pits, mining pools.
8.Wastewater treatment areas; sewage farms, settling ponds, oxidation basins, etc.
9.Canals and drainage channels, ditches.
** to include intensively managed or grazed wet meadow or pasture.
RAMSAR WETLAND TYPE

30. ❖Nutrient dynamicsis broadlydefinedas the waynutrientsare taken up, retained, transferred, and cycled over time and
distance, in an ecosystem (Hauer and Lamberti, 2006; Allan and Castillo, 2007)
❖The model partitions a wetland into three basic compartments: (1) water column (free water), (2) wetland soil layer,
and (3) plant biomass.
❖The soil layer is further partitioned into aerobic and anaerobic zones.
Figs. 1 and2 depict the conceptual model for complete biogeochemical pathways of mineralization of organic matter to ammonia and phosphate

32. ❖Trophicmeans“oforrelatingtonutrition.”
❖Theleastproductivewetlandsarecalled‘oligotrophic’,mostproductivewetlandsarecalled‘eutrophic’andthosewith
atrophicstatusthatfallsalongthecontinuumsomewherebetweenoligotrophyandeutrophyaretermed‘mesotrophic’
Trophic status of wetlands

33. ❖Thetrophicstateoflakesisindicativeoftheirbiologicalproductivity,thatis,theamountofliving
materialsupportedwithinthem,primarilyintheformofalgae

34. Distribution and extent of wetlands in India
❖Indiahasabout757.06thousandwetlands{201,503wetlands
andinaddition,555,557wetlands(area<2.25ha)}withatotal
areaof15.3millionha,accountingfornearly4.7%ofthetotal
geographicalareaofthecountry.
❖Outofthis,areaunderinlandwetlandsaccountsfor69%,
coastalwetlands27%,andotherwetlands(smallerthan2.25ha)
4%.
❖Intermsofaverageareaundereachtypeofwetland,natural
coastalwetlandshavethelargestarea.
❖Overall,inlandwetlandshaveawaterspreadareaof7.4mha
inpostmonsoonand4.8mhainpre-monsoon,andcoastal
wetlandshave1.2mhaand1mhainpostmonsoonandpre
monsoon,respectively.
❖Theaquaticvegetationinallthewetlandsputtogetheraccount
for1.32mha(9%oftotalwetlandarea)inpostmonsoonand
2.06mha(14%oftotalwetlandarea)inpremonsoon(SAC,
2011).

35. ❖Point Calimerein Tamilnadu, Ashtamudi, Sasthamkottaand
Vembanad-Kollakes in Kerala; and Kollerulake in Andhra Pradesh
are some of the natural wetland sites in South India
❖Most of the wetlands in India are directly or indirectly linked with
major river systems such as the Ganges, Cauvery, Krishna, Godavari
and Tapti.
❖The coastal wetlands occupy an estimated 6,750 sqkm and are largely
dominated by mangrove vegetation.
❖About 80% of the mangroves are distributed in the Sunderbansof
West Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with the rest in
the coastal states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat
❖Wetlands in southern peninsular India are mostly manmade and are
known as yeris(tanks).
❖They are constructed in every village and provide water for various
human needs, besides serving as nesting, feeding and breeding sites for
a large variety of bird species.

36. ✓The reservoirs of the Deccan Plateau in the south, together with the lagoons and other wetlands of the southwest
coast.
✓The vast saline expanses of Rajasthan, Gujarat and the Gulf of Kutch.
✓The freshwater lakes and reservoirs from Gujarat eastwards through Rajasthan (KeoladeoGhana National Park)
and Madhya Pradesh.
✓The delta wetlands and lagoons of India’s east coast (ChilikaLake).
✓The freshwater marshes of the Gangetic Plains and the floodplains of the Brahmaputra.
✓The marshes and swamps in the hills of northeast India and the Himalayan foothills.
✓The lakes and rivers of the mountain region of Kashmir and Ladakh.
✓The mangroves and other wetlands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
❖India’s wetlands are generally differentiated into8 categories depending on their regional presence (Scott, 1989):

37. ❖The wetland types found in India are categorized under 19 classes.

38. ❖Gujarat has the highest proportion (22.8%) and UT of Chandigarhhas nearly negligible part of the total wetland area
in the country.

39. List of wetlands in India

40. RAMSARCONVENTION
✓InFebruary2,1971conventiononwetlandssignedinRamsar,Iran.Hence,alsoknownastheConventiononWetlands&
namedafterthecityofRamsarinIran.TheRamsarconventionenteredintoforceinIndiaon1
st
February1982.
✓Itisanintergovernmental/internationaltreatyfor“theconservationandsustainableuseofwetlands”whichprovidesthe
frameworkfornationalactionandinternationalcooperationfortheconservationandwiseuseofwetlandsandtheir
resources
✓Theworld’sfirstsitewastheCobourgpeninsulainAustralia,designatedin1974.
✓ThelargestsitesareRionegroinBrazil(120,000sq.km),andNgiri-Tumba-MaindombeintheDemocraticRepublicof
CongoandQueenMaudgulfinCanada;theseSiteseachcoverover60,000squarekm.
✓ThemostRamsarSitesaretheUnitedKingdomwith175andMexicowith142.
✓ForconservationandmanagementofidentifiedwetlandsincludingRamsarsitesinthecountry,theCentrallySponsored
SchemeofNationalWetlandsConservationProgramme(NWCP)wasimplementedtilltheyear2012-13.
✓Tohavebettersynergyandtoavoidoverlap,theNWCPhasbeenmergedinFebruary,2013withanotherschemecalled
NationalLakeConservationPlan(NLCP)intoanewintegratedschemeof‘NationalPlanforConservationofAquaticEco-
systems’(NPCA)forholisticconservationoflakesandwetlands.

41. ✓Atthetimeofjoiningtheconvention,eachcontractingparty
undertakestodesignateatleastonewetlandsiteforinclusionin
thelistofwetlandsofinternationalimportance.
✓Theinclusionofa“Ramsarsite”inthelistembodiesthe
government’scommitmenttotakethestepsnecessarytoensure
thatitsecologicalcharacterismaintained.
✓Thereareatotalof2,406RamsarSitesontheterritoriesof171
Ramsarcontractingpartiesacrosstheworld,coveringanarea
of254,343,085ha,including37RamsarsitesinIndia.
✓AsofFebruary2020,thereare37RamsarSitesinIndia
coveringareaof1,067,939hectares(10679.39km
2
)

42. THE RAMSAR SITES CRITERIA
❖TheninecriteriaforidentifyingWetlandsofInternationalImportance
➢GroupA:Sitescontainingrepresentative,rareoruniquewetlandtypes
✓Criterion1:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitcontainsarepresentative,rare,
oruniqueexampleofanaturalornear-naturalwetlandtypefoundwithintheappropriate
biogeographicregion.
➢GroupB:Sitesofinternationalimportanceforconservingbiologicaldiversity
(Criteriabasedonspeciesandecologicalcommunities)
✓Criterion2:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitsupportsvulnerable,
endangered,orcriticallyendangeredspeciesorthreatenedecologicalcommunities.
✓Criterion3:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitsupportspopulationsofplant
and/oranimalspeciesimportantformaintainingthebiologicaldiversityofaparticular
biogeographicregion.
✓Criterion4:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitsupportsplantand/oranimal
speciesatacriticalstageintheirlifecycles,orprovidesrefugeduringadverseconditions.

43. (Specificcriteriabasedonwaterbirds)
✓Criterion5:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitregularlysupports20,000ormore
waterbirds.
✓Criterion6:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitregularlysupports1%oftheindividuals
inapopulationofonespeciesorsubspeciesofwaterbird
(Specificcriteriabasedonfish)
✓Criterion7:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitsupportsasignificantproportionof
indigenousfishsubspecies,speciesorfamilies,life-historystages,speciesinteractionsand/or
populationsthatarerepresentativeofwetlandbenefitsand/orvaluesandtherebycontributestoglobal
biologicaldiversity.
✓Criterion8:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitisanimportantsourceoffoodforfishes,
spawningground,nurseryand/ormigrationpathonwhichfishstocks,eitherwithinthewetlandor
elsewhere,depend.
(Specificcriteriabasedonothertaxa)
✓Criterion9:Awetlandshouldbeconsideredinternationallyimportantifitregularlysupports1%oftheindividuals
inapopulationofonespeciesorsubspeciesofwetland-dependentnon-aviananimalspecies.
THE RAMSAR SITES CRITERIA

44. Largest and Smallest, Newest and Oldest Ramsar Sites in India

45. Ramsar Sites in India

46. Ramsar Sites in India

47. Ramsar Sites in India

48. Ramsar Sites in India

49. Ramsar Sites in India

50. Ramsar Sites in India

51. Wetlands in Bihar

52. Sl.
No.
Aquatic resources of Bihar Area
1.Rivers 3,200 km
2.Chaursand Floodplain Wetlands 100,000 hectares
3.Oxbow lakes or Mauns 9,000 hectares
4.Reservoirs 7,200 hectares
5.Ponds and Tanks 69,000 hectares
❖MaunsorOx-bowlakes,whicharethecut-offportionsofrivermeanders,
formanimportantfisheryresourceinBihar,withannualfishyield
potentialsrangingfrom1,500to2,000kg/ha.Thecurrentleveloffish
yieldsfromOxbowlakesare160kg/ha.(Source*:FisheriesDevelopmentinBihar:
AnActionPlan,ICAR,Newdelhi)

53. ❖Total4416wetlandshavebeenmappedinthestatewitharound130wetlands
havinganareaofover100hectares.
❖Inaddition,17582wetlands(smallerthan2.25ha)havealsobeenidentified.
❖Totalwetlandareaestimatedis403209hathatisaround4.4percentofthe
geographicarea.
❖Themajorwetlandtypesareriver/streamaccountingforabout74percentof
thewetlands(298408ha),naturalwaterlogged(34878ha),lake/pond
(20281ha),andox-bowlake/cut-offmeander(16172ha).
❖TheinlandnaturaldominatethewetlandsinBiharwhichcompriseabout92per
centofthetotalwetlandextentwhilethemanmadeaccountsforabout3.5per
cent.
❖Thehydrologyofwetlandsareinfluencedbymonsoonperformance,extentof
waterspreadandtheirturbidity(qualitative)inwetanddryseason(post-
monsoonandpre-monsoonperiod)

54. Type-wise wetland distribution in Bihar

55. District-wise area of wetlands in Bihar

57. THREATS TOWETLANDS
▪Anthropogenicpressures
▪Rapidly expanding humanevolution
▪Developmentprojects
▪Improper use ofwatershed
▪Converting floodplains toaquaculture
▪Planting trees onbogs
▪Draining marshes foragriculture
▪Forestry and urbandevelopment
▪Mining them forpeat