QUICK REVISION MODULE

(UPSC PRELIMS 2022)

WETLANDS AND
MANGROVES
WETLANDS ARE TRANSITION ZONES (ECO TONE)
BETWEEN TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS.

Static or flowing, fresh, brackish or saline

Includes areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed 6 m.

e.g. Mangroves, lake littorals , floodplains and other marshy or swampy areas.

Has hydrophytes and hydric soils.

Occupy 18.4% of the country’s area of which 70% are under paddy cultivation.
 NATURAL
e.g. Lake/pond, Cut-off meander,
Swamp, Marsh, Waterlogged.
INLAND WETLAND
MAN MADE
e.g. Reservior, Tanks.

WETLAND
NATURAL
e.g. Estuary, Lagoon, Creek, Coral Reef,
Mangroove.
COASTAL WETLAND
MAN MADE
e.g. Aquaculture, Salt Pan.

TYPES OF WETLANDS:

MARINE
Coastal wetlands including coastal lagoons, rocky shores, and coral reefs.
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ESTUARINE
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Including deltas, tidal marshes, and mangrove swamps.

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LACUSTRINE
Wetlands associated with lakes.

RIVERINE
Wetlands along rivers and streams.

PALUSTRINE
Meaning “marshy” - marshes, swamps and bogs.

HUMAN-MADE WETLANDS
such as fish and shrimp ponds, farm ponds, irrigated agricultural land, saltpans,
reservoirs, gravel pits, sewage farms and canals. Also termed as urban wetland.
PEATLAND are a heterogeneous mixture of plant material that had accumulated in a
water-saturated area and are only partially decomposed due to the absence of oxygen.

Types of peat are – swamp forests, fens, bogs or mires.

Formed in areas with permanent water saturation i.e. either terrestrialisation or palaudification
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They are mostly found in permafrost regions towards the poles and at high altitudes, in coastal
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areas, beneath tropical rainforest and in boreal forests.

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Countries with the largest peatland areas are – Russia, Canada, Indonesia, USA, Finlandetc.
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Brazzaville Declaration was signed to promote better management and conservation of Cuvette
Centrale Region in Congo Basin
GPI: Global Peatlands Initiatives: is an initiative by leading experts and institutions to save
peatlands as the world’s largest terrestrial organic carbon stock and to prevent it from being
emitted.
 CHARACTERISTIC LAKE WEATLAND (SHALLOW LAKE)
Origin Largest is due to tectonic Mostly Fluvial, Residual lakes
forces: Fluvial, Geomorphic,
in the water table, etc.
Water turnover Permanent Permanent or Temporary

Water level changes Relatively Small Relatively Large

Thermal stratification Yes No

Vertical mixing Thermally regulated Wind regulated

Dominant Producer Phytoplankton Macrophytes

Food chain Graxing Pathway Detritus pathway
Productivity Low High
Trophic status Oligotrophic Mostly Eutrophic
Functions-Flood control Less Significant Significant
Waster treatment No Yes

WETLAND BIODIVERSITY MATTERS

FOR CLIMATE AND BIODIVERSITY

30% of land-based carbon is stores in peatlands.
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Role in flood mitigation by controlling the rate of runoff

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Act as a riparian buffer against erosion and pollutants.

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Habitat to aquatic flora and fauna, numerous species of native and migratory birds
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FOR CLEAN WATER

Swaps and rewards remove pollutants.
Water purification, filtration of sediments and nutrients from surface water.
Nutrients recycling, groundwater recharging and stabilisation of local climate.

FOR JOBS
One billion people depend on wetlands for their livelihoods.

FOR ECONOMIES
Wetlands provide USD 47 trillion in essential services annually
Important resource for sustainable tourism.
Genetic reservoir for various species of plants (especially rice).
 REASONS FOR DEPLETION:

Excessive pollutants dumped into wetlands beyond the recycling capacity.

Habitat destruction and deforestation.
Conversion of wetlands for agriculture and encroachments.
Overfishing and fish farming (Aquaculture).
Overgrazing in marshy soils.
Removal of sand from beds near seas makes the wetland vulnerable to wave action and
tidal bore.

MEASURE TO PROTECT WETLAND:

GLOBAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS:

RAMSAR CONVENTION 1975:
For “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions
and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable develop-
ment throughout the world”. The philosophy is the “wise use” of wetlands-“the
maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of
ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development”
India has 41 Ramsar sites.
Wetlands in India account for 4.7% of the total geographical area.
Chilika Lake (largest Ramsar Site of India) and Keoladeo National Park- first Ramsar
Sites of India.
Uttar Pradesh has largest number of Ramsar Sites in India with 8 Indian Wetlands.
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Renuka Wetland (Himachal Pradesh) smallest wetland of India

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MONTREUX RECORD:

A register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of International Importance where

changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a
result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
Indian sites: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur). Chilka lake
(Odisha) was placed in the record but was later removed from it.
RAMASAR SITES OF INDIA LOCATION

Asan Conservation Reserve Uttarakhand (October 2020)

Ashtamudi Wetland Kerala

Beas Conservation Reserve Punjab
Bhitarkanika Mangroves Odisha
Bhoj Wetlands Madhya Pradesh

Chandra Taal Himachal Pradesh

Chilika Lake Odisha
Deepor Beel Assam
East kolkata Wetlands West Bengal
Harike Wetlands Punjab
Hokera Wetland Jammu and Kashmir
Kabartal Wetland Bihar (October 2020)
Kanjli Wetland Punjab
Keoladeo Ghana National Park Rajasthan
Keshopur-Miani Community Reserve Punjab
Kolleru Lake Andhra Pradesh
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Loktak Lake Manipur

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Lonar Lake Maharashtra (November 2020)

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Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Gujrat

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Nandur Madhameshwar Maharashtra

Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary Punjab
Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
Parvati Agra Bird sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu
Pong Dam Lake Himachal Pradesh
Renuka Lake Himachal Pradesh
Ropar Wetland Punjab
Rudrasagar Lake Tripura
Saman Bird Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
Samaspur Bird Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
Sambhar Lake Rajasthan
Sandi Bird Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh
Sarsal Nawar Jheel Uttar Pradesh
Sasthamkotta Lake Kerala

Sunderbans Wetland West Bengal

Surinsar-Mansar Lakes Jammu and kashmir
Sur Sarovar Uttar Pradesh (November 2020)
Tsomoriri Jammu and Kashmir
Upper Ganga River Uttar Pradesh
Vembanad Kol Wetland Kerala
Wular Lake Jammu and Kashmir

CONSERVATION EFFORTS BY INDIA:

NATIONAL PLAN FOR CONSERVATION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS (NPCA):

For both wetlands and lakes, centrally sponsored scheme, under MoEFCC.
Wetlands Authority within a state is the nodal authority for all wetland-specific enforce-
ment of the rules.
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WETLANDS (CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT) RULES, 2017:

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Central government has empowered the states and union territories to identify and
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manage their wetlands.

Shall apply to Wetlands categorised as 'wetlands of international importance' under
the Ramsar Convention.
Wetlands as notified by the Central Government, State Government and Union Territory
Administration.
Constitute State Wetlands Authority in each State and union territories that will be
headed by the State’s environment minister and include a range of government officials.
They will determine, the ‘wide use principle,’ that shall govern the management of
wetlands.
Setting Up National Wetlands Committee: It will replace Central Wetlands Regulatory
Authority (CWRA), to monitor implementation of these rules and advise the Central
Government on appropriate policies and action programmes for conservation and wise
use of wetlands.
 MANGROVES

Mangroves are Ecotones, characteristic littoral forest ecosystem, mostly evergreen forests
that grow in sheltered low lying coasts, estuaries, mudflats, tidal creeks backwaters, marshes
and lagoons of tropical and subtropical regions, below the high water level of spring tides.
They are highly productive ecosystems, occuring worldwide in the tropics and subtropics,
mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S

They protect the shoreline from the effect of cyclones and tsunamis.
They are breeding and spawning ground for many commercially important fishes.
They are halophytes, adapted to harsh coastal conditions.
Vegetation facilitates more water loss-Leaves are thick and contain salt-secreting glands.
Some block absorption of salt at their roots itself. They contain a complex salt filtration system
and complex root system to cope with salt water immersion and wave action.
They are adapted to the low oxygen (anoxic) conditions of waterlogged mud.
They require high solar radiation to filter saline water through their roots
Confined to only tropical and sub-tropical coastal waters
Mangroves exhibit Viviparity mode of reproduction. i.e. seeds germinate in the tree itself
(before falling to the ground). This is an adaptive mechanism to overcome the problem of
germination in saline water.
Pneumatophores (blind roots) to overcome the respiration problem in the anaerobic soil
conditions.
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Rhizophora send arching prop roots down into the water.

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Avicenna stands vertical “Pneumatophores” or air roots up from the mud.

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Adventitious roots which emerged from the main trunk of a tree above ground level are
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called stilt roots.

MANGROVES IN INDIA:

India has nearly 3.3% of worlds’ mangrove vegetation.

EAST COAST:
Sundarbans are the largest single block of tidal halophyticmangroves of the world- famous
for the Royal Bengal Tiger andcrocodiles.
Bhitarkanika (Orissa),
Godavari-Krishna deltaic regions of Andhra Pradesh.
Pichavaram and Vedaranyam (Tamil Nadu)
 Mangrovers
of Gujrat

Mahanadi
Mangrovers

Goa Sundarbans
Mangrovers Mangrovers

Ratnagiri Krishna Godavari Mangrovers

Mangrovers

Andaman and
Nicobar Islands Mangrovers

Cauvery deltaic
Mangrovers

WEST COAST :
Mostly scrubby and degraded occur along the intertidal region of estuaries and creeks in
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Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

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In Kerala is they are very sparse and thin.

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In Gujarat mangroves Avicennia marine, Avicennia officinalis and Rhizophora mucronata are
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found mainly in Gulf of Kutchand the Kori creek.

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 IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVES

MANGROVE SERVICES
Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Ecosystem services can be
grouped in four broad categories:provisining, such as the production of food and water:
regulating, such as disaster risk reduction (DDR) and control of disecase, supporting, such as
nutrient cycling and water purification; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits.
To help inform decision makers many ecosystem services are being assigned economic values.

Recreational fishing around mangroves contributes $1 billion

per year towards Florida’s economy.

ECO TOURISM
As nurseries for many fish species, mangroves have many young fish, jellyfish, urchins and
other animals among their intervowen roots, making snorkeling expeditions very popular.
Eco-tourism in mangroves areas is a growing industry with great potentional, which values
the mangroves intact and as they stand.

Mangroves can reduce up to 66% of waves heigh-reducing

erosion and flood risk

COASTAL PROTECTION
Mangroves absorb the energy of waves that pass through them, which means they are
highly effective coastal protection. A 100m deep forests can reduced the destructive force
of a storm surge by over 90%. Mangroves also keep groundwater fresh and protect
agricultural lands behind from salination.
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Over 500 species of wirds have been recorded nesting in

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mangrove area in Belize

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WILDLIFE HABITAT
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Mangrove forests have very high biodiversity and support many threatened and
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endangered species, such as monkeys, monitor lizard, Royal Bengal tigers and fishing cats.
Most tropical fish spend their juvenile lives in mangroves, and they are prime nesting sites
for hundreds of bird species.

Mangroves are fish factories for the 210 million people who live
and depend on them for food

CLEAN WATER
Specially adapted to the inter-tidal zone, mangroves maintain coastal water quality through
retention, pollutants and particulate matter from rivers and land-based sources, protecting
Seaward habitats such as coral reels and seagrass meadows.
 Mangroves can sequester 3-5 x more carbon per hectare than than
tropical rainforests
CARBON STORES
Most mangrove forests lay down peat-thick, heavy layers of carbon-rich soil that stays
waterlogged and doesn’t rot. Around 10% of the carbon they produce is sequestered in the
soil without cycling back to the atmosphere, potentially for millennia.

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THREATS TO MANGROVES
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NATURAL THREATS:
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Cyclones, typhoons and strong wave actions.

Trampling and overgrazing by wildlife and livestock close to mangrove regions.
Damage by crabs, oysters and pests to the young seedlings of mangroves.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL THREATS:

Agriculture
Coastal Development
Shrimp Farming
Charcoal and Lumber Industries etc
 CONSERVATION OF MANGROVES:

Coastal Regulation Zone Rules are also protecting mangroves.

SMART (Special Monitoring and reporting Tool) monitoring in the Sundarbans empowers local
administration contributing to a more effective management of natural resources.
Gujarat uses direct seed sowing, raised bed plantations, and fishbone channel plantations to
restore degraded mangroves.
Andhra Pradesh has established Eco-Development Committees and Van Samrakshan Samithi
to implement conservation projects in mangrove areas.
Maharashtra has been implementing restoration, protection, regeneration, and maintenance
techniques to conservemangroves.
Mangrove for Future Initiative: to promote investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for
sustainable development topromote an integrated ocean-wide approach to coastal
management and to building the resilience ofecosystem-dependent coastal communities
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