Not everyone knows the importance of wetlands in context with carbon sequestration and regulating nutrient cycle. Wetlands are characterized by their unique ecosystem which is either seasonally or permanently flooded with water. This water flooding creates anoxic conditions, resulting in a distinctive ecosystem supporting both terrestrial and aquatic species. Wetlands performs diverse ecological functions globally. Wetlands offers several benefits for humans, including fishes, wood, timber, climate regulation, flood regulation, medicinal uses, water recharge, water purification, tourism etc. Despite of having so many benefits, wetlands are rapidly degrading, and so the species dependent on wetlands. The major reasons for wetland degradation include population increase, infrastructure development, overharvesting of water, introduction of invasive species, land conversion etc.
Source: https://www.elephango.com/index.cfm/pg/k12learning/lcid/11292/Wetlands:_Animals
To appreciate the importance of wetlands, the benefits of wetlands are explained below:
Water related ecosystem services
Wetlands are known for performing various types of water related services including groundwater recharge, flood protection, erosion control, sediment transport etc. Wetlands are known for treating and detoxifying the wastewater. Wetlands have potential to reduce nitrate concentration by about 80%. Wetlands are often referred to as "kidney" of water system because of their water purifying capability.
Habitat for different plant and animals
Wetlands are home to various terrestrial and aquatic species and are considered as one of the most productive habitat. Innumerable varieties of plants, microbes, fish, algae, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects depend on wetlands for their habitat, and food. Wetlands provide great amount of food that attracts variety of species. Wetlands are often considered as most productive ecosystem.
Source: http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/blog/2019/05/19/biodiversity-loss-report-shows-wetlands-are-among-the-hardest-hit/
Source of food
Wetlands supports nutrient cycling that supports paddy cultivation and also supports rich biodiversity. Wetlands has high amount of nutritional food in the form of fishes, molluscs, and crustaceans.
Regulation service
Wetlands are an important source and sink of greenhouse gases and thus controls global warming. Mangroves are considered as climate change mitigation strategy to control floods. Loss of wetlands can have considerable impacts in triggering flood or coastal related hazards.
Cultural, social, and recreational services
Wetlands have significant value related to education, aesthetics, tourism and spiritual beliefs. Tourism from wetlands can be a great source of income for communities and government. Wetlands related fishing services has important contribution in economy of nation. Fisheries in coastal water has gross world product of 34 billion dollars annually [1]. As per studies about 73% of Ramsar sites are being utilized for recreation and tourism.
Threats to wetlands
With heavy rise in population and economic development, wetlands are constantly under threat, and getting degraded at a rapid scale. Over 50% wetlands has been lost and degraded till last century worldwide [2]. India has lost about 1/3rd of the wetlands in last four decades owing to urbanization, land conversion and population growth [3].
Status of wetland species, (Concept prepared using data from https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/document.358.aspx.pdf)
References
1. https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/document.358.aspx.pdf
2. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/wonderful-wetlands
3. https://india.mongabay.com/2021/01/explainer-what-are-wetlands-and-why-do-we-need-to-protect-them/
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