Book ChapterDOI
Inventory and classification of wetlands in India
Brij Gopal,M. Sah +1 more
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TLDR
In this article, a simple hierarchical classification of wetlands based on their location (coastal or inland), salinity (saline or freshwater), physiognomy (herbaceous or woody), duration of flooding (permanent or seasonal) and the growth forms of the dominant vegetation is proposed.Abstract:
The Indian subcontinent has a large variety of freshwater, saline and marine wetlands. Whereas the mangroves are relatively well documented, very little is known about the other wetlands, with few exceptions. Only recently an inventory of these welands has been prepared but no effort has been made to classify them. A vast majority of the inland wetlands are temporary and/or man-made, and they have been traditionally used and managed by the local human populations. In this paper, first, we evaluate the classification schemes of the IUCN, US Fish and Wildlife Services and those of the Australian wetlands, for their applicability to Indian wetlands. Then, we propose a simple hierarchical classification of wetlands based on their location (coastal or inland), salinity (saline or freshwater), physiognomy (herbaceous or woody), duration of flooding (permanent or seasonal) and the growth forms of the dominant vegetation. We stress upon the hydrological factors which determine all the structural and functional characteristics of the wetlands. We consider that the various growth forms of wetland vegetation integrate the totality of hydrological variables and therefore, can be used as the indicators of different hydrological regimes.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Brazilian wetlands: their definition, delineation, and classification for research, sustainable management, and protection
Wolfgang J. Junk,Maria Teresa Fernandez Piedade,Reinaldo Lourival,Florian Wittmann,Patricia Kandus,Luiz Drude de Lacerda,Reinaldo Luiz Bozelli,Francisco de Assis Esteves,C. Nunes da Cunha,Leonardo Maltchik,Jochen Schöngart,Yara Schaeffer-Novelli,Angelo Antonio Agostinho +12 more
TL;DR: In this article, a synthesis of the current body of knowledge on the distribution, hydrology, and vegetation cover of Brazilian wetlands is provided in order to establish a scientific basis for discussions on a national wetland policy that mandates the sustainable management of Brazil's extremely diverse and complex wetlands.
Journal ArticleDOI
Status of wetlands in India: A review of extent, ecosystem benefits, threats and management strategies
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed the wetland wealth of India in terms of their geographic distribution and extent, ecosystem benefits they provide, and the various stresses they are exposed to, and discussed the efforts at management of these fragile ecosystems, identifies the institutional vacuum and suggests priority area where immediate attention is required in order to formulate better conservation strategies for these productive systems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Long-term environmental trends and the future of tropical wetlands
TL;DR: In this article, a review summarizes long-term environmental trends for tropical wetlands and predicts their future to the time horizon 2025, showing that tropical wetlands assume important functions in the landscape and contribute considerably to the welfare of large parts of the human population.
Journal ArticleDOI
A classification of major natural habitats of Amazonian white-water river floodplains (várzeas)
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a classification system of major natural habitats of Amazonian white-water river floodplains (varzeas) based on hydrological, water and soil chemistry and biological parameters.
Book ChapterDOI
Wetland classification and inventory: A summary
TL;DR: An international committee under the auspices of an international agency needs to be established to develop an international classification system and guidelines for carrying out a complete inventory of the world's wetlands.
References
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Book
Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States
TL;DR: The authors presented the most current methodology available for wetland classification and culminated a long-term effort involving many wetland scientists, which represented the most accurate methodology available in the literature.
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