Ecological and Economic Importance of Wetlands and Their Vulnerability

Abstract

Wetlands show a diversity of appearances like salt marshes, tidal wetlands, inland freshwater wetlands, riparian wetlands, peat lands, and many other types. Each of the types host diverse biotic communities of flora and fauna. This biodiversity changes according to the physical and chemical properties of wetlands, climate, and the geological location. This biodiversity regulates the local ecosystem, carbon sequestration, fuelwood supply, fishery-based industries, and on many other ecological and socioeconomic aspects. In addition, the wetlands have other ecological aspects like maintaining freshwater quality by sedimentation, nutrient conservation, etc. However, around the world, the wetlands are subjected to several types of threats like both anthropogenic and natural. This study is a short review work on some of the outcomes of the studies of researchers around the world to see the importance of different types of wetlands, the threats to them by anthropogenic or natural causes, and focus areas for management strategy development.