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1 Presentation by Maneka Mirchandaney, Std XII, Mallya Aditi International School, Bangalore Design assistance by Thara Thomas

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What is a wetland? Wetlands are interface between Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It is an area of land whose soil is Saturated with moisture either permanently or for a long enough season every year to support aquatic plants. Wetlands are ecosystems whose formation, processes and characteristics are determined by water. They have been called the 'nature's kidneys' because they cleanse our environment. Wetlands are not necessarily "wet" all year round

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Facts About Wetlands 3 Wetlands are typically low-lying areas They can be coastal or inland Floodplains, swamps, marshes, mangroves deltas and lakes are some types of wetlands. A paddy farm is also a wetland They can be natural or man-made Wetlands can contain fresh water, salt water, or brackish (a combination of the two)

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4 Some important wetlands in India Ashtamudi (Wetland) Bhitarkanika (Mangroves) Bhoj (Wetland) Chandertal (Wetland) Chilika (Lake) Deepor Beel East Calcutta (Wetlands) Harike (Lake) Hokera (Wetland) Kanjli Keoladeo (National Park) Kolleru (Lake) Loktak (Lake) Point Calimere (Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary) Pong Dam (Lake) Renuka (Lake) Ropar Rudrasagar (Lake) Sambhar (Lake) Sasthamkotta (Lake) Surinsar Mansar (Lakes) Tsomoriri Vembanad-Kol (Wetland) Wular (Lake) Upper Ganga River (Narora to Brijghat stretch)

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5 Importance of wetlands Many species of birds and mammals rely on wetlands for food, water, and shelter, especially during migration and breeding. They provide rich habitat for an immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and mammals. Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs.

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6 Uses of wetlands Think of a wetland as a huge sponge Wetlands store water when it is in excess and release it to the ground during dry periods This helps in recharge and discharge of groundwater They assist in flood control They reduce the momentum of water as it flows to a river or a stream, thereby reducing soil erosion They are also important to the nutrient cycle. water management

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7 Uses of wetlands Wetlands plants and soil store carbon instead of releasing it to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Thus they help moderate global climate Mangroves can protect shorelines from strong winds and can reduce the impact of hurricanes and tsunamis Plants that grow in wetlands are very effective in filtering out water pollution Many wetlands remove pollutants from surface runoff and small streams. Wetlands help retain sediments and increase soil fertility environmental

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8 Uses of wetlands Wetlands provide livelihoods by being a source of (Consumptive use ) They can also be recreation spaces (non-consumptive uses ) Agricultural produce Craft materials timber production Medicinal plants Fishing Hunting Wetlands provide opportunities for humans to enjoy outdoor activities, such as canoeing, fishing, and bird watching. economic

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Contaminants and sediments are filtered. Provides critical wildlife habitat Cleaner water outflow How wetlands work

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Threats to wetlands Natural Drought Over grazing by wildlife Natural disasters like hurricanes and floods

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Threats to wetlands Anthropogenic 1.Development Draining out wetlands for construction Damming them to form lakes or ponds Diverting water flow 2.Pollution 4. Global warming 3. Sand and gravel mining 5. Acid rain

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12 The Convention on Wetlands -- called the "Ramsar Convention" was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. An intergovernmental treaty - embodies the commitments of its member countries to plan for the "wise use", or sustainable use, of all of the wetlands in their territories. Ramsar convention

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DO A PROJECT SHOW IT TO YOUR CLASS TALK TO THE OWNER OF A WETLAND ORGANIZE A FIELD TRIP Take an initiative, talk to the owners of a wetland on preserving them. Organize a class field trip to a wetland (preferably a destroyed one) and explain about the history of the wetland and why it was destroyed. MAKE SURE YOUR HOUSE ISNT BUILT ON WETLAND What can we do?

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Quiz master Hi! Im the quiz master! Click on the button with the right answer. Good luck!

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Which of these is NOT a use of wetlands? Q. 1 To clean the environment Sedimentation of rocks Swimming and other sports

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Quiz master Wrong!!!!!!!!! Sorry! The right answer is Swimming and other water sports.

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Quiz master Correct!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! That is right! Congratulations!

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Which fact about a wetland is right? Q. 2 A wetland always has a pH level above 9.5 There is always shellfish in a wetland A wetland is a low area where the land is filled with water

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Quiz master Wrong!!!!!!!!! Sorry! The right answer is wetland is a low area where the land is filled with water. A wetland is a low area where the land is filled with water.

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Quiz master Correct!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! That is right! Congratulations!

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What is NOT a way to help increase awareness about wetlands? Q. 3 Play games on the computer Do a project on wetlands Organize a field trip to a wetland

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Quiz master Wrong!!!!!!!!! Sorry! That is wrong! The right answer is. Play games on the computer.

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Quiz master Correct!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! That is right! Congratulations!

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What is a good pH level for a wetland? Q. 4 4.0 7.59.5

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Quiz master Wrong!!!!!!!!! Sorry! That is wrong! The right answer is 7.5 7.5

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Quiz master Correct!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! That is right! Congratulations! 7.5

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Which one of these is NOT a type of wetland? Q. 5 MarshReservoirSwimming pool

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Quiz master Wrong!!!!!!!!! Sorry! That is wrong! The right answer is Swimming pool

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Quiz master Correct!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! That is right! Congratulations!

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Activities Divide your class into groups of not more than 5 people each. Use the facts on the next page (note : some of them are false) and give each group a few facts, equal amounts of true and false.next page Each group in turn says one fact. After they say it, someone from another group has to say whether the fact is true or false. If he/she is right, the team gets a point. If he/she is wrong, they lose a point. The team with the most points wins. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Here is an activity you can do in class

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Facts The water hyacinth is a plant The water should have a pH level between 6.5 and 8.5 Mangroves are groves of mango trees. If the water is acidic then it is hard for animals to live A wetland is always natural Wetlands always have salty water Wetlands provide a good habitat for animals Reeds can be found in wetlands Building a house on a wetland is good. These are just a few facts that you can use, why not try making some more? 4.0 is a good pH level for a wetland True False

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32 BASIRIROMOSTKVU LKWDEEPORBEELSP OIALIKAPONGDAMO SNOEDALOEKESMZI UAMESNORWUTABAN RKMCTOKSXHRPRUT ERXBAMTUAKILIHC LAASHTAMUDIULRA LTYJDAKTZOYRJPL OIOIFORRERASNHI KHATTUCLACTSAEM BBOTGLQLSPEQKSE WEAEHJUVDMOWCOR STCAIWPYAHARIKE LOKDANABMEVIAMY Ashtamudi, Bhitarkanika, Bhoj, Chilika, Deepor Beel, East Calcutta, Harike, Kanjli, Keoladeo, Kolleru, Loktak, Point Calimere, Pong Dam, Ropar, Sambhar, Sasthamkotta, Tsomoriri, Vembanad-Kol, Wular Can you name the states where these wetlands are found? Find the following: A word search on Ramsar sites in India

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33 A word search on Ramsar sites in India answers

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Thank you! Watching this slideshow will not only help you, but can help other people, animals and plants. It can help the environment, but you need to start and set the trend. Let other people know about the destruction of wetlands. MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Now that you know about wetlands, take a step forward and do something! (See slide 13 for ideas)slide 13

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35 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Wetland_restoration_in_Australia.jpg/800px- Wetland_restoration_in_Australia.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Wetlands_boardwalk.jpg http://cdn.wn.com/pd/8a/9b/da2bf7243e0118fed8e1fdd2716d_grande.jpg http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/31/images/state-swamp.jpg http://en.wikivisual.com/images/7/72/Wetland500.JPG http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobistraveling/3686484594/ http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1041/1415144874_fda75d89f0_b.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4682074616_93884810fe_b.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4795429521_e0bc52d462_b.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4819620871_af19748b11_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/2737372095_d8bc30253d.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2529/3749301289_2c8538e404_b.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/376272250_299c283c99_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2387221908_aa2155c96d_b.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2272/2181766735_3f20f3ddb6_b.jpg http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Wetlands_for_Kids http://assets.panda.org/img/original/wetlandservices.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/135/317488203_967e4514e6_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/2978989663_ba70aa80e2_b.jpg http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4276781301_4ec88b01a4_b.jpg http://earthdimensions.com/mitigation.aspx http://clintonschoolblog.com/cblog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/wetlands.jpg http://www.davis-excavating.com/images/lafarge1.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/381634787_f52e84a5af_b.jpg