Ecological Studies of Wetland Ecosystem in Manipur Valley from Management Perspectives

Wetlands are complex ecosystems often occupying the interface between land and water. Wetlands function as part of the landscape with or without the presence of humans. They have value because many of their functions have proved to be useful to humans but are at the same time ecologically sensitive and adaptive systems. The increasing demand and pressures on wetlands without understanding their nature and dynamics have often led to their degradation, thereby threatening livelihood of the communities’ dependent upon these resources. The world’s freshwater lakes of today are vanishing at a much faster rate than they used to be a century ago. In some cases, even the area is lost (Raleng, 2010). Current emphasis on wetland management has two objectives: firstly to conserve biotic diversity and secondly to maximize economic gains. This explains why in recent years much attention has been directed towards the formulation and operation of sustainable management strategies for wetlands1. Wetlands comprise lakes, rivers, marshes, bogs and similar areas and they are generally regarded as areas of land that remain waterlogged for a substantial period of the year. Wetlands fulfill a wide range of essential functions include flood proofing, natural sewage treatment, shoreline anchoring and dissipation of erosive forces, sediment trapping, nutrient retention and removal and recharging of aquifers. In addition, many food chains depend upon wetland productivity and form important habitats for fisheries and wildlife. Wetlands are important for maintaining