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This book is an attempt to acknowledge the discipline 'wetland science' and to consolidate research findings, reviews and synthesis articles on different aspects of the wetlands in South Asia. Wetland Science presents 30 chapters by an international mix of experts in the field, who highlight and discuss diverse issues concerning wetlands in South Asia as case studies. The chapters are divided into different themes that represent broad issues of concern in a systematic manner keeping in mind students, researchers and general readers at large. The book introduces readers to the basics and theory of wetland science, supplemented by case studies and examples from the region. It also offers a valuable resource for graduate students and researchers in allied fields such as environmental studies, limnology, wildlife biology, aquatic biology, marine biology, and landscape ecology.
To date the interdisciplinary field 'wetland science' is still rarely treated as a distinct discipline in its own right. Further, courses on wetland science aren't taught at any of the world's most prestigious universities; instead, the topics falling under this discipline are generally handled under the disciplines 'ecology' or under the extremely broad heading of 'environmental studies'. It is high time that wetland science be acknowledged as an interdisciplinary sub-discipline, which calls for an attempt to consolidate its various subtopics and present them comprehensively. Thus, Wetland Science also serves as a reference base on wetlands and facilitates further discussions on specific issues involved in safeguarding a sustainable future for the wetland habitats of this region.
1. Wetlands Introductory
i. Wetlands: origin and typology
ii. Wetlands: forms and distribution
2. Bio-geochemical issues, Limnology and Hydrology
i. Water chemistry
ii. Sediment quality
Biomass and Productivity
iii. Decomposition and Mineralization
iv. Water discharge and sediment loading
v. Wetlands and Groundwater
vi. Water Budgeting
3. Wetland biodiversity
i. Biodiversity in Indian inland wetlands
ii. Biodiversity in Indian coastal wetlands
iii. Intertidal fauna and their role in coastal wetlands
iv. Role of mangroves in coastal wetland protection
4. Current issues and Climate change
i. Urbanization and wetlands
ii. Industrialization and wetlands
iii. Constructed wetlands
iv. Carrying capacity
v.Carbon stock and sequestration potential of wetlands in India
vi. Methane and other GHG emissions from wetlands
5.Ecosystem Goods and Services
i. People's dependency on wetlands
ii. Role of wetlands in economy of adjoining areas
iii. Agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry
iv. Services and valuation of wetlands
6. Mapping of wetlands with respect to
i. Wildlife
ii. Nutrient availability and transport
iii. Carbon stock
iv. Resource use and dependency: Socio-economics
v. Ecosystem goods and services
7. Modeling and simulation
i. Modeling wetland systems and processes
ii. Mass balance model of chemical fate in wetlands
iii. Modeling of chemical speciation of trace metals in wetlands
8. Wetland restoration
i. Tools and techniques of wetland restoration
ii. Species re-introduction and restoration
iii. Seed-bank: implications for restoration
9.Wetlands in India: Legislation and Policy framework
i. Legal aspects and provisions for wetland management
ii. Policy framework and issues concerning wetlands
iii. Institutional framework for wetland conservation and management
10. Wetland Science in India: Gaps and Futuristic
i. Wetland Science: The Indian Experience
ii. Research Matrix for Wetland studies in India
iii. Gaps and Futuristic
Dr. B. Anjan Kumar Prusty (Chief Editor) is Senior Scientist and Head, Division of Environmental Impact Assessment, Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, India. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences for his works on environmental biogeochemistry with emphasis on heavy metal speciation in wetlands. His areas of research interests include River basins (Environmental flow and contaminant budgeting, inter-basin water transfer, aquatic ecosystem health), Wetlands, contaminant transfer models, Environmental impact assessment (monitoring and planning, and eco-sensitive areas), and Trace metal speciation in matrices such as water and soil, and environmental health implications. He is involved in designing and teaching modules in environmental sciences and sustainability studies in various universities including Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), India. He is a member of academic, scientific and professional bodies such as UNESCO–International Hydrological Programme (IHP), IUCN–Species Survival Commission, Wildlife Health Specialist Group (WHSP) and Goose Specialist Group (GSP).
Dr. Rachna Chandra (Co-Editor) holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences. She is specializing in heavy metal contamination, heavy metal dynamics and mobility through various trophic levels, and phyto-extraction and remediation techniques in different ecosystems has been in the field for more than a decade. She has been also working on nutrient dynamics, metal speciation / fractionation, sources and sinks of heavy metals, factors governing metal pollution, and developing management strategies to arrest contamination. Currently, she studies coastal areas and mangrove habitats in West Coast of India. She is a recipient of various academic awards including DST-INSPIRE Faculty Award by Government of India. She also teaches Environmental Sciences in KSKV Kachchh University, India and has been involved in developing teaching modules for universities such as Indira Gandhi National Open University. She has several research articles in peer reviewed scientific journals, in addition to several book chapters, and papers in conference proceedings to her credit.
Dr. P.A. Azeez (Co-Editor) holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and has more than 35 years of research and teaching experience in ecology and environmental sciences. He is currently attached with Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), where he was the Director until early 2016. His areas of interest include environmental assessment, environmental chemistry, environmental management, ecological systems mainly with respect to ecosystem goods and services, wetland ecology, animal ecology focusing on species interactions, urbanization and sustainable development. He serves in various capacities in research and academics, has been a member / chair of several committees constituted by Government of India, universities and also judicature. He has several publications to his credit and several students have completed their doctoral studies under his guidance.
