Name: Gitonga Mwaniki

ID:640083
Paper: Sustainable Use o wetlan!s
Seasonal Changes
" ma#or eature o a wetlan! is t$at it is wet% &owe'er( a wetlan! !oes not $a'e to be wet all t$e time)
*$e most biologi+all, pro!u+ti'e wetlan!s are t$ose t$at !r, out perio!i+all,( $a'e a range o water
!ept$s an! $a'e plant +ommunities w$i+$ +$ange wit$ t$e ,ear-s seasons) In "ustralia .ake /,re is t$e
best known ep$emeral wetlan!( onl, be+oming inun!ate! w$en unusuall, wet seasons bring ri'er
loo!s rom nort$ern "ustralia)
In *asmania wet an! !r, perio!s generall, ollow t$e ,ear-s seasonal +$anges( so it is important t$at
$uman a+ti'ities su+$ as !am buil!ing an! irrigation !o not +$ange t$e natural low regime) Man,
wetlan!s in *asmania will !r, out in t$e summer mont$s an! be+ome inun!ate! again wit$ t$e winter
rains) *$ese wetlan!s +ontain numerous t,pes o loating( submerge! an! emergent plants w$i+$ are
!epen!ent on t$e wet0!r, perio!s) I a !am is built on a ee!er stream t$en t$is pattern ma, be +$ange!
an! t$e wetlan! will not re+ei'e sui+ient winter lows to ensure t$e sur'i'al o t$ose plants an!
animals !epen!ent on t$e inun!ation perio!) Similarl,( i irrigation is un!ertaken rom a wetlan! !uring
summer t$en t$e !r,ing0out p$ase will be a++elerate! an! t$e plants an! animals will be ae+te!)
Drainage
Drainage s,stems +an also signii+antl, alter a wetlan!-s water regime an! in+rease t$e risk o se!iment
an! +$emi+al input to t$e wetlan!) Drainage s,stems implemente! to $elp re!u+e soil salinit, ma,
+ause salts to be transporte! to !ownstream wetlan!s( t$ereb, in+reasing t$eir +on!u+ti'it, le'els an!
altering t$eir -res$ water- status) It is t$ereore important w$en un!ertaking impro'e! !rainage works
to +onsi!er t$e ee+ts on wetlan!s) Not onl, rom a nutrient an! se!iment perspe+ti'e but also $ow t$e
a!!e! water input will ae+t t$e water balan+e an! 1ualit, wit$in t$e wetlan!)
Wetlands on Private Land
2or wetlan!s on pri'ate lan! in *asmania( a best management pra+ti+e woul! be to en+e t$e wetlan!
an! pre'ent sto+k rom walking into t$e water an! gra3ing on riparian 'egetation) It is also
re+ommen!e! t$at a buer 3one be en+e! aroun! t$e wetlan!) *$is buer 3one +an be use! or lig$t
sto+k gra3ing at minimum impa+t times( or e4ample in summer an! autumn( w$en !rier +on!itions
re!u+e t$e erosion ee+t o sto+k $oo'es an! pugging) *$ese buer 3ones +an pro'i!e a lan!$ol!er
wit$ goo! ee! !uring t$e $ar!er mont$s w$en t$ere is less in t$e pa!!o+ks) &owe'er( it is preerable
t$at wit$in t$ese buer 3ones sto+k +annot a++ess t$e wetlan! itsel or t$e riparian 'egetation)
5uer 3ones are also important as t$e, +apture a ma#or part o nutrient an! se!iment run0o beore it
enters t$e wetlan!) 5uer 3ones nee! to be well 'egetate!( preerabl, wit$ nati'e grasses( se!ges an!
rus$es an! w$ere appli+able a goo! woo!, upper +anop, o trees an! s$rubs) *$e spe+ies +omponent
o a buer 3one !epen!s on w$ere t$e wetlan! is( ie) +oastal( orest( open woo!lan! or $eat$lan!)
6ee!s +an present problems in t$e riparian an! water 3ones( out0+ompeting nati'e 'egetation an!
t$ereb, re!u+ing t$e oo! a'ailabilit, or nati'e animals) It is t$ereore important to tr, to keep t$ese
areas ree rom wee!s)
*$e buer 3one s$oul! also be kept ree o ertiliser an! pesti+i!e appli+ations an! i aerial met$o!s are
use! t$en +are nee!s to be taken not to allow o'er0spra, or !rit into t$e wetlan!) Man, wetlan!
animals an! plants are $ig$l, sensiti'e to +$emi+als) 2rogs are now well re+ognise! as being ke,
in!i+ators o biologi+al $ealt$ 0 t$e 7+anaries7 o e+os,stems) Man, ba!l, !egra!e! wetlan!s $a'e poor
!i'ersit, an! low numbers o rogs) 6$en a wetlan! is re$abilitate! t$e return o rogs is one goo! wa,
to !etermine $ow ee+ti'el, t$e re$abilitation program is working)
6etlan!s on arms pro'i!e an e4+ellent emergen+, water sour+e or sto+k in $ars$ !roug$t +on!itions)
5, ere+ting a watering troug$ 8i!eall, outsi!e t$e buer 3one9 sto+k +an $a'e a++ess to t$e water
wit$out !isturbing an! !amaging t$e wetlan! itsel) 6etlan!s also a+t as natural ire barriers( e'en
w$en t$e, are !r, t$e su++ulent plants an! !amp sub0sura+e $elps to break a ire-s +ourse)
Recreational Activities
Man, wetlan!s $a'e numerous $uman a+ti'ities taking pla+e on t$em su+$ as boating( is$ing an!
water skiing) &owe'er i a wetlan! $as not $a! su+$ a+ti'ities t$en it is preerable t$at it remain
un!isturbe!) Sto+king wetlan!s wit$ intro!u+e! is$ spe+ies or re+reational is$ing purposes( or
e4ample( +an $a'e signii+ant !etrimental ee+ts) /4oti+ is$ are generall, more aggressi'e an!
+ompetiti'e t$an nati'e is$ spe+ies( t$e, are also a lot larger) In man, lakes w$ere trout $a'e been
intro!u+e! t$e nati'e is$ $a'e !e+line! or be+ome e4tin+t) /4oti+ is$ will also eat rogs an! : or rog
spawn an! ee+ti'el, re!u+e t$e number an! !i'ersit, o rogs wit$in t$e wetlan!) It is t$ereore
preerable to limit e4oti+ is$ spe+ies to 'er, spe+ii+ lakes an! !ams)
/4ploring a wetlan! b, boat is alwa,s in'iting but t$e +$oi+e o boat is important in or!er to minimise
pollutants entering t$e water) Most outboar! an! inboar! motors !is+$arge uel an! oil into t$e water
an! t$e, are generall, nois,) In or!er to minimise t$e impa+t o t$ese pollutants it is important to
ensure t$e engine is maintaine! to a $ig$ le'el o ei+ien+,( uses bio!egra!able oil an! !is+$arges as
little as possible) *$e best wa, to e4plore a wetlan! is b, pa!!ling or rowing as neit$er o t$ese
a+ti'ities !isturb t$e animals an! it is possible to obser'e an! get +lose to man, animals( or e4ample
plat,pus an! water bir!s)
Photo-points
6etlan!s are t$ere to be en#o,e! b, e'er,one an! nee! to be prote+te! so t$at uture generations +an
e1uall, en#o, t$em) Setting0up p$oto0points is a great wa, to obser'e a wetlan! o'er time) P$oto0
points pro'i!e an opportunit, to obser'e seasonal +$anges but also to obser'e annual +$anges) 6$ere a
wetlan! $as be+ome !egra!e! but is un!ergoing best management pra+ti+es to regenerate it( p$oto0
points pro'i!e an e4+ellent tool to monitor t$e positi'e ee+t su+$ pra+ti+es are $a'ing)
5, implementing t$e Wise Use prin+iple t$e best possible out+omes are a+$ie'e! or present an! uture
$uman( animal( plant an! mi+robial generations