Book Description

The dynamic macroscopic autotrophs, the macrophytes, of an aquatic ecosystem form the basis of production and productivity along with the phytoplankton, of a particular ecosystem. Macrophytes being at the base of the food chain are one of the major conduits for flow of energy in an aquatic system, providing critical habitat for a number of biotic groups, such as epiphytic bacteria, periphyton, macro-invertebrates and fish. They also strongly influence the water quality, acting either as nutrient sink through uptake or pumping of nutrients from the sediment to the ambient water. Information on the macrophytes, their diversity is highly limited in the Indian context and practically no comprehensive attempt has so far been made to document the diversity of floodplain wetlands in India. The present contribution is a modest attempt to fill this gap, which hither to remains unravel in India. In the present document special attempt has been made to obtain the digital images through extensive survey, surveillance and monitoring of aquatic macrophytes prevalent in floodplain wetlands of Assam and West Bengal. Furthermore a comprehensive inventory their diversity, abundance, phytosociological behavior, fluctuations of macrophyte biomass and their impact on the associated biodiversity were thoroughly prepared and examined to give a holistic approach and justice to the manuscript. The content are based on extensive field survey conducted in different sectors of the lake during the period of 2006-2009. The present contribution is made in an easy-to-ready style, supported by methodology, observation and conclusion which I believe, will form a baseline information for students, researchers and other agencies interested in the ecology and biodiversity of aquatic system in general and floodplain wetland ecosystem in particular.