PHYTOLOGICAL STUDY OF FRESHWATER WETLAND ECOSYSTEM OF BAJWAT AREA

Freshwater wetlands are individual ecosystems that support a variety of wildlife, vegetation and microscopic life. The type of plants that exist in these areas describe the physico-chemical characteristics of their locality and vice-versa. This study was carried out at Marala wetlands in Bajwat Game Reserve. The study found 39 species of higher plants in the areas of the wetland and its associated terrain. The total species were arranged into 5 vegetation types, named on the basis of the dominant plant species, with their own composition of the species and present in different habitat conditions. The vegetative community Phragmites karka constituted an association of 8 plant species; Juncellus laevigatus had 10, Typha angustata had 13, Aeluropus lagopoides and Cyprus comylomeratus had 9 species each.


INTRODUCTION
Various aspects of wetland plants have been previously studied. Most studies however, revolve around the trace element uptake of plants in wetland areas (Weis and Weis, 2004;Zayed et al., 1998;Zhu et al., 1999). Freshwater wetlands are individual ecosystems that support a variety of wildlife, vegetation and microscopic life. The type of plants that exist in these areas describe the physico-chemical characteristics of their locality and vice-versa. The a-biotic factors influence the type and population size of the flora existing near the wetland area (Dawson, 2003). Beecher (1942) found a correlation between physical characteristics of wetlands vegetation and aquatic birds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was carried out at Marala wetlands in Bajwat Game Reserve from October, 2000 to September 2001. Three rivers (River Jammu Tawi, River Chenab and Manawar Tawi) were focused. River Jammu Tawi, with associated marshes, supports extensive reed beds and an abundant growth of submerged and floating vegetation, and in the first river, while going towards Bajwat. The marshy area of River Chenab in the study had aquatic and riverine forest vegetation. The Manawar Tawi is full of aquatic vegetation floating, submerged and riverine forest.

DISCUSSION
The data on the prevalence of different species of higher plants has been presented in the Table 5 (the total data on seasonal prevalence of these species has been presented in the appendix-B). The results suggest that a total of 39 species of higher plants were present in the areas of the wetland and its associated terrain. The total species can be arranged into 5 vegetation types, named on the basis of the dominant plant species, with their own composition of the species and present in different habitat conditions.
Phragmites karka: The vegetative community constituted an association of 8 plant species. The community was dominated by P. karka which was widely present. The dominant species was associated with 7 other species i.e., Oryzativa sp., Panicum colonum, Cymbopogan citratus, Launia nodicoulis, Heleochloa schenoids, Tuncellus laevigatus and Convolvulus arvensis. The community was present in the shallow water pond area associated with the main river system, and was widely distributed along the main river system.  Walker (1968), Jahn and Moyle (1964) and Whitman (1976) attributed decreased habitat heterogeneity, caused by disruption of natural ecological processes, resulting in domination by tall robust hydrophytes, such as, Scripus caren, Typha salin and Pharagmites sp. Linde et al. (1979) reported that Typha sp. is well adapted to form monotypes. Typha seeds germinate under a wide range of water depths (Weller, 1975) and tolerate a wide range of soil types (Dean, 1933). Typha sp. occurs late in the growing season. This plant is competitive advantage over other species is probably enhanced (Davis and Van der Valk, 1978). Danell and Sjoberg (1979) reported that various emergent species may decompose at different rates as the result of differences in species composition of macroinvertebrate populations which may remove some of the decompose organisms that could act to maintain or increase vegetative heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION
The study found 39 species of higher plants in the areas of the wetland and its associated terrain. The total species were arranged into 5 vegetation types, named on the basis of the dominant plant species, with their own composition of the species and present in different habitat conditions. The vegetative community Phragmites karka constituted an association of 8 plant species; Juncellus laevigatus had 10, Typha angustata had 13, Aeluropus lagopoides and Cyprus comylomeratus had 9 species each.