Earth hope

Wetlands not wastelands

Guidelines for better conservation:

By Sajitha PREMATUNGE

The World Wetlands Day (WWD) falls on February 02. And the theme for this year is `Upstream downstream wetlands connect us all.’

wetland is an area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres according to the Ramsar Convention.

In short virtually anything that water is a part of can be termed as a wetland. It is a very broad definition and includes everything from coral reefs to manmade wetlands. Consequently, this includes a considerable portion of the world’s land surface, making wetlands a conservation priority.

However, this year’s main focus - river basins and their management - has a direct link to Sri Lanka. Prof. Kotagama, Head of the Department of Zoology, University of Colombo points out few factors - thus far neglected - that should be incorporated into wetland conservation - wetlands are dynamic entities; they cannot be conserved in isolation since they are ingrained into a larger eco system; human intervention for their management and finally the fact that they are directly linked to human needs.

“All these elements have to come together for better Wetlands Conservation and Management.” “A wetland is a point in succession. It is an ecological phenomenon.” says Prof. Kotagama.

It is in the nature of a wetland to metamorphosis into a land eco system. Compared to land eco systems wetlands change very fast. But as Prof. Kotagama explains hands on conservation can alter this succession. “Conservation is different from protection. If you want a wetland to perform the same function and possess the same attributes ten years down the line you have to intervene to stop it from changing.”

As Prof. Kotagama explains the only thing that can prevent a wetland from metamorphosing is regular flooding. Otherwise it will be overtaken by plants and eventually turn into a highland.

“Logging has been reported from the Bellanwila-Attidiya wetland. But a wetland should not have trees in the first place. The wetlands nature as well as its structure has to be conserved to stop the succession.” He further explained that hands on conservation methods like taking out invasive species and regular flooding has to be adhered to.

The protection of the adjoining land base is of utmost importance in proper management of wetlands. He explained that - as this year’s theme also indicates - wetlands cannot be conserved in isolation. The activities conducted in the catchment area contribute to the functions of the wetland.

“Take for example Muthurajawela. Today, sedimentation threatens the very existence of the wetland.” Soil erosion has to be minimized to stop the wetlands from filling up. “Lunugamwehera is acutely affected by agricultural activities some five to six kms upstream.” And the flagship species that qualified Bundala as a Ramsar site - flamingos - is now no more. “What is the point of conserving Bundala as a Ramsar site if the flagship species for which it was originally declared does not exist there anymore?”

A wetland has many values and functions such as water retention, purification, food, etc... Any wetland appreciated today for certain values and functions performed by it, will not remain so ten years down the line and neither will its values and functions.

“Consequently if the objective of conservation is the exploitation of such values and functions, we have to conserve it for this purpose.” But the professor explained that we hardly appreciate the values and functions of wetlands.

“In the 1990s Colombo faced severe floods. And the government had to spend millions of rupees on the Metropolitan Environment Improvement Programme, under which the whole canal system had to be redone. Cities flood because of landfills.”

The popular belief is that wetlands are wastelands, a place to dump garbage. This is due to the resilience of wetlands, explained Prof. Kotagama. One of the main functions of a wetland is absorption of heavy metals through plants. But there is a breaking point.

Going back the theme of this year’s WWD - Prof. Kotagama pointed out that - understanding the interconnectivity of the relationship between upstream and downstream is of significant importance for wetlands management. “What happens upstream has a direct connection to what happens downstream.”

As Prof. Kotagama explained this year’s theme is very much related to Sri Lankan village life, since only people who make wetlands a part of their lives can relate to the real value of wetlands.

We derive food from wetlands and they have a great aesthetic value that Sri Lanka - being surrounded by wetlands - has failed to make use of.

We are removed from the source of all these benefits because of our supermarket culture that we have overlooked how important wetlands are for our survival. If we do not adhere to more sound and hands on management practices we are in danger of losing more and more of our wetland extent.

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Values and functions of wetlands

* Wetlands have numerous values and functions that are beneficial to humans. It’s one of the world’s most productive eco systems.

* Water retention - it operates as an effective flood control mechanism and reduces soil erosion. It also replenishes the ground water table.

* Water purification - it also holds off silt and purifies water of heavy metals like chromium.

* Nutrient trapping - retains pollutants and sediment.

* Extractions - plant, animal or mineral (such as gems, sand, clay, salt and coral).

* Energy source - electricity.

* Tourism and recreation.

* High biological diversity.

* Support many species - wetlands are also of immense scientific value due to its high biodiversity.

Years of research pays off

by Harshini PERERA

One’s pastime rarely becomes the profession of his/her, whereas he/she could enjoy it to the fullest. Chinthaka Dassanayaka is the luckiest person in this sense to be able to enjoy his profession and his hobby simultaneously.

He started breeding fish when he was seven years old as a hobby, but a decade later it became his profession. He used to enjoy watching colourful shoal of fish as they busily ran around his small tank.

Later, he invented a new variety of Platy as a result of years of endeavour. His new variety of Platy was acclaimed at the “Min Visithuru 2008” conducted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Platy, scientifically known as Xiphophorus Maculatus, is a fish with a two-year life expectancy and can be breed easily.

“My father had a tank of fish and it inspired me a lot. I started breeding Platy in December 2004, meanwhile I did many experiments on a new variety of Platy, through which I was capable of inventing the new variety in 2008. There are 12 varieties of Platy. I mixed the colours of Platy to come out with this special variety.” Chinthaka recalled how he made discovery of the new variety which he named as “Chinthaka Variardus”.

Chinthaka has received a training from National Youth Services Council in Ornamental fish breeding. Further, He has been in a fish farm called Golden Crocodile Farm, India for two years. Then, he has started fish farming as a self-employment to keep his homefires burning.

This kind of Platy is not found elsewhere in the world. I have already invented two more varieties which will be exhibited in Singapore Aquarama International Competition this year which he has tirelessly worked to achieve. Moreover, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s helping hand brought me thus far. The technology to breed some imported fish is not known to many fish breeders in Sri Lanka.

But, he has been successful in breeding such fish as Catfish, Albino Giant Gourami, Parku. The medium scale farm he possesses enables him to provide knowledge to amateurs.

He delivers lectures in the Industrial Development Board, Ornamental Fish Farm, Anuradhapura and Science and Technology Centre in Ambalantota. His wife Indika Hettiarachchi and Kasun Danusha have been very helpful in this endeavour. He even patent for this particular variety of fish while he advises persons who is in want of advice to start an aquarium to have overall knowledge on the field.

pic: Vipula Amarasinghe

Island species tend to be neglected

Legge’s Hawk Eagle reclassified as a distinct species:

by Sajitha PREMATUNGE

The correct classification of a species is more important for conservation of that particular species than one may think, since conservation measures depend on the status of the species. In which case the ramifications of an insufficiently clarified taxonomic status could be just as worse as extinction.

The Mountain Hawk Eagle is distributed in the Himalayas of Pakistan to western China, Japan, Western Ghats of south-western India and the hills of Sri Lanka. Since 1931 the Sri Lankan and Southern Indian taxon Nisaetus kelaarti has remained a subspecies of the Mountain Hawk Eagle - Nisaetus nipalensis.

However, when the first Mountain Hawk Eagle was discovered from Sri Lanka in the 1800s none of the researchers saw the specimen. The available specimens were discoloured and no distinctions could have been made. Captain Legge did much research on this species in the 1970s.

He is the author of the best book ever written on Sri Lankan birds - “History of Birds of Ceylon”, 1978 - and he named it N. kelaarti because it was considerably different from its Indian cousin. However other authors who researched on Indian and Sri Lankan avifauna reclassified it as a subspecies of Mountain Hawk Eagle.

When specimen became more readily available it dawned on them that this was, in fact, two different species. The Legge’s Hawk Eagle has a relatively much larger bill and claws and short primary projection. It also differs consistently in numerous plumage characters and other mensural characters.

Its vocalizations differ distinctly and an earlier study found a moderate degree of genetic differentiation. If structural features, plumage colours, vocalizations, or DNA sequences, or some combination of these factors vary in considerably between subspecies these species could very well be identified as distinct.

In 2007 few European scientists who studied Eagles compared the DNA of the species to find that the South Indian population is different from the North. Norwegian scientists have also explored the possibility of morphological differences between North Indian, South Indian and Sri Lankan species. These differences coincide with their hunting methods, habitat and habits.

“The South Indian population is strong with short claws and toes, larger beak and short wings” says Deepal Warakagoda the Corresponding author of “An overlooked threatened species of eagle: Legge’s Hawk Eagle Nisaetus kelaarti” which officially identified Legge’s Hawk Eagle - in honour of the first researcher who detected the differences between the populations - as a distinct species.

“They are predators who prey on small mammals and their sedentary life is depicted by short wings built for flying short distances through the forest.” He explained that the openness of the North Indian habitat has made the Northern Indian eagles develop longer wings.

“Their plumage is also considerably different.” He explained that in addition to the criteria investigated, differences in vocalization has also been taken into consideration in their study.

“The need for a split in a certain species arises out of global environment concerns.” To prevent such taxonomic inconsistencies in the future Deepal Warakagoda suggests that research should be more focused on field observation. He emphasized that accuracy should be improved through scientific observation.

“Museum studies and examination of related forms is a must. Unfortunately Sri Lankan museums do not offer much opportunity of comparison because they only contain local specimen.” Deepal Warakagoda has studied vocalization patterns of the bird since 1989 and explained that the study of vocalization and behavioral studies are of significant importance to make further discoveries.

Deepal Warakagoda explained that this type of overlook affects the global species diversity and richness. Subspecies are determined according to geographical variation. “In a scenario where a largely distributed species contain small island species, the island forms tend to be neglected.”

In such cases a species split is required. Although there are other species, in Sri Lanka, which can be reclassified, such as Sri Lanka Black Bird, he explained that splitting or recognition of subspecies is still very controversial.