An inventory of wetlands in Birbhum District, West Bengal and their successional characteristics.

摘要

Results are presented of a phytobiogeographic survey of 25 wetlands in the Birbhum district in West Bengal, India with emphasis on the successional characteristics as prerequisite to their sustenance. The wetlands are grouped into six categories based on their successional stages: water-bodies rich in rooted submerged hydrophytes; water-bodies representing a transitional stage between the floating stage and the reed swamp stage; water-bodies in reed-swamp stage with plants that are mostly rooted but most parts of their shoots remain exposed; wetlands representing transitional stage between the reed-swamp and sedge-meadow stage; and wetlands in sedge-meadow stage which represents a condition of poorly hydric swamps that are marching towards a meadow of grasses.