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标题：Analysis of the Distribution Pattern of Wetlands in India in Relation to Climate Change
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作者：J.G. Patel ; T.V.R. Murthy ; T.S. Singh 等
期刊名称：ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
印刷版ISSN：2194-9042
电子版ISSN：2194-9050
出版年度：2009
卷号：XXXVIII-8/W3
页码：282
出版社：Copernicus Publications
摘要：Wetlands provide immense environmental, economic, and social, benefits. Some of the wetland functions are surface water storage, groundwater recharge, storm water retention, flood control, shoreline stabilization, erosion control, and retention of carbon, nutrients, sediments and pollutants. According to the IPCC Second Assessment Report, changes in climate will lead to an alteration of the hydrological cycle and could have major impacts on regional water resources. Climate change may also lead to shifts in the geographical distribution of wetlands. Thus, the projected changes in climate are likely to affect wetlands, in their spatial extent as well as distribution and function. Wetland responses to climate change are yet to be understood thoroughly and are often not included in global models of the impact of climate change. India has a wide spectrum of wetlands ranging from high altitude alpine lakes, littoral swamps in the form of mangroves, corals and numerous types of inland wetlands. To understand the impact of climate change on wetlands, the first step is to have a spatial data base of existing wetlands. This paper highlights the wetland types and distribution in India created at 1: 250,000 scale using Resourcesat-1 (Indian Remote sensing Satellite-P6) Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) data of 2004-05. A two step hierarchical classification was used to map the wetlands and categorise them into 25 classes. The total area under various wetland categories was estimated as 11.69 Mha. Since a wide range of wetland types exist, it is difficult to accurately predict whether they will continue to function as hydrological buffers for extreme events or provide other important ecological, social, and economic services. Therefore, only a general assessment of the relationships between wetlands and climate change is addressed in this paper. Increasing temperatures globally are likely to result in a warming of water temperatures in lakes and rivers. The greatest effect would be at high altitudes where biological productivity would increase. India has some of the very unique high altitude lakes spread across the Himalayas. Rare and endangered plant and animal species sensitive to small changes in temperature often have no alternative habitat, especially in isolated areas such as those in montane and alpine wetlands. On the other hand many coastal wetlands will have impact of salinity and change the homeostasis of ecosystem. The coral reefs are vulnerable to bleaching from sustained increase in Sea Surface Temperature (SST).