Wetlands Of Australia
What is meant by the Wetland?
A wetland is an area of land fully loaded and wet with water. The water contents of wetlands are either permanent or show ups and downs, changing with seasons, but a variety of aquatic plants are a permanent part of these lands that have adapted to and continue to grow in these marshy land areas, This interaction form an ecosystem where both living and nonliving organisms prosper together.
The main lagoon of Berrinba wetland
Credit source: my pictures gallery at bitlanders.com
Importance of Wetlands:
The wetlands are very crucial to our living. They act as a barrier to powerful sea tides and rivers and protect the land and its inhabitants from floods. In our environment, they play the part of our lungs, absorb various pollutants and improve the quality of underground water and atmospheric air. They support the growth of a wide variety of plants and animal those are an integral part of the wetlands and are found nowhere except these places. The wetlands on coastal areas are famous for tourism and are the sources of recreation like swimming, fishing, boating, bird hunting etc.
Greater wetland circuit 
Credit source: my pictures gallery at bitlanders.com
The wetlands in Australia are very significant for scientific research and are used for teaching university students about biodiversity in Australia and New Zealand.
Australia is a country of beautiful birds because Australian wetlands provide a stop for many migratory birds and whilst many of them are icons of Australia, like Freckled Duck, Kookaburra, Emu, Bird of Paradise and plants like water lilies, Maggi bell Slocum, Floating pond plants and wild rice.
Freckled Duck
Source: my pictures gallery at bilanders.com, Google
Bird Of Paradise
Source: My pictures at bitlanders.com, Google
Floating Pond Plants
Source: My pictures gallery at bitlanders.com, Google
The Important trees of the wetlands are mangroves swamps, tidal freshwater swamps and wooded swamps,
Source: my pictures at bitlanders.com, Google
Australia is a country of rainforests and wetlands and the first six most important of them are mentioned here:
1. BARMAH FOREST, VICTORIA;
Area; 28500 ha. It is a natural barrier to floods in Murrey river. River Red Gum provides nests/ places for native bats, possums and variety of parrots.
2. MOULTING LAGOONS, TASMANIA
This is in the actual sense, a part of Great Oyster Bay on the central east coast of Tasmania. It is important for being home to 10000 black swans. These swans shed their flight feathers and heaps of these can be seen along the shore.
Source: My pictures gallery at bitlanders.com, Google
3.MACQUARIE MARSHES, NSW:
These marshes have been a place for traditional ceremonies of Wyilwan people and now comprise of lagoons, swamps and channels of Macquarie River.
Source; my pictures gallery at bitlanders.com, Google
4.MAREEBA TROPICAL SAVANNA AND WETLAND RESERVES, OLD:
Area: 2025 ha reserve, They have a common name as Mareeba Wetlands. It is a home to almost all kinds of Australian water birds. It has 12 lagoons, creeks and channels. Pandanus lagoon is the largest and a great attraction for bird watchers searching Jabiru, the only Australian stork.
5. KAKADU NATIONAL PARK, NTO:
This is the most biodiverse place situated in Australia. The entire national park is converted into a wetland from May to October when 2 to 3 million waterbirds accumulate. They include Jabiru,erget.comb-crested jacana and brolga.
6. THE COORONG AND LAKE ALEXANDRINA AND ALBERT, SA:
Area 1405 sq km. It has 23 individual wetlands. It is a home to threatened southern bell frog. The Sothern bell frog is a type of ground-dwelling free frog inhabitant of Eastern Australia. It has a gold creamish white stripe along the entire length of its body. The Crested tern, Australian Pelican, Fairy tern and Rufous night heron gather here to breed.
The significance of wetlands:
The wetlands play an important role in the development of a country. River Red Gum has been harvested since the 1800s in Barmah and Millewa Forests of Murry River to provide timber for railway sleepers and buildings. The inhabitants of Murray celebrate the wetland and River heritage. They also provide facilities to the tourists and other recreational activities to their society. These wetlands are home to many plant species especially those are specific to this marshy soil.
Green Gases are minimised by these wetlands:
It is said that the wetlands cover nearly 9% of our earth's surface and are surrounded by approximately 35% of global carbon because these wetland absorb CO2 and other greenhouse gases from our atmosphere. In this way, their impact on our environment is minimized and climate change rate slows down. In addition mangroves and saltmarsh in the wetland absorb CO2 at a rate much higher than those in Amazone River.
The wetlands in Australia are linked to the Aboriginal culture:
Aboriginals believe that they have an integral relationship with their wetlands and that is everlasting like their relationship with their families. The examples of this relationship are;
The traditional and contemporary significance of Werai Forests to the local Wamba Wamba/Wemba Wemba and Barapa Barapa / Perrepa Perrepa people.
The land is managed by the National Parks and Wild Life Services(NPWS), while the Werai land and Water Aboriginal corporation, which consists of the local traditional owners are responsible for the transfers.
The Werai Lands have been declared as an Indigenous Protected Area after the traditional owner's proposal under the Commonwealth's National Reserve System.
RECENTLY, I VISITED BERRINBA WETLAND IN QUEENSLAND
This beautiful wetland is a part of other marshy areas in Queensland. The entrance to this wetland has been decorated with a stunning solar-powered sculpture of flying eagle, spreading its wings over the marshes. It was designed by a local artist John Coleman. In summer, the visitors like this place for its cool atmosphere, singing birds and children playing parks.
Sculpture of Flying Eagle(Berrinba wetland)
Source: my picture gallery at bitlanders.com
This wetland has been decorated with plenty of recreational and playful things. it occupies an area of 80 hectares and has about 430,000 native plants, nearly 100 nesting boxes for possums, gliders and birds. It has an 8 km walking track for people of all ages. Besides this main track, there are other side tracks too. A 600-meter stroll surrounds a couple of picturesque billabongs, while there is a 2.8 km Greater Wetland Walking Circut. This walking track circumnavigates the whole wetland and is a great ride for young cyclists,
Video 1, A trip to Berrinba wetland
I usually visit this wetland on every weekend, get close to the natural beauty that gives me a strange feeling of freshness. It is a haven for wildlife and a gift for the nature lovers.
I usually go along the walking track and watch birds in the lagoons spread along the whole length of this beautiful wetland area. Sometimes I visit it early morning when I wish to spot faunas. Pale-headed rosellas, staring owls, tusked frogs, bandicoots, gliders, shy swamps and red neck wallabies are in abundance there.
Flora specific to this marshy areas are the special beauty of this land. Black she-oaks, pelican sightings, glimpses of lace monitors, white stringybark, scribbly gums, melaleuca, prickly paperbark, bearded or water dragons and broad shelled turtles are the beauties that can be watched here.
Video 2, A trip to Berrinba wetland
This wetland is purely manmade. Sand and mining operation after world war ll was its main cause of origin. It remained unused until 2003 when the city council bought it and developed it into parks, walkways and bridges for public enjoyment and now it has become famous spot among Australians and the foreigners. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOThe EndOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
