Abstract
The role of Typha spp. on water loss and public health has been uncertained and relatively poorly reported in Hadejia Nguru wetlands. This study investigated the extent to which Typha spp. contributed to evapotranspirative water loss and the level at which it provides suitable habitat for mosquito breeding. A comparative analysis between Typha swamp and open water was made to determine the evapotranspiration water loss and mosquito larva load accounted for by Typha swamp in the wetland. Maximum and minimum temperatures were measured and recorded daily for the months of January, March and June in 2013. Blaney-Criddle equation was used to estimate the evapotranspiration from Typha swamp (Site A) while piche evaporimeter was used to measure direct evaporation from the adjacent open water (Site B). Water samples were collected in Sites A and B using 100 ml beaker at random and the number of mosquito larvae in the sample was counted. T test was used to evaluate differences in water loss and larva load between open water and Typha swamp in the wetland. The findings revealed that there was no significant difference in water loss at p < 0.05 between Typha swamp and open water in the wetland. However, the Typha swamp was found to harbor more mosquito larvae than the open water at p < 0.05 which was considered a public health risk.
Highlights
Typha grass is an emergent monocotyledon which produces erect, approximately linear leaves from extensive anchoring systems of rhizomes and roots
Bdliya and Mohammed, [5] reported that the most outstanding impact of the threats on the Wetland is the creation of a conducive condition for Typha invasion, which occupies over 200 km2 of farmlands and fishing grounds
Data was subject to student t-test for possible differences, the result revealed that the calculated t value of 0.408 is less than the critical t value of 2.776 (Table 4) at p < 0.05
Summary
Typha grass is an emergent monocotyledon which produces erect, approximately linear leaves from extensive anchoring systems of rhizomes and roots. It is one of the prominent emergent macrophytes in wetlands or flooded areas and perhaps among the notorious plants causing economic hardship in the tropics [1] especially in an otherwise productive wetland [2]. The size of the spots was about 30 m2 in the early 70s; by 2003 the continuous and permanent inundation of the lake has aided the rapid growth of Typha to maturity [4]. Two small patches of the Typha grass were found to have been growing near Badin pond in Nguru Lake. It has contributed to the blockage of several channels
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