Impact of Climate Change on Aquatic Plants Found in Major Lentic Water Bodies Located at Eastern Rajasthan

Abstract

Climate change is one of the major challenges of the environment which is caused by the burning of fossilfuel, deforestation, increasing anthropogenic activities, release of greenhouse gases and global warming.The biggest factor of concern is increase in greenhouse gases mainly CO2 level which change the climateand weather pattern. In Rajasthan situation is as critical as continuous rain failure create the conditions ofdraught in Rajasthan. Some of the immediate effects of recent climate change are becoming apparent througheffects on aquatic flora. Vicissitudes of climate have a considerable impact on aquatic flora. The wetlandecosystems, which are most productive but most fragile, are great threat of extinction today, partly onaccount of their use for human activities and partly due to natural threats; such as frequent droughts,scantly rainfall, erosion and biotic effects caused by biotic intervention in maintaining them. The currentreview mainly focuses on how flora of eastern Rajasthan are likely responding to direct and indirect effectsof anthropogenic climate change. We aim to awareness rather than to be comprehensive. Rajasthan is thelargest state of India area-wise constituting 10.4% of country’s geographical area. East Rajasthan got one ofthe two Ramsar sites of Rajasthan, two national parks, and 7 wildlife sanctuaries and comprises about 9%geographical area of the state. Most of the lakes in east Rajasthan get fully dried up at least once in four tofive years. All aquatic ecosystems of this region suffer from periodic desiccation. We include extinction inaquatic plants, endangered species, and invasive species. However, all are important in providing insightsinto future state of aquatic ecosystems. We also highlight some of the management issues relevant toconserving aquatic communities and ecosystem in the face of anthropogenic climate change.