FLORISTIC DIVERSITY OF KAKALBHAGI AND BORAKOTA WETLAND OF SONITPUR DISTRICT, ASSAM

Abstract

Aquatic plants support all life forms through extensive food webs and biodiversity, therefore they are known as “Kidney of the Landscape” and also “Biological Super Market”. Richness of biodiversity especially of angiospermic plants is well observed in aquatic or wetland vegetation.  The present study records the valuable aquatic plants of Kakalbhagi and Borakota wetlands of Sonitpur district having economic as well as ethnomedicinal importance. From the study, a total of 72 species has been enlisted; Asteraceae and Araceae are found to be dominant in dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous families respectively. Ipomoea aquatica, Marsilea minuta, Nymphaea nouchali, Nymphaea rubra, Nymphaea pubescens are some economically important aquatic species of those wetlands. But due to natural as well as anthropogenic activities like encroachment for construction, excessive collection of species for various commercial purposes, pollution etc. the floristic diversity is decreasing very rapidly and creating threats to the native flora of the region. It is unfortunate to say that the richness of density of some species like Euryale ferox, Trapa natans are decreasing day by day at an alarming rate. So it is very much urgent to take every action for proper conservation of these two significant wetlands of the district of Sonitpur.