Dear Dr. Kani
Plantation along the river banks or coastal areas provides essential functions and services to the local communities. Plantation provide nutrients for aquatic organisms (increased production) and enhance protection to the local communities from storm surges and erosion, by holding the soil during periods of heavy precipitation thus stabilizing the sediments.
Plantation programs, employing locals may also provide services to the communities.
However, it is not that plantation will always have a positive influence. Sometimes introduction of non-native plant species may disturb the entire ecosystem along the river bank. Plantation may bring in menace by providing breeding places to mosquitoes, for instance, in the topical regions. Sediment dynamics over the area may shift because of plantation along the river banks that may lead to a far reaching effect.
Therefore, it is advisable to carry out detailed impact assessment studies before taking up such a program.
Reports have shown that there is a strong correlation between the removal of riparian vegetation i.e. riverine plantations and the increased deterioration of water quality in adjacent water bodies. This means that the incidence of un-restrained run-off from water sheds can be greatly controlled by riparian vegetation.
As Dola suggests, strong and informed ecological discretion should be applied in introducing non-native species around aquatic habitats for reasons already highlighted.
Thank you so much Ms.Dola & Mr.Azubuike for your valuable notes on this context.
The State of Pennsylvania developed a great handbook that discusses the many elements of a wetlands ecosystem. I will attach it here. I borrowed many of these concepts in a constructed wetlands and re-construction of the creek. I am attacing few slides that shows the re-sloping of the banks to provide better holding grounds for a variety of native wetland plants.
Here is the short presentation on the banks: Theory and implimentation
Thank you so much Mr.Gregory Zarus for your valuable contribution in this regard
Mangrove plantations along fringes of coastal wetlands also keep soil intact thus protecting adjacent water body from deteriorated water quality due to turbidity from suspended loads of soil particles.
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