A Review of Studies on Bacterial and Fungal Diversity in Wetland Ecosystems

Abstract

Wetlands provide habitat to plethora of bacteria and fungi. Though a large number of ecological studies are carried out on various wetlands all over the world, the aspects of bacterial and fungal diversity are often ignored. This is despite the fact that these microorganisms play vital role in decomposition of dead organic matter and in biogeochemical cycles. The scenario of microbial studies in India is not encouraging. Moreover in Gujarat state, wetland based bacterial and fungal diversity is almost unexplored. Nonetheless, in the countries like USA, Canada, the Netherlands and China, relatively more work has been done in this domain. As Gujarat is a wetland-rich state, there is a critical need of making a beginning in this direction so that the bacterial and fungal research for this wetland-rich region reaches at par with the above-mentioned countries in near future. The time has come when wetland managers and researchers of Gujarat State and India, should go beyond charismatic groups of animals; especially birds; and look into the diversity and ecology of bacteria and fungi of the wetland ecosystems. GEER Foundation, as a part of its ecological monitoring scheme for Nal Sarovar (a Ramsar Site), has started pioneering efforts in this direction. As a first step, a review has been carried out on such studies conducted in the State, other parts of India and abroad. The present paper summarizes this review.

Keywords: bacteria, diversity, fungi, Gujarat, India, microbes, review, wetland, world

Cite this Article Gandhi Jemi K, Ketan Tatu, Kamboj RD. A Review of Studies on Bacterial and Fungal Diversity in Wetland Ecosystems. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Microbiology and Virology. 2018; 8(1): 25–38p.