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A Ecological Baseline Surveys Of: - Lake Bisina - Nature Uganda

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CHAPTER 7: WATER QUALITY<br />

WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENTS IN THE OPETA<br />

- BISINA WETLAND SYSTEMS AND MBURO-<br />

NAKIVALE WETLAND SYSTEMS<br />

Dr. Aventino Kasangaki<br />

Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation,<br />

Mbarara University of Science and Technology<br />

7.1 Introduction<br />

Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems on earth. They have been described as the<br />

kidneys of the landscape because they function as the downstream receivers of water and waste<br />

from both natural and human sources (Mitsch & Gosselink, 2007). They stabilize water supplies, thus<br />

ameliorating both floods and drought. They serve as sources, sinks, and transformers of nutrients;<br />

and they are among the most productive ecosystems on the planet when compared to adjacent<br />

terrestrial and deep water aquatic systems. A detailed account of wetland functions in <strong>Uganda</strong> is<br />

presented in WMD/MWE (2009) and generally in Keddy (2000).<br />

<strong>Ecological</strong> <strong>Baseline</strong> <strong>Surveys</strong> of <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Bisina</strong>, <strong>Lake</strong> Opeta, <strong>Lake</strong> Mburo and Nakivali Wetlands Systems 99

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