Aquatic Macrophytes Of Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India.

The wetlands serve as the transitional habitats between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Wetlands play a significant role in maintaining the diversity of life on earth. These wetlands thus offer suitable habitats for aquatic life forms. The wetlands not only play a major role in recharging the water regime but also act as shock absorber for the resuming flood and erosion. The wetlands of north eastern region of India is unique in terms of diversity of aquatic macrophytes. Laokhowa Wildlife sanctuary located in central Assam of Nagaon district harbours diverse form of aquatic macrophytes. Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary is intersected by a large number of water bodies locally known as Beel, duba, nala etc and thus created many submerged and swampy saturated areas throughout the sanctuary. During the rainy season almost all become full of water and the water decreases slowly as winter begins. These wetlands are habitats and are food source for many herbivores as well serves as the breeding grounds for various avifauna, fish fauna and other aquatic lives. Moreover these wetlands act as source of livelihood and bioresource for human population. Therefore, it is necessary for their better understanding and its proper management. A detail study of macrophytic diversity of the wetlands of Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary was conducted and recorded along with seasonal variation. Altogether 373 plants belonging to 258 genera and 93 families were recorded from the study site. There are many internationally accepted definitions on wetlands of which Internationa