AQUATIC AND WETLAND PLANTS OF BOTSWANA

An anthology of aquatic plants is an excellent collection of knowledge about anything in fresh, marine, or polluted waters. This pictorial guide deals with aquatic and wetland plants from the Okavango to the transboundary rivers to the rainwater ponds and dams. Organized and written in a way that will make information easily accessible to specialists and non-specialists alike.The guide/book highlights the diversity and vital ecological importance of the group of plants, providing descriptions and identification keys for emergent, floating-leaved, and submerged aquatic plants found in Botswana. They serve as a source of food and shelter for the aquatic fauna, thus forming the basis of aquatic wildlife conservation practices. They are economically useful in providing medicinal and aesthetic value. Aquatic plants prevent and maintain erosion, water turbidity, and the source of oxygen in the water.Information on invasive plants, such as Kariba/salvinia weed, water lettuce, and water hyacinth that threaten Botswanas aquatic ecosystems, is briefly described. In total, 194 plant species are presented in the guide. All technical terms are explained in a comprehensive glossary. This is the first such flora to cover aquatic and wetland plants for the entire geographical area, excluding grasses and sedges.It will suit a large age range, from little ones who want to look at the pictures to primary school children. If you have an explorers spirit and a thirst for finding something new, then aquatic life will never disappoint. The physical book itself is stunning, with a handsome cover with common water lily that makes it pretty enough to sit on the coffee table but entertaining enough to keep kids glued to the pages.