Fish communities in the perennial wetland of the Sudd, southern Sudan

SUMMARY. 1. Cyperus papyrus and Typha domingensis swamps were recognized as the major ecological zones in the perennial wetland of the Sudd.
2. Fish sampling, chiefly by gill-netting and electric fishing, was concentrated in the open-waters of channels and lakes together with submerged, fringing and marginal vegetation in the accessible papyrus zone. Sixty-two species were recorded including fifteen catfishes. thirteen characoids, seven cyprinids, seven mormyrids and seven cichlids.
3. The highest diversity and abundance of tishes was obtained in the shallow Sudd lakes which revealed considerable uniformity in population structures. The most numerous species in gill-nets were Alestes dentex, Synodontis frontosus and S. schall , whereas Heterotis niloticus, Mormyrus cashive and Distichodus rostratus assumed importance in terms of biomass. Micralestes avutidens and cichlids were abundant among the small fishes inhabiting fringes of Eichhornia crussipes , and air-breathing species occurred beneath the vegetation mat.
4. Flowing-water habitats exhibited a similar but restricted fauna. Catches were dominated by Synodontis frontosus in open-water and by Micralestes acutidens and Chelaethiops bibie in the margins. The latter species was shown to have a clear preference for running water.
5. Peak catches in a representative river-lake could be interpreted as the arrival of fish for breeding or their migration through the lake for reproduction elsewhere. The capture of fry or juveniles of many species in fringing or marginal vegetation indicates that the permanent floodplain of the Sudd provides suitable spawning and rearing grounds.
6. Access to the extensive Typha zone was limited but from available evidence it was inferred that air-breathing fishes, notably Heterotis and Gymnarchus , may penetrate the swamps to reach areas remote from perennial transmission channels.     

基于植物多样性特征的武汉市城市湖泊湿地植被分类保护和恢复

湿地植被多样性特征及其影响因素的调查分析是湿地植被保护与恢复策略制定的基础。借鉴生物多样性热点分析原理,在武汉市城市湖泊湿地植物多样性调查的基础上,研究了湖泊湿地的植被多样性特征,探讨了城市湖泊湿地植被分类保护与恢复对策。结果表明,武汉市湿地维管束植物的物种丰富度、植物多样性、优势度和均匀度指数在各湖泊间的变化趋势较为一致,但在空间变化幅度上存在一定差异。按照物种丰富度、多样性、优势度、均匀度、湿地植被群丛数目,以及典型湿地植物的物种所占比例、丰富度和优势度的差异,可将调查涉及的26个典型湖泊湿地分为原生植被湖泊、次生植被湖泊、人工植被湖泊和退化植被湖泊4类。原生植被湖泊应建立相对严格的湿地保护区,优先保护原有湿地植被。次生植被湖泊最多,城市发展区内的次生植被湖泊应建立30-100m的植被缓冲带,促进植被自然恢复和发育;而农业区的次生植被湖泊应引导和规范湖泊周围的农业生产模式,以减少人类活动干扰。人工植被湖泊应通过建立城市湿地公园,人工促进植被的近自然恢复。而退化植被湖泊则应尽快采用生态工程法促进湿地植被生境改善,并积极开展近自然湿地植被重建与恢复。     

Primary evaluation of carbon sequestration potential of wetlands in China

As one of the important ecosystem services of wetlands, carbon sequestration potential of lakes and swamps in China were investigated. Significant differences were found among the carbon sequestration potential of various lakes, determined by natural conditions and human disturbance. In this study, swamps had a carbon sequestration potential of 4.90 TgC, much higher than lakes in China. Mangrove and coastal marsh have the highest carbon sediment rate among swamps. Carbon sequestration potential in returning farms to lakes and swamps was 30.26 and 0.22 GgC. … a^?1, respectively. Under the ongoing national wetland conservation action plan in China, the carbon sequestration potential of wetland restoration was 6.57 GgC. … a^?1. Protection and restoration measurements can improve carbon sequestration potential of wetlands.     

Anthropogenic ecological change and impacts on mosquito breeding and control strategies in salt-marshes, Northern Territory, Australia

Darwin, in the tropical north of Australia, is subject to high numbers of mosquitoes and several mosquito-borne diseases. Many of Darwin's residential areas were built in close proximity to tidally influenced swamps, where long-term storm-water run-off from nearby residences into these swamps has led to anthropogenic induced ecological change. When natural wet-dry cycles were disrupted, bare mud-flats and mangroves were transformed into perennial fresh to brackish-water reed swamps. Reed swamps provided year-round breeding habitat for many mosquito species, such that mosquito abundance was less predictable and seasonally dependent, but constant and often occurring in plague proportions. Drainage channels were constructed throughout the wetlands to reduce pooled water during dry-season months. This study assesses the impact of drainage interventions on vegetation and mosquito ecology in three salt-marshes in the Darwin area. Findings revealed a universal decline in dry-season mosquito abundance in each wetland system. However, some mosquito species increased in abundance during wet-season months. Due to the high expense and potentially detrimental environmental impacts of ecosystem and non-target species disturbance, large-scale modifications such as these are sparingly undertaken. However, our results indicate that some large scale environmental modification can assist the process of wetland restoration, as appears to be the case for these salt marsh systems. Drainage in all three systems has been restored to closer to their original salt-marsh ecosystems, while reducing mosquito abundances, thereby potentially lowering the risk of vector-borne disease transmission and mosquito pest biting problems.     

Recruitment of migratory Characiforms in the different wetland habitats of Central Amazonia: Subsidies for sustainable fisheries management

By promoting the biological recruitment of relevant natural resources, wetlands offer a major ecosystem service. This study investigates the importance of wetland habitats of the central Amazon basin as sites for spawning and/or initial development of seven of the most important commercial Characiforms fish species. In order to confirm this importance, samples of the eggs, larvae, and juveniles of these fish species were collected during the four seasonal phases of the hydrological cycles of 2010 and 2011, in different aquatic environments of the wetland ecosystem in the central Amazon. The results confirmed that the flooding phase is the most important for the spawning of these species, and that they preferred to use the marginal areas of the central Amazon as spawning grounds. The larvae of these species colonize the confluence zone of the rivers and the mouths of the floodplain channels, principally during the initial stages (pre-flexion) of their ontogenetic development. The channels that connect the lakes to the rivers are the main dispersal route for the larvae, especially those in advanced stages of development (flexion/post-flexion), towards the internal of the wetland habitats, such as the lakes and large mattresses of floating vegetation. The different wetland habitats of this region provide an extremely important ecosystem service, playing a critical role in the recruitment of commercially-valuable fish species, and thus require adequate protection and management to ensure the continuity of fisheries and natural stocks.     

鄱阳湖自然保护区湿地植被生物量空间分布规律

探明区域湿地植被生物量的空间分布规律及其变化趋势,对于更好地保护候鸟生境、制定合理的湿地保护政策具有重要的意义。以鄱阳湖国家级自然保护区为研究对象,基于2000—2011年研究区MODIS植被指数产品和同期的植被生物量调查资料,建立了湿地植被生物量的遥感估算模型。在此基础上利用GIS空间分析方法,系统分析了保护区近10年来湿地植被生物量的空间分布规律及其季节变化特征。研究结果表明:(1)MODIS增强型植被指数的乘幂模型可以较好地模拟研究区湿地植被生物量的鲜重,拟合模型总体精度达到91.7%。(2)多年平均生物量呈现"岛屿型"空间分布模式:各子湖泊及洼地中心处,表现为水生植被群落为主的低生物量区(285 g/m2);湖心水体外围14—15m的高程区域,分布着以苔草群落为主的中生物量区(285—830 g/m2);高程位于16—18m的河口三角洲及天然堤坝区域,表现为以蒿、荻和芦苇群落为主的高生物量区。(3)保护区植被群落分布具有特定的季相变化特征,高、中、低生物量区在不同的月份呈现出不同的空间生消和演进规律,鄱阳湖水位的周期性涨落是影响其变化的一个重要扰动因子。     

四川省湿地类型变化的自然-社会经济驱动力分析

利用Landsat系列遥感影像对四川湿地进行遥感制图,通过GIS空间叠加分析获取2000—2015年间2期(2000—2010年和2010—2015年)湿地变化时空数据库,选取平均风速、降雨量、平均气温、平均日照时间、平均相对湿度、国内生产总值、人均国内生产总值、农业生产总值和人口数量9个自然和社会经济影响因子,采用典型相关分析(CCA)方法,对四川省湿地类型变化的驱动力进行研究。(1)从2000年到2015年,四川省湿地变化面积705374 hm²,沼泽和河流湿地是每期湿地面积变化的主体,库塘是变化最大的湿地类型,湖泊湿地最为稳定,主要的湿地变化类型是沼泽转化为非湿地、河流和非湿地转变为库塘。(2)平均气温、国内生产总值和人口数量分别解释湿地类型变化的16.6%、30.7%和2.1%,而降雨量和平均相对湿度仅能解释0.6%和0.3%,表明国内生产总值、平均气温和人口数量是四川省湿地类型变化的主要驱动因子。(3)四川不同湿地类型变化的驱动因子存在差异。具体表现为,随着国内生产总值的增加,沼泽湿地转化为非湿地的量减少,而且国内生产总值越高,非湿地和河流湿地转变为库塘...     

The influence of macrophyte beds on plankton communities and their export from fluvial lakes in the St Lawrence River

1. To determine the influence of macrophyte beds on plankton abundance within fluvial lakes of the St Lawrence River, planktonic components (macrozooplankton, heterotrophic bacteria, and phytoplankton as chlorophyll- a [Chl- a ]) were sampled in Lake St Francis and Lake St Pierre during summer 1998. We tested the hypothesis that the abundance of planktonic components was higher within macrophyte beds in comparison to the more rapidly flushed open water areas of the fluvial lakes.
2. The large cross channel variation in zooplankton biomass was indeed correlated with the presence of dense beds of submerged macrophytes. Total macrozooplankton biomass was nine-fold greater within the beds (mean=180 μg L−1 dry mass) than in either the open water or areas with only sparse vegetation (mean=20 μg L−1 dry mass).
3. Chl- a and heterotrophic bacterial abundance were also higher in the beds, but only slightly so. There was no difference in total phosphorus or dissolved organic carbon concentrations between areas of dense vegetation, sparse vegetation or open water.
4. Macrophyte beds on the margins of the fluvial lakes allow the development of high planktonic abundance relative to the fast flowing central channel. Macrozooplankton biomass was much higher at the outflows of the lakes (∼50 μg L−1 dry mass) in comparison to the inflows (<20 μg L−1 dry mass). The increase is due to the transfer of organisms from submerged macrophyte beds into the central channel in the downstream quarter of the two lakes where the marginal littoral waters enter central channel waters.
5. Along rivers, shallow fluvial lakes appear to act as sources of plankton which is exported downstream during years of extensive littoral macrophyte development.     

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ALIEN INVASIVE VEGETATION ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF RIVER CHANNELS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Summary

Invasion of the riparian zone by alien vegetation is recognised as a serious problem in many areas of South Africa. Vegetation is a dynamic component of river channels. It is an important control variable affecting channel form whereas the flow and sediment regime influences vegetation growth. Wherever alien vegetation invades the riparian zone it can be expected that there will be some impact on the physical structure of the riparian habitat. This paper reviews the effect of riparian vegetation on channel processes and channel form and discusses the implications of the invasion of riparian zones by alien vegetation. Woody species in particular are seen as having a significant potential for inducing channel modification, whilst their removal could lead to significant channel instability and mobilisation of sediment. The need for further research into the impact of alien vegetation on the geomorphology of South African river channels is stressed.     

Fish communities in the eastern,seasonal-floodplain of the Sudd,Southern Sudan

Annual flooding of the permanent Sudd swamps innundates large areas of Oryza longistaminata grasslands. Fish migration into a southeast section of the seasonal floodplain was led by Clarias gariepinus, Polypterus senegalus and several small species which were intent on spawning. Channa obscura and juveniles of Oreochromis niloticus were prominent among later entrants. From a total of 23 species caught in seasonal habitats, 7 contributed over 97% of total estimated numerical and biomass densities. The latter ranged from 435–580 kg ha^–1. In the 1982–83 flood-season entry to the floodplain was essentially restricted to species tolerant of oxygen-deficient waters and thereby able to penetrate the papyrus and Typha swamps of the permanent wetland. Migrants became stranded in temporary pools and subject to heavy cropping by birds.     

黄河三角洲湿地蒸散量与典型植被的生态需水量

蒸散量（ET）是黄河三角洲湿地水资源的主要消耗项,包括植被蒸腾、水面蒸发以及裸土蒸发等。植被生态需水是为了保证植被生态系统能够健康维持并确保其生态服务功能得到正常发挥而必须消耗的一部分水量。准确地估算湿地蒸散量、研究植被生态需水量对于保护湿地生态环境是十分必要的。应用MODIS的地表反射率、地表温度数据与常规气象数据以及土地利用/覆盖图,利用蒸散量的遥感估算模型SEBS模型估算了晴天条件下的黄河三角洲湿地日蒸散量,采用HANTS算法插补了非晴天条件下的日蒸散量,从而得到2001～2005年的该湿地年蒸散量的时间序列,并对蒸散量进行验证和分析。结合该地区典型植被生态需水量与植被蒸散耗水量,估算了2001～2005年的生态补水量。结果表明：与实测值相比,遥感估算月蒸散量的均方差RMSD为16.4mm,平均绝对百分比误差MAPD是11.9%,两者基本一致。黄河三角洲湿地的蒸散量在空间分布上以水体及周围地区、滨海滩涂、黄河故道以及黄河两岸沼泽湿地等的蒸散量较高,居民地蒸散量较低。蒸散量的年际变化不大,季节变化呈单峰型,以5、6、7月份蒸散量最大,月蒸散量在110～120mm之间。2001～2005年期间,每年至少有40%面积的芦苇沼泽和60%面积的芦苇草甸水分供应不足,植被的正常生长受到影响,尤其2002年较为严重,2004年以后情况有所改善。2002年芦苇的生态补水量最大,在9.9&#215;10^7～3.19&#215;108m^3之间,而2004年的生态补水量最小,在3.0&#215;10^7～2.39&#215;108m^3之间。     

Grazing with Galloway cattle for floodplain restoration in the Syr Valley, Luxembourg

Three years after a river restoration scheme in the Syr Valley (Luxembourg) we investigated habitat development and habitat use of Galloway cattle deployed in a low-intensity grazing system on a permanent floodplain pasture. Habitats were delimited with a mobile GPS/GIS mapping system and their spatial development was assessed over three consecutive years. During these three years, the patches of the six habitats decreased to 40% of mean initial size, and a rapid net area expansion of wetland habitats (large sedge swamps: +100%, marsh and tall forb grasslands: +43%) was observed. The behavioural patterns and grazing preferences of the cattle were observed directly during the vegetation period in June, August and November. These observations were complemented by a transect analysis of cattle impact indicators in June and November. The cattle grazed the different habitats very selectively, as they preferred the mesophilic, and ruderal grasslands 1.6, and 5.6 times more than expected respectively. During the growing season, the grazing niche breadth declined (3.92 in June to 2.68 in November), and less preferred forage habitats like large sedge swamps were grazed primarily in the autumn. We used bite and step rates to investigate grazing intensity by habitat type. During summer, grazing intensity correlated with forage quality in the different habitat patches, whereas in autumn it was obviously influenced by the effort required to access the desired forage plants in a given habitat. The impact indicators revealed a matter transfer from riparian areas to the valley edge. Here, we give a first insight into habitat development and habitat use of Galloway cattle in a recently restored floodplain area and derive recommendations for the adaptive management of future projects.     

Early Holocene environmental change, the presence and disappearance of early Mesolithic habitation near Zutphen (The Netherlands)

The Early Holocene landscape near Zutphen (The Netherlands) is reconstructed by means of microfossil, macroremain and bone analyses. In this area early Mesolithic sites were found on a river dune along a former river channel. AMS¹⁴C dating provided a detailed chronology for the sites and river channel deposits. Between ca. 9800–9600 B.P. open herbaceous vegetation was present on the river dunes. The residual channels were fringed by reed swamps and willow shrubs, with birch and poplar woodlands inland. During this period there are indications of natural or man-made burning of the reed swamp vegetation along the residual channel. Also trampling zones along the lake edge were more abundant. However, no archaeological sites were discovered in the vicinity. From ca. 9600 B.P. on, the area became more densely forested; willow, birch and poplar replaced the reed swamps along the residual channels, while pine colonised the river dunes. Archaeological finds show that early Mesolithic people inhabited the area between ca. 9400 and 9200 B.P. and between ca. 8900–8700 B.P. During the earlier period, records of Urtica, Plantago and coprophilous fungi may point to trampling and/or eutrophication as a result of the presence of large herbivores and people along the channel shores. After ca. 8700 B.P. people probably left the area when open water was no longer available in the vicinity.     

Urban Development Consequences on the Wetland Ecosystems Transformations—Case Study: Pančevački Rit,Serbia

The article analyzes the consequences of one century long human influences on vegetation of the wetland ecosystem, on the example of Pan?eva?ki Rit in Belgrade, Serbia. The autochthonous, non-altered ecosystem was formed in the alluvial plain between Danube and Timis River in the formation of connected swamps and bogs with periodically flooded patches. The major transformation of the wetland ecosystem started with the construction of the embankment and dense canal system followed by settlements development, increasing of population density, intensification of agriculture activities etc. The study area transformation factors were identified in the first phase of research, while the second phase includes analyses of their influences on habitat conversion using GIS, with the purpose to preserve fragments of indigenous wetland vegetation, mostly fragile wetland meadows from further degradation.     

Plant species-richness and invasion by exotics in relation to disturbance of wetland communities on the Riverine Plain,NSW

A combination of field surveys and seed-bank measurements were used to describe the macrophytic vegetation of intermittent wetlands on the Riverine Plain, in New South Wales. Three habitat types were sampled, representing wetland vegetation subjected to varying intensities of exogenous (human-induced) disturbance: swamps (least disturbed), roadside table drains (moderately disturbed), and rice crops (highly disturbed). Forty-two plant species were common to all three habitats and 36 species occurred in two of the three habitats. Of the 82 species that were restricted to a single habitat type, 33 were recorded for swamps, 19 for roadsides and 30 for rice fields. Species-richness (number of species per 50 m²) was found to be significantly lower in rice fields compared with either roadsides or swamps, which were not significantly different. Richness of native vascular species differed significantly among all habitat types, with swamps > roadsides > rice fields. Richness of exotic species also differed: roadsides > rice fields > swamps. Although the least disturbed habitat (swamps) supported the least number of exotic species, there was no further evidence of a positive relationship between degree of disturbance and degree of invasion. The results provided some support for the hypothesis that maximum species-richness occurs under conditions of moderate disturbance. A small negative correlation (r=?0.178, P < 0.01) was found between the number of exotic species and the number of native species occurring at a site. This suggests that, in this case, species-richness is not an important factor in the resistance of vegetation to invasion by exotic species. The vegetation of intermittent wetlands appears to have a relatively high degree of resistance to invasion. This is attributed to the high level of endogenous disturbance to which the native vegetation is adapted.     

Variation in wetland invertebrate communities in lowland acidic fens and swamps

1. Invertebrates were collected semi‐quantitatively from four relatively undisturbed wetlands in the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island: two acidic fens and two swamps. Samples were collected from up to four discrete habitats within each wetland: large open‐water channels, small leads (small, ill‐defined channels with emergent vegetation in them) and large (>10 m diameter) or small (<10 m diameter) ponds. Samples were also collected from different plant species within each wetland, each with different morphology, and from areas without vegetation. This was done to determine whether invertebrate communities varied more between‐wetlands than within‐wetlands, as the results had implications for future wetland monitoring programmes. 2. Principal components analysis of water chemistry data revealed striking differences in pH, conductivity and nutrients between the four wetlands. Not surprisingly, pH was lowest in one of the acidic fens, and highest in one of the swamps, where conductivity was also high. Midges (Tanytarsus, Tanypodinae, Orthocladiinae and Ceratopogonidae), nematodes, harpactacoid copepods and the damselfly Xanthocnemis dominated the invertebrate fauna. Orthoclad midges and mites were the most widespread taxa, found in 91 of 94 samples. Diptera were the most diverse invertebrate group, followed by Trichoptera and Crustacea. 3. Ordination analysis of the invertebrate data showed that the four wetlands supported different invertebrate communities. However, species composition did not change completely along the ordination axes, suggesting that a relatively species‐poor invertebrate fauna was found in the wetlands. Taxa such as molluscs were restricted to wetlands with high pH. Multi‐response permutation procedures (MRPP) was used to analyse resultant ordination scores to see how they differed according to five terms: ‘Wetland’, ‘Habitat’, ‘Growth Form’, ‘Morphology’ and ‘Plant’. Most of the sample separation along ordination axes reflected differences between wetland, although the ‘Habitat’ and ‘Plant’ terms also explained some of the variation. The ‘Growth Form’ and ‘Morphology’ terms had only minor effects on community composition. 4. A multivariate regression tree modelled invertebrate assemblages according to the five predictor terms. The resultant model explained 54.8% of the species variance. The ‘Wetland’ term contributed most to the explanatory power, followed by ‘Habitat’. ‘Growth type’ and ‘Morphology’ explained only a small amount of variance to the regression tree, while the different plant species explained none of the variation. 5. Variation in these New Zealand wetland invertebrate communities appears to be controlled most by large‐scale factors operating at the level of individual wetlands, although different habitats within individual wetlands contributed slightly to this variation. Based on these results, sampling programmes to describe wetland invertebrate communities do not need to sample specific habitats or plant types within a wetland. Instead, samples can be collected from a wide range of habitats within individual wetlands, and pooled. Within each habitat, it is unnecessary to collect individual samples from different macrophytes or un‐vegetated areas. Our results suggest that collecting replicate pooled samples from different habitats within each wetland will be sufficient to characterize the invertebrate assemblage of each wetland.     

Plants as indicators of wetland water source

At the local scale, plant species distribution is determined primarily by the environmental characteristics of a site. In a wetland, water chemistry and hydroperiod are two of the most important of these environmental characteristics. Both are functions of water source. In central Pennsylvania, groundwater input tends to be continuous, while surface water may be permanent or seasonal. The chemistry of groundwater and surface water differs since groundwater is influenced by the substrate through which it flows. Because of these differences, and because of their effects on plant species distribution, it is possible to use vegetation as an indicator of the dominant water source of a site. Plots within 28 wetlands in central Pennsylvania were sampled, and the plots were classified by water source. The three hydrologic categories were groundwater, seasonal surface water, and permanent surface water. The core of the study was the analysis of half of the plots to identify species that were associated with a particular water source. Several groups of indicator species were identified. Some species, including Nyssa sylvatica, were strongly associated with the presence of groundwater. Others, such as Symplocarpus foetidus, were strongly associated with the presence of seasonal surface water. Several aquatic species were associated with permanent surface water. The remainder of the plots were used to test the predictive ability of the indicator species identified. The vegetation of a wetland plot predicted its hydrologic category with 72% accuracy. The identification of more indicator species could lead to the development of a useful tool for wetland research and management, since monitoring hydrology is often both expensive and time-consuming.     

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SHALLOW GROUND WATERS IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN BOGS,SWAMPS, AND FENS

Fifteen chemical and physical characteristics were examined in samples of shallow ground water taken in midsummer at 15-30 cm below the surface in six bogs, 15 swamps, and six fens. The wetland types were identified on the basis of their vegetation. Three groups of covarying water characteristics were identified by factor analysis. Factor I included Ca, Mg, Si, pH, alkalinity, conductivity and to a much lesser extent Na, and reflects the degree of telluric water influence in the wetland. Factor 2 included reactive-P, total-P, NH₃-N, and to a lesser extent K, and consists of elements that primarily enter interstitial water via organic matter decomposition. Factor 3 included Na, Cl, and to a much lesser extent K. The wetlands formed two distinct groups with respect to water chemistry: weakly minerotrophic (pH 3.8-4.3) including all bogs and moderately to strongly minerotrophic (pH 5.5-7.4) including all swamps and fens. The bogs had very low values for Factor 1 characteristics and moderate values for the remaining characteristics. The swamps and fens had moderate to high values for Factor 1 characteristics and showed considerable overlap in this respect. The fens had consistently low values for Factor 2 characteristics but overlapped with some swamps which also had low Factor 2 scores. Failure to completely separate the vegetationally very distinct swamps and fens from each other on the basis of their physical and chemical water characteristics indicates that another factor, probably water level regime, is of major importance in determining their vegetation type.     

A rapid assessment of anthropogenic disturbances in East African wetlands

The use of East African freshwater wetlands for agriculture has increased in recent decades, raising concerns about potential impacts on wetlands and the long-term sustainability of such land use trends. WET-health is an indicator-based rapid wetland assessment approach developed in South Africa. It allows determining the conditions of wetlands in four assessment modules (hydrology, geomorphology, vegetation, and water quality) by observing the degree of deviation of a wetland from its anticipated natural reference state. We tested the transferability of the WET-health concept for East African inland valley swamps and floodplain wetlands based on 114 assessment units at four study sites. Due to large wetland areas and different environmental settings in East Africa, we modified the original approach using a random selection of assessment units and an assessment scheme based on disturbance types (Appendices A and B). Estimated WET-health impact scores were matched with biophysical and socioeconomic variables using a generalized linear mixed model. Land use included largely undisturbed wetland units occurring side by side with seasonally cropped or grazed units, and drained, permanently cultivated units. A strong differentiation of impact scores between the four assessment modules was apparent with highest scores for vegetation and lowest scores for geomorphology. Vegetation and water quality responded most sensitively to land use changes. The magnitude of wetland disturbance is predominantly determined by management factors such as land use intensity, soil tillage, drainage intensity, and the application of agrochemicals and influences vegetation attributes and the provision of ecosystem services. The proposed modification of WET-health enables users to assess large wetland areas during relatively short periods of time. While further studies will be required, WET-health appears to be a promising concept to be applied to wetlands in East Africa and possibly beyond.