Wetlands support a variety of ecosystems and
many of them supporting a wide diversity of native
species. However, increasing salinity has led
to deterioration of water quality and caused serious
degradation of valuable habitats. There is considerable
concern about the impact of increasing salinity
on freshwater biota. Salinity is known as a driving
factor determining the presence and dominance of
aquatic organisms, for example, a study by Nielsen
et al. (2008), showed that increasing salinity in
freshwater ecosystems has caused signifi cance reduction
in the emergence of zooplankton when eggs
are exposed to a high salinity environment. Similarly,
reduction in freshwater zooplankton species
has also been reported by Gonçalves et al. (2007).
Salinisation in freshwater ecosystems may impair
the growth and reproduction of aquatic biota (James
et al. 2003) and lead to elimination of certain less
tolerant species and, in turn, could affect ecological
balance (James, Hart 2003; Bailey, James 2000).