Pollution has become a matter of grave concern at present with all the components of the environment laden with pollutants largely from anthropogenic sources and unplanned urbanization. Inland wetlands are very delicate ecosystems and encompass a variety of water bodies, namely ponds, rivers, swamps, etc. They house some unique floristic patterns that are crucial in the primary productivity and maintaining a balance of the wetland ecosystem. In addition to it, the inland water bodies are also productive and are of immense importance to humans. The inland wetlands are also an integral part of boosting the economy of the region as they support a number of industries including fishing and recreation. Thus pollution of water bodies has impacted the human race in a deleterious manner. This chapter is an attempt to overview the inland water bodies, their biodiversity pattern, pollution, and their effect on flora at large.

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid prevalent mainly in soil and water. The presence of As above permissible levels becomes toxic and detrimental to living organisms, therefore, making it a significant global concern. Humans can absorb As through drinking polluted water and consuming As-contaminated food material grown in soil having As problems. Since human beings are mobile organisms, they can use clean uncontaminated water and food found through various channels or switch from an As-contaminated area to a clean area; but plants are sessile and obtain As along with essential minerals and water through roots that make them more susceptible to arsenic poisoning and consequent stress. Arsenic and phosphorus have many similarities in terms of their physical and chemical characteristics, and they commonly compete to cause physiological anomalies in biological systems that contribute to further stress. Initial indicators of arsenic’s propensity to induce toxicity in plants are a decrease in yield and a loss in plant biomass. This is accompanied by considerable physiological alterations; including instant oxidative surge; followed by essential biomolecule oxidation. These variables ultimately result in cell permeability and an electrolyte imbalance. In addition, arsenic disturbs the nucleic acids, the transcription process, and the essential enzymes engaged with the plant system’s primary metabolic pathways. To lessen As absorption by plants, a variety of mitigation strategies have been proposed which include agronomic practices, plant breeding, genetic manipulation, computer-aided modeling, biochemical techniques, and the altering of human approaches regarding consumption and pollution, and in these ways, increased awareness may be generated. These mitigation strategies will further help in ensuring good health, food security, and environmental sustainability. This article summarises the nature of the impact of arsenic on plants, the physio-biochemical mechanisms evolved to cope with As stress, and the mitigation measures that can be employed to eliminate the negative effects of As.

Artificial Intelligence, abbreviated as AI, is undoubtedly the most flourishing and booming sector in today's world. It has spread its reach to all domains, including education. AI techniques encourage and promote more interactive and engaging learning among students. Better animated visuals through interactive learning applications help a lot in grabbing the attention of students. The cloud feature of AI in virtual learning provides the facility of revisiting the lectures and assignments days after the lessons have been taught. With the COVID-19 pandemic taking over the world and all classes being run online, AI has risen to prominence all the more. In the present scenario, artificial intelligence has an omnidirectional impact on all areas of education including the purpose, content, method, and evaluation system. The paper analyses in what way artificial intelligence has been incorporated in online studies by the educational institutions to improve learning outcomes including student grading and evaluation system, personalized and accessible learning, virtual classrooms, assistants and labs, chatbots, and proctoring. A special focus has been laid on how various video calling applications and other software having features based on artificial intelligence have become indispensable in the face of the global health threat. We then provide insight into the possibilities, pitfalls, and the overall future of AI in the education sector.

The change in community structure induced by environmental perturbances over time is called ecological succession and results in modification of community structure in a particular ecosystem. However, with climatic changes and pollution, wetlands are most likely to have modified their successional trails, especially as these ecosystems are exposed to various fluctuating water rhythms enhanced carbon dioxide, salinity invasion, and climatic temperatures. The chapter is an attempt to review the present condition of wetlands with respect to pollution and its impact on successional patterns.

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