The Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands (HNW) is located between latitude 12⁰15¹ and 13⁰N and longitude 10⁰00¹ and 11⁰12¹E in Nigeria and occupies an area of 3500 km², bounded by routes linking Hadejia, Katagum, Nguru and Gashua town. The Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands (HNW) run through the semi-arid environment of north western and north eastern parts of Nigeria, cutting across Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Yobe States of Nigeria and supporting over 7 million population including migrants from Niger Republic [5] . The study area was limited to the upper section of the wetland between Jigawa and Yobe states (Figure 1) covering 5 selected settlements within the wetlands: Wachakal, Zuggo, Marma, Adiyani and Bambori/Nguru.

Data collected through field experiment were evapotranspiration water loss, mosquito larva load (number per 100 ml), the larvae collected were heat killed (tepid, not boiling) preserved in 80% ethyl alcohol and examined under a microscope of 60× magnification [14] . Other field work include determination of the size of fish ground and farm land under Typha infestation (ha). Questionnaire was designed to capture data on exposure to mosquito bite and malaria reported cases. Field investigation was conducted to determine and compare rate of water loss in Wetland due to Typha infestation as against open water. Wachakal (Figure 1) was selected as our temporary weather station and site for evapotranspiration assessments for the period of investigation. In the selected village, (1) Typha infested site of 1 m² was laid at random called Site A, also, 1 site of open water at 1 m² was equally laid called site B [7] [15] . Maximum and minimum thermometer were installed at the Typha Swamp in Site A to take the average daily temperature for months of January, March and June 2013. A Piche evaporimeter was installed at the bank of the open water in Site B to measure daily evaporation for the same period [15] . From the record obtained in Site A, an average monthly temperature was extracted and Blaney-Criddle method was applied to determine the potential evapotranspirative water loss [16] -[18] due to Typha invasion. Also the record obtained in Site B was used to determine average monthly evaporation for the period under investigation.

To determine the larva load due to Typha infestation, Bambori, a settlement of three kilometers west of Nguru was selected as our experimental site for mosquito larva load because of its closeness to Nguru, the major urban centre in the wetland and its dense Typha swamp. Ten samples of water were randomly taken from both Typha swamp and open water (Table 1). At each site A and B, average of ten water sample were collected using 100 ml beaker at random and the number of mosquito larva in the sample collected for each site were counted. To determine the proportion of farmland and fishing ground infested by Typha, we took the simple linear measurement of the farm size and fishing ground area of each respondent using Linen measuring tape.

Farmers and fishermen (n = 200) were visited on their farmland and fishing ground where questionnaires were administered (Table 2) the focus is the wetland farmers and fishermen in each of the five sampled villages. Where the respondents were not literate, the researcher and his assistant interpreted the questionnaires and recorded their responses. Issues addressed in the questionnaire were exposure to mosquito bite, malaria infestation reported cases and general perception of wetlands. Administration was done between 08:00 hrs-12:00 hrs local time, being the hours the respondents were most likely to be on their respective farmland and fishing site between June-July 2013. The main descriptive statistics (totals, percentage, mean) were used to summarize data.

Student t-test was performed in Microsoft Excel software (2013) to test the two postulated hypotheses: 1) Ho―there is no significant difference in water loss between Typha infested swamp and open water wetland. 2) Ho―Typha swamp does not harbor mosquito larva more than the open water area of wetlands. Blamey-Criddle method was adopted [16] [18] in determining the potential evapotranspiration/consumptive use (CU). Because of its simplicity and adaptability [18] .

Equation (1) Blaney-Criddle equation

Source: Field survey 2013.

Source: Field survey, 2013.

where f = Monthly consumptive factor;

Tm = Mean monthly temperature;

K = Average consumptive use or coefficient factor of the plant/crop; 0.75 for Typha;

P = Monthly % of annual day time hours;

Computing % annual day times hours,

hdi = (hsi) (hdoi)/90;

where hdi =day time hours for dayi;

hsi =sunrise or sunset hour angle (degree);

hdoi =day time hours at zero declination for dayi;

P = (hdi/ha); ha = Σ hdi;

Ha = total day time hours per year.

Equation (11) Student t-test

Table 3 presents the corresponding results of open water and Typha swamp water loss in the three intervening periods. Data was subject to student t-test for possible differences, the result revealed that the calculated t value of 0.408 is less than the critical t value of 2.776 (Table 4) at p < 0.05. The Ho (1) was therefore accepted, implying that there is no significant difference in water loss between the two samples. The comparative analysis on evapotranspiration water loss does not show any significant difference between Typha swamp and open water. T and therefore it may not have been the reason for the reduction in water level in the wetlands. This, although contrast the findings of Wetzel [12] [19] and Goulden et al., [9] which supported that evidence of considerable

^*Average monthly values, X₁ = Evapotranspiration water loss from Typha swamp, Blaney-Criddle equation (Equation (1)). X₂ = Evaporation water loss of open water. Source: Field experiment, 2013.

quantities of water loss from wetland system was due to invasion of aquatic plant such as Typha. The Typha density in the experimental site was observed not to be high enough and could have been possible reason for insignificant difference [12] . However, other preliminary observation shows that the grass being a good “trapper” of sediment could have facilitated accumulation of sediment which perhaps lower the water depth and consequently reduce the water level.

Two species of Mosquito were found in the wetland 87% was of Anopheles gambiae and 13% of Culex pipiens species. The result of statistical test revealed that the calculated t value of 3.366 is greater than the critical t value of 2.100 at 95% significant level (Table 5). That suppose there is a significant difference between the two sampled means, the Ho (2) was rejected. It therefore suggest that Typha swamp harbour more mosquito larva than the open water. This supports the earlier findings of Moss [13] , and Russell [20] that Malaria was perhaps the most prevalent disease among aquatic plants because it was ideal for mosquito breeding as long as the area was not completely deoxygenated. The possible explanation for this is that Typha grass provides a good habitat for the laying and hatching of mosquito eggs as it shelters it against high insolation and wind speed [13] [21] .

This result was further affirmed by the mosquito bite sample survey conducted in the five selected villages (Table 6) where over 67% cases of mosquito bite were recorded.

Manual weeding was the commonest method being adopted by most respondents (90%) to control Typha in the study area. Manual weeding involve cutting by using cutlass and sickle, a simple and less expensive implement. Although the majority of fishermen and farmers use manual weeding as control measure yet the success rate is much higher among farmers than fishermen. 7.5% of the respondents used machine to cut Typha grass prior to

farming operation. The use of biological control is null, while the use of chemical was observed among the few educated ones (5%). Biological control is another option that can be taken into consideration in HNW as no cases was recorded to have used this method.