Ketumbeine Forest Reserve, an isolated forest on a small protruding hill located in the dry area of northern Tanzania has unknown tree species diversity and dominance. This book will be particularly relevant to researchers and lecturers in the field of limnology and aquatic ecology, but is also designed to attract all those interested in nature and life on our planet. “Utilization, management and perspectives” addresses threats such as lake exploitation and pollution, but also considers potential uses.

“Organisms and ecology” presents information about the many lake inhabitants, their interactions and adaptations to the extreme living conditions. The book is divided into three main sections: “Genesis, physics and chemistry” tackles lake development and the astounding physico-chemistry of the lakes. The authors, all of whom are leading international experts, summarize research done so far, highlight new and important findings, and provide future outlooks. It covers the full range of issues, from the lakes’ origin and history, life in and around these unique water bodies, to utilization, threats and management considerations. This book is devoted to the alkaline-saline lakes of East Africa, which include the world-famous “flamingo lakes”. These environments must be preserved for future generations. These unusual ecosystems must be protected (1) because they are ‘hot spots’ of haloalkaliphiles and rich genetic pools that might soon be tapped for biotechnological applications, and (2) for their exceptional natural environments, threatened increasingly by anthropogenic intervention. A few lakes have long been commercially exploited but are ecologically damaged others are threatened because of their potential mineral resources and changing land use in their drainage basins, including siltation and pollution from both agricultural and industrial sources. Some saline alkaline lakes provide economic resources, for both tourism (‘flamingo lakes’) and industry. These closed lakes are highly sensitive ecosystems, and many experience the impacts of climate change.

Saline alkaline lakes are the focus of this book, but how do they form and how do they differ from freshwater lakes? We provide a brief introduction to soda lakes, their origin and their inhabitants, many of which are extremophiles.

Images of lake natron