Sumatran major lakes: limnological overviews

Abstract

Abstract Sumatra’s major lakes are uniquely interesting because they were formed mainly by the Great Sumatra Fault and also affected by volcanic processes. Eight large Sumatran lakes, as major lakes, have played important roles for local people and been part of a significant study of Limnology in Indonesia. These lakes include Laut Tawar, Toba, Maninjau, Singkarak, Diatas, Dibawah, Kerinci, and Ranau. The utilization of lakes can be for several purposes: fisheries, tourism, and other activities that have developed rapidly in the last decade, such as aquaculture in floating net cages. Activities in the waters and the surrounding areas of the lake have had impacts on the trophic status and the decrease of native fish populations. In this paper, the environmental conditions of the lake were comprehensively reviewed.