Ecosystems
Tonle Sap
Wetland and Freshwater
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Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, in central Cambodia within the Mekong River basin, surrounded by flooded forest, wetland and deciduous forest that give way to grassland farther from the water. The lake pulses from about 2,500 to 3,000 square kilometers in the dry season to roughly 16,000 square kilometers in the rainy season as the Mekong's floodwaters reverse the flow of the connecting Tonle Sap River, with water depth varying by up to 10 meters between seasons. Sediment-bound phosphorus carried in by Mekong floodwater fuels phytoplankton growth that underpins the food web, supporting at least 149 fish species including the Mekong giant catfish, spot-billed pelicans, greater adjutants, grey-headed fish eagles and Siamese crocodiles. About 1.2 million people depend on the lake's fisheries, which supply 60 percent of Cambodia's annual freshwater fish catch. Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997, the lake faces deforestation, intensive agriculture, illegal fishing, upstream hydropower development and climate change.
Facts
Area (sq km)Wikipedia gives a seasonal range rather than one fixed figure: about 2,500 to 3,000 sq km at the dry season minimum, expanding to about 16,000 sq km at the wet season maximum. This value records the low end of the dry season minimum; see the Quote for the full range. Cross-Tradition Connections
Demonstrates
The defining feature of Tonle Sap, the seasonal reversal of its river flow, is driven directly by monsoon fed flooding of the Mekong.
Sources
1. Tonle Sap (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHydrology sectionQuote, Hydrology section
Water levels, not flow rates and volumes, determine the movement of water across the landscape.
1. Tonle Sap (Wikipedia)
Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonle_Sap, lake size paragraphQuote, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonle_Sap, lake size paragraph
The size and water volume of the lake varies greatly throughout the year, with a minimum area of about 2,500-3,000 square kilometres (970-1,160 sq mi) and a volume of about 1 cubic kilometre (0.24 mi3) in the dry season, and the water body expands in the rainy season, increasing the depth to 9-14 metres (30-46 ft).
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica
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