ABSTRACT
TROPICAL EUTROPHIC LAKES: THEIR RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT Tropical biomes represent some of the most biodiverse and ecosystemrich habitats in the world. More than 70% of the world's biota occurs in tropical biomes, including around 50% of the world's human population. Indonesia alone contains some 10% of the world's plant and animal species. Large and rapidly expanding human populations in many tropical biomes have the potential to severely threaten the biodiversity and sustainability of these systems through large-scale plant and animal extinctions along with habitat fragmentation and degradation. For example, of the 16 Asian countries examined by Jalal and Rogers (2002) 13 are expected to undergo rapid environmental degradation relative to economic growth. Arguments have been put forward that extinction of species, deforestation and pollution of air and water are inevitable but temporary consequences of progressive improvements in the living standard of developing countries, most of which are in tropical regions (Lomborg, 2001). This argument is predicated upon assurances that there exists knowledge, ability and willingness to reconstruct habitats and restore biodiversity in these countries (Dudgeon and Lam, 1994; Hamilton and Oldham, 2001). Currently, however, there are few good models of ecosystem restoration in tropical regions; there is increased exploitation by developed countries of the still abundant resources of
developing countries; and there are ongoing questions about the successfulness of restoration technology transfer from developed countries and its relevance to tropical regions.
