of gobies . The omul salmon is heavily fished ; also important are the grayling , lake whitefish , and sturgeon . Unique to the lake is a fish called the golomyanka , of the family Comephoridae , which gives birth to live young .
• There are more than 320 bird species in the Baikal area .
Biophysical interactions : Climate , Temperatures and Water clarity
• Baikal ’ s climate is much milder than that of the surrounding territory . Winter air temperatures average −21 ° C , and August temperatures average 11 ° C . The lake surface freezes in January and thaws in May or June .
• The water temperature at the surface in August is between 10 and 12 ° C and reaches 20 ° C in the offshore shallows . Waves can be as high as 4.6 metres .
• The water is very clear ; from the surface one can see to 130 feet ( 40 metres ). Its salinity is low , and it contains few minerals .
Explain why this ecosystem needs protection ( refer to linkages , biodiversity , location and / or extent ).
The Committee inscribed Lake Baikal as the most outstanding example of a freshwater ecosystem on the basis of natural criteria ( vii ), ( viii ), ( ix ) and ( x ). It is the oldest and deepest of the world ´ s lakes containing nearly 20 % of the world ´ s unfrozen freshwater reserve . The lake contains an outstanding variety of endemic flora and fauna , which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science . It is also surrounded by a system of protected areas that have high scenic and other natural values .
The world ’ s oldest and deepest body of freshwater , Lake Baikal , is turning into a swamp , Russian ecologists warn . They say that tons of liquid waste from tourist camps and water transport vehicles is being dumped into the UNESCO-protected lake . A recent scientific expedition discovered that 160 tons of liquid waste are produced every season in Baikal ’ s Chivyrkui Bay , said the head of