Abundance and Size Distribution of Lakes, Ponds and Impoundments

摘要: There are 304 million natural lakes on continents and these cover more than 2.8% of the land surface, not including temporary water bodies wetlands. Impounded waters another 0.22% area number small impoundments is growing rapidly as human needs increase. Although largest, often deepest, world best known understood, continental surfaces largely dominated by bodies. The amount surface covered depends upon regional hypsometry, or form, undulation, tilt surface. Small a range depths, however, large very rarely shallow. Many past analyses have both underestimated role in aquatic environments.