Lake Balinsasayao
Encyclopedia
Lake Balinsasayao is one of two small but deep crater lake
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...

s rising 1000 feet (304.8 m) above sea level located 12 km (7.5 mi) west of the town of Sibulan in the province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...

 of Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists...

, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It lies northwest of a narrow mountain ridge, situated in a caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...

 between four mountains, Mount Mahungot to the south, Mount Kalbasan to the north, Mount Balinsasayao to the east and Guintabon Dome to the west. The other lake, Lake Danao
Lake Danao (Negros)
Lake Danao is the smaller of the two lakes located in Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park in the southern part of Negros Oriental, Philippines; the other being Lake Balinsasayao. The lakes and its surrounding were designated as a protected area by Proclamation No. 414 on November 21, 2000...

, is situated on the southeast.

National Park

Lake Balinsasayao and the adjoining Lake Danao, including Lake Kabalin-an and the surrounding areas totaling 8016 hectares (19,807.9 acre) became a national park on November 21, 2000 with Proclamation No. 414 and is now designated as Lake Balinsasayo Twin Lakes Natural Park.

Flora and fauna

One of the major tourist attractions in the province, Lake Balinsasayao is a protected natural park, home to an expansive ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....

 and biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

. The lake has a rich fish fauna, including a number of introduced species, and the surrounding dipterocarp forests are rich in bird life.

Fish species such as Tilapia mossambica, Cyprinus carpio, Ophicephalus striatus, Anquilla sp, Macrobrachium
Macrobrachium
Macrobrachium is a genus of freshwater shrimp characterised by the extreme enlargement of the second pair of pereiopods, at least in the male...

 sp
, Viruna literata, Fabricus sp and Chanos chanos are found in the lake. Forest cover is predominantly dipterocarps. No information is available on the aquatic vegetation in the area.

Wildlife and Conservation Measures

Conserving the flora and fauna continues to be a struggle as surrounding forests are exploited for timber and charcoal production. The uncontrolled cutting of timber by the slash-and-burn farmers (kaingineros), is reducing the inflow of water to the lakes and causing a fall in water levels.

External links

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